"Lucina Lowell. YPD."

The uniformed green-haired young man squinted at the badge she held up. Lucina let him–scrutiny was to be expected, given that she was out of uniform, but identification and badge was genuine. She had nothing to hide.

"I'm not too sure about this..."

Lucina's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

"Are you sure this is yours?" the man asked, and he gave her an unsure look. "You and this guy look like two different folks."

"I am aware that the picture is... a bit low quality. But it should be very obvious that it is a picture of me, small changes notwithstanding."

The man hummed. "His hair's shorter."

"I grew it out."

"His eyes are a little smaller."

"The light was too bright."

"And I think he's a guy."

Lucina choked. "W-what? What makes you say that?"

The young man waved a hand over himself. Confused, Lucina did the same.

"It's... aw gee, how do I say this... on your chest."

"On my–hey! You listen here–"

"I'm not trying to insult you or anything!" the man said, waving his hands in front of him as he stepped back. "It's just a little hard to believe when you've got them and the guy in the picture doesn't!"

"Rather hard to believe when it's my picture!" Lucina stopped herself. She sighed. "Look. I have the badge. Is that not enough?"

The man shook his head. "Maybe anywhere else, but this is a government airfield, miss. Security has to be tighter here. There's nothing I can do to help."

Behind her, Lucina heard a door open. She glanced over her shoulder, and in walked a pair of men wearing similar uniforms to the first, one with fiery red hair, the other with a bright blue mohawk. Upon seeing her, they gave her a flat stare.

"Is this lady giving you any trouble, Slippy?" asked the one with red hair.

"Oh, Fox! You're here!" The green-haired one, Slippy, looked over at her, before he shook his head. "Not at all! I'm just having a hard time identifying her, that's all."

"Well, no wonder!" the blue-haired one said, rolling his eyes. "You left your glasses at home, didn't you?"

"That doesn't mean I'm blind, Falco! I can still see," Slippy replied.

"Really? Then how many fingers am I holding up?"

"Sorry about those two," Fox, the red-haired one said as he walked up to Lucina. "They can be a handful when they want to be. Now, who are you?"

Standing a little straighter, Lucina showed him her badge. "I am Lucina Lowell, of the YPD. I've come here on the trail of Blood Falcon, the international criminal."

Falcon, the one with blue hair, scoffed. "Blood Falcon? In our airfield? I don't buy it."

"Whether you believe it or not is irrelevant. The whole reason I'm here is to find out if it's true or not."

"Then you won't mind if we see your ID, would you?" Fox asked.

"Not at all," Lucina replied, and she held out her badge for them to take.

"I'll see that, thank you very much," Falco said, and he took the badge from her hands, flashing her a cocky grin. "Sorry about Slippy here. His eyesight's shot."

"It is not!"

"Sure, sure. Tell yourself that if you want to sleep at night. I'll just make sure our guest gets out of here."

"I appreciate it," Lucina said.

Falco didn't hear her, too focused on the card she'd handed him. He squinted and brought it closer to his face. His eyes scrolled up and down the card, then to her, then back to the card.

Finally, he looked back at here and said, "I'm not too sure about this. Are you sure this is yours?"

"Naga dammit!"


It only took five more minutes to get that sorted out, and a few more minutes to set foot on the airfield. As Lucina wiped an arm over her forehead and scanned the empty lot with her flashlight, her beam carefully roaming over every inactive vehicle and crate scattered around the field, she couldn't help but be disappointed at how quiet it was. If her target wasn't here, then that would mean that at least he hadn't tried breaking into secure government locations, but it also meant that she'd have to try to dig up his trail all over again.

Another cold trail was just more wasted time. More wasted time meant she'd have to spend more time to finish the case. Every second she threw away was a second her father's health could take a turn for the worse, and Lucina hated to even consider the possibility that she wouldn't be able to make the payment in time.

The longer she walked, another problem soon emerged from the darkness to hang over her shoulder: boredom. It was boring, wandering around the airfield in the summer heat, looking for clues she wasn't even sure was there. A detective she might be, but with so much space to comb over, the search was bound to get dull eventually. Briefly, she considered going back to ask the airmen to help her search, before she decided that they probably had their own things to worry about. She didn't want to be a bother. She just wanted something to happen.

Again, she wiped an arm over her forehead to clean the sweat from her brow. That's when she noticed the shadow beneath her. A big one.

Lucina looked up to see a ship in the air. In the distance, it seemed small, but it would get bigger the closer it got.

Though she hoped it was a little slower than it looked right now.

Lucina blinked. She rubbed her eyes, then blinked again, before she decided that, no, her eyes were not deceiving her. The ship above her was growing at quite an alarming rate. And it was falling right on top of her.

Her eyes widened. "Oh shi–"

Lucina threw herself to the side. The ship, gold at the head and blue in the back, swerved upward seconds before it hit the ground. The bottom scraped over the top of an oil truck. A screech ripped the air in half as the ship skidded over the ground, leaving a trail of sparks in its path. The ship bounced. Metal pieces flew out behind it until, at last, the ship came to a stop between a cargo train and a bus.

Lucina had her gun and flashlight trained on the ship the moment it stopped moving, standing in the path of destruction left in its wake. Behind her, the oil truck crashed to the ground, spilling its contents all over the floor.

As she peered at the ship, watching it for movement, a nagging feeling at the back of her head told her it looked familiar. It only took her a second to realize why, the very same second the door burst open. Out stepped a face she'd only ever seen in the papers, smiling like he hadn't just torn up a hundred feet of pavement.

Hands on his hips, Captain Falcon scanned over the burning wreckage he'd left in his wake with a smile. When his eyes landed on her, the grin on his face stretched wider. "Ah, hello there citizen! Are you alright?"

Lucina frowned. His voice was every bit as loud as she'd have thought it would be.

"Citizen? I am an officer of the law," she said, and she pulled out a badge from her pocket. "To what does Ylisstol owe the pleasure?"

Captain Falcon's ever-present grin wavered. "Business, I'm afraid. I've come here to bring a criminal hiding out here back to my city so he can be judged for his crimes."

"One of your criminals? You're looking for Blood Falcon, am I correct?" she said.

"Yes, that's the one!" Captain Falcon paused. "Wait a minute. You're not looking for him too, are you?"

"He has committed crimes in my city. It is my duty to catch him and bring him to justice."

"I'm sorry, but I must recommend against it," Captain Falcon said, shaking his head. "Blood Falcon is far too dangerous for an ordinary person to face. Only I have the strength to match him in hand-to-hand combat. Someone like you would only be hurt in the process."

"I think I'll be fine. You won't have to worry about me."

"No, please. I must insist. As my clone, he has all my powers and all my intelligence. He is just as strong as I am and just as smart, and he is–"

"Right behind you."

"Huh?"

Captain Falcon's head snapped around. Lucina's gun and flashlight were already aimed over his shoulder at the figure slinking in the shadow of the Falcon Flyer, lighting him up like a convict on a stage.

The figure froze upon seeing her. The light glanced off his bright red and purple suit. It took Lucina a moment to realize he was wearing the exact same clothes as the man next to her, and that could only mean one thing.

"Hey officer," Blood Falcon said, flashing an innocent smile. "Is there a problem?"

"You are the problem." Lucina motioned down with her gun. "Raise your hands in the air and don't move."

"And what if I do? What are you going to do, shoot me?"

"Yes. That is the plan."

"That's no fun at all. Whatever happened to non-lethal force? You policemen have no tact nowadays."

"Your file marked you down for lethal force if necessary. I believe the blame falls on your crimes more than us."

"Blood Falcon," Captain Falcon growled. "I should have known you would be here to intercept me. What do you want?"

Blood Falcon turned to him and scoffed. "Intercept you? Our little meeting here was little more than a happy accident."

"Happy? I'm sure you'll be less than happy once I put you behind bars–"

"Can you not?" Lucina cut in. "There's a very specific procedure I need to follow here, and what you're doing isn't helping."

Captain Falcon brushed it aside with a huff. "Come on. This guy doesn't follow procedure. Stand aside, and let me take care of the rest."

"You should listen to the Captain," Blood Falcon said. "Like he said, I'm not a big follower of rules."

Lucina heard the click of his weapon almost a second too late. Cursing herself for getting distracted, Lucina dropped her flashlight and ducked behind a nearby crate.

A flurry of shots flew over her head. Splinters rained down on her from the cargo scattered around her. A few seconds after, she heard Blood Falcon fire a few more shots at Captain Falcon.

Which meant he was no longer focused on her.

Lucina peeked over the edge just in time to see Blood Falcon turn around and sprint away. His mistake. Lucina reached over the edge. She aimed her gun down at him. She squeezed out a shot.

The shot sailed over Blood Falcon's shoulder. Cursing, he whirled around, his gun pointed back at her.

Lucina fired off another shot. This shot flew a little closer, skidding off the side of his helmet.

Not even Blood Falcon was stupid enough to stay out and invite another shot like that. He ducked behind another crate.

Lucina took the opportunity to jump out of cover. She fired a third shot. Moved closer. A fourth shot impacted the side of the crate Blood Falcon was hiding behind. Lucina kept moving forward. A fifth and a sixth shot sailed over the top of the box. Halfway there now. Her seventh shot skimmed past the crate, sending splinters showering down, and her eighth shot hit the crate again.

Her gun clicked empty. Eight shots was all she had in that clip. She had been counting on that. Lucina dove behind a crate to reload.

Just in time too. As soon as she made herself scarce, she heard another volley of shots sail right where she'd been moments before. He couldn't have had much more ammo than her. As she let her empty magazine fall to the floor and fished out a fresh clip from her pocket, she couldn't help but think the steady stream of bullets flying past her was such a waste.

She peeked over the edge. Three more shots was Blood Falcon's reply. Lucina ducked back down. Waited a few more seconds. Then poked her head out again.

One last shot tore a hole through the crate behind Lucina. Blood Falcon pulled the trigger two more times. Nothing. Cursing, he reached down into his pocket for a fresh clip.

Lucina aimed at his hand and fired. Her bullet ripped the clip out of his hands. It landed a few feet away. Barely out of arm's reach.

Lucina put a hole in the ground between the clip and Blood Falcon to cut him off. Blood Falcon made the smart choice and hid behind cover again.

Again, Lucina advanced. With every foot she closed between them, she fired a shot overhead to keep him down. He wouldn't dare try to sneak out, not with the constant threat of fire.

Only three feet stood between them now. Lucina dove behind cover. Once again, she heard footsteps as Blood Falcon emerged to fire off another volley. Lucina brushed it off and took the opportunity to reload. As she slid another magazine into her weapon, she glanced around, and noted how far they had gotten from the Falcon Flyer. Blood Falcon was trying to head somewhere.

Was he trying to escape? That could be it, but a quick glance around told her that if he wanted to escape, the shortest path to the perimeter was in the opposite direction. If he was trying to get away, this was hardly the best way to do it. And why had he come here at all? She would have to ask him as soon as she caught him.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard Blood Falcon's gun click empty once again. Lucina jumped out immediately. This time, Blood Falcon had learned from his past mistakes. She barely caught a glimpse of his foot as he disappeared behind an idle cargo truck.

It wouldn't be enough to escape her. Lucina continued on, firing at steady intervals as she did. Conserving her bullets like this ensured that she would give him as little time as possible to break from his cover.

It also meant that she would still have ammo in her weapon when she confronted him. The thought crossed her just as she reached the cargo truck, and she quickly pressed herself against the side. Counting all the shots she had already taken, there were three bullets left in her gun. It had to be enough. The moment she turned the corner, she would have to start firing.

"This is your last chance to surrender!" she called over her shoulder. She hadn't heard him try to make a break for it, so he had to still be here. "If you agree to come peacefully, then I will not harm you."

Lucina waited a few seconds for him to respond. All she received was silence. That was as good as a no. She took a deep breath. With her hands on the trigger, Lucina jumped out from the corner and raised her gun.

A purple glove shot out and grabbed her wrist. Lucina's eyes widened. She squeezed the trigger. Blood Falcon wrenched her arms to the side before the bullet could leave the barrel, and her shot disappeared into the night sky.

He was fast. Faster than she had expected. Tearing her arm away and stepping back, Lucina tried to shoot him again. Blood Falcon chased her and knocked her gun away. Trying to get away was no use. She would have to resort to hand-to-hand combat.

Lucina grit her teeth and swung. Blood Falcon caught it on the side of his arm. Lucina drew back. She jabbed at his gut.

Her fist met nothing but air. Lucina turned her head just in time to catch an elbow to the face. She stumbled back. Blood Falcon followed. His fist buried into her gut. His arm smashed into her chin. His foot caught her side.

Lucina's head exploded in pain as the back of her skull slammed into a truck She tried to step away to catch her breath. Blood Falcon refused to let up. He punched her to the left. He punched her to the right. His arms blurred as he hammered into her chest. His fist smashed into her chin. As she staggered, his foot struck her chest.

Lucina's back hit the side of a crate. Hard. A gasp of pain escaped her. Her legs gave out beneath her, and she caught herself before she hit the ground.

Everything hurt. Her arms felt weak. A sharp pain shot through her chest every time she tried to draw breath. Had he bruised a rib? Maybe two? Getting in close had been a mistake.

Shakily, she pushed herself to her feet and raised her head. Blood Falcon was only five yards away from her, and getting closer at a leisurely pace. He didn't even seem phased. As he saw her looking, he pretended to brush off his shoulder to mock her.

Lucina's face pulled into a scowl. She raised her gun and fired. Blood Falcon ducked. Her shot sailed over him. She fired again. Blood Falcon rolled out of the way. She fired a third shot.

A hollow click was all she got. Empty.

"Dammit!" Lucina jumped to the side and fumbled for her next clip.

Blood Falcon's hand tore through where her head had been. Splinters hailed down on her face. Lucina raised her arm to block.

Blood Falcon's leg smashed into her arm. She could feel her bones snap. His other fist struck her shoulder. She refused to let up.

His hand ripped free from the crate and wrenched her arm aside. Lucina barely had time to gasp before his other arm grabbed her collar.

Her feet left the floor. Lucina grabbed onto his arm. She kicked him in the chest. Blood Falcon caught it. He drew his arm back and threw.

Lucina's arms were ripped away from the force of his throw. She felt the wind rush past her as she hurled through the air. Then, something hard crashed into her back. The metal behind her groaned and gave out. Gravity took its hold and forced her to the ground.

Immediately, something wet splashed over her face. A strong scent crammed itself into her nose, and as her hands fumbled around the liquid she'd suddenly found herself in, it dawned on her with a sense of horror that she'd landed in a puddle of oil.

Her head snapped up. Her blue eyes flew wide. Blood Falcon returned it with a smirk. He raised his gun. Pulled the trigger.

The oil caught fire. Everything went up around her in a great big bloom of red. Metal ripped apart with an ear-splitting groan.

Something red and blue swooped in from the corner of her eye. Arms wrapped around her and pushed. Lucina blinked, and as the oil truck exploded behind her, she suddenly found herself on dry ground.

Captain Falcon shot her a smile from above, the flickering orange light of the fire beside them glinting off his perfectly white teeth. "You okay, miss?"

The searing heat from the blast washed over her, warming her face an uncomfortable degree.

With a groan, Lucina pushed him away. "I'm unharmed. Just focus on the task at hand," she replied over the crackling flames, and she pointed back at Blood Falcon's retreating form.

Captain Falcon followed her gaze, then gave her a nod. "You wait right here. I'll be back in just a moment!"

Lucina watched him take off after Blood Falcon, and as he grew smaller in the distance, she let her face fall to the floor with a pained hiss.

Of all the assignments, she had to pick this one. She hadn't expected it to be easy, but as much as she hated to admit it, Captain Falcon had been right in telling her she was outclassed.

That didn't mean she was going to stay down. She could still fight. This was her assignment. She would be the one to bring Blood Falcon in.

As soon as she found something to wipe all this oil off her face, that was.


Did you know that frogs are nearsighted? Apparently, because their eyes are adjusted to being underwater, their lenses, the part of our eye that's used to focus stuff, is shaped all funky, so on land, they can't see stuff far away really well.

Anyway, it's certainly been a while since I've updated. An entire year, in fact. Where have I been? Oh, I've been around. Writing Fire Emblem, mostly.

So I've never really made an official statement about this story's hiatus. If you've been hanging around the Super Smash Prose Discord server (join code is gDK48ua, in case you somehow haven't been harassed into joining it already), you might've seen me make a vague statement about putting the story off, but I've never really come out and said it on this story, or any of my other Smash stories. Well, that hiatus has come and gone, and now I'm back.

Why did I stop? To be frank, I can't really recall. I don't think I liked how I had this story panned out, and I was juggling too many stories at the time so I decided I needed to let off a little weight. A year later, and I've got even more stories to toss around. So why did I come back? Because most of that stuff was depressing, and I wanted to write something light-hearted for a change.

I don't think this wait has been as fun for me as it was for the people who've waited for an update, if any of you have stuck around at all. I'm back now, though, and I do plan on seeing this through. Hopefully, it'll all be worth the wait. Also, I went back and fixed a few things in the previous two chapters, so even if you remember what happened the last time I updated, I'd recommend going back and checking.

Until next time, take care of yourselves out there, and stay safe!