A/N: For this story. I know Fox, and Wolf set their differences asides(Maybe?)But I wanted them to act rivalry with each other. I know they shouldn't act bitter toward each other, but that's how I made them. It does affect the story, I won't spoil. I hope you enjoy the long chapter!
See ya!
Chapter 4: Exploring The World Of Nintendo
After the announcement of the new Smasher, practically every Mii was excited to meet him. However, the mansion was off-limits to anyone that wasn't a Smasher. A large crowd of Mii citizens tried to rush the door open, but in vain.
''Well, looks like I've made some fans...'' John muttered to himself.
''Believe me, this happens every time a new Smasher is introduced. And if you think this crowd is a lot, you should have seen it when I was picked to join.'' Sonic said, cockily. John mostly ignored him, as he was instead listening to the gathering of Miis.
''Let us in!'' one said.
''Open the door! I want to meet the cutie!'' another chimed in.
''Let us in! I want to prove I can beat this kid, so I can join you guys!'' one threateningly yelled.
John's sweat dropped down his face. He was hearing threats, flirts, and a multitude of other things. ''U-um...'' he stuttered to himself.
''Don't listen to those fools,'' Meta-Knight said. John was bit scared of Meta-Knight, mainly because of how serious and stern he was.
''Yeah, they're trying to act tough.''Ness added.''When Lucas joined, one of them tried to fight him. Lucas ended up kicking his butt, easy.''
''I-I just got lucky...'' Lucas shyly said. Ness shook his head.
''It wasn't luck. You did well.'' Ness replied. Lucas looked away in embarrassment.
Ness looked back at John.''If your going to roam around Smash Town, keep your eyes open. Any of the Mii fighters might try to attack you.''
John eyes widened a little.''W-why?'' John asked, feeling uneasy.
''It's because they want to prove themselves. Some want to join us. Others just want to attack us.''
Suddenly Fox walked in, deciding to enter the conversation.
''He's right.'' Fox chimed in. The group of four turned around, just noticing the vulpine.
''W-why would they attack us?'' John asked, pressing the subject further.
''Well, I don't know the reason, but they hate us. Most of them are forbidden to come here for: multiple counts of treats, trying to take the Smashers down, etc cetera.'' Fox said. He paused for a moment. ''So, be sure to tell us if you plan to go outside. One of us will come with you, so you won't get kidnapped.''
''I actually wanted to go outside now,'' John admitted.
''W-well, you can't go outside, since the Mii citizens are blocking the front door.'' Lucas pointed out.
''Well, why not hang out with us while you wait for the crowd to disperse?'' Fox added. John nodded.
''I certainly won't be "hanging out". I've got better things to do with my time, like cleaning my mask.'' Meta-Knight said coldly. He didn't leave time for response, as he teleported away with his cape.
''I'd love to hang out, but I've got to teach Lucas more about fighting. Come on Lucas!'' Ness said, as he ran past Fox.
''C-coming!'' Lucas said, following suit.
Fox and John looked at the two boys, before looking back at each other.. ''Well, I'm still available.'' Fox offered. John slowly nodded. He wanted to be alone, but couldn't. Master Hand had given explicit orders that he be under supervision at all times.
''Sure.'' John said.''But where will we go?''
''I'm itching for a fight, and I wondered if you wanted to be my sparring partner for now?'' Fox asked grinning. John's face was visibly frightened.
''Why not ask Falco?'' John asked, sweating. Fox gave him a bored look.
''Falco is in no mood to fight'' he replied in an equally bored voice.
''What about the others?'' He really didn't want to fight someone.
''The rest are somewhere in the mansion. I could go and ask, but...your the closest here.''
''So, your choosing me because your lazy?'' John replied, sheepishly smirking.
Fox shot him a glare. John's glare vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
''I'm not that lazy! I'm just in no mood to look for them, and do I need to remain you that this mansion has eleven floors? And that the dorms take up four?'' Fox asked with a raised brow, John sighed.
''Alright! I'll spar with you!'' John said, defeated, Fox went back to grinning.
''Thanks. Come on, let's head to the arena.'' Fox said. He began to walk away, while John followed. The newcomer was amazed by the view of the mansion. He hadn't been on the 1st floor before, or any floor for that matter. The only floor he had been on was the 3rd, since that was where the infirmary was. Who knew what most of they were passing could be. John could ask Fox, but he decided to let it go.
Fox now lead him up to the 7th floor. Eventually, they stopped in front red door.
'We're here. What lies beneath is a sight to behold.'' Fox said in a wise tone. John looked at him, bored. Fox rolled his eyes.''You'll know what I mean when you see it!''
''Right...'' John trailed off. Fox sighed, as he opened the door. John covered his eyes, as a bright light shone into them. He felt Fox's furry hand grab his own, pulling him into the door of light. As the light dispersed, he could hear something. It sounded like...clapping? John opened his eyes, and realized Fox was right. He was looking at a cheering crowd through a blue window. The floor and ceiling were pure white. The crowd was filled with Mii Citizens of all different kinds. Some of them brought their kids, or even their pets. John could see a Mii Dog doing a backflip as it barked. John smiled nervously as he snapped back into reality. He had completely forgotten he was still being dragged.
''Woah...'' John trailed off awe. Fox chuckled as he let go of the boy's hand. He turned to John with an amused grin. ''Like the view?''
''T-this is really something!'' John said, with an amazed expression.
''Didn't I tell you this was a sight to behold?'' Fox said, still wearing that grin on his face.
''Yeah...I guess it is...'' John said, embarrassed.
''Come on, you don't want to have the fans waiting.'' Fox said as he started to walk, with John following closely behind him.
''H-hey, Fox?'' John asked they continued to walk to the middle area.
''Hmm?''
''Did Master Hand teleport these people or something?''
''I guess you can say that.'' Fox said, unsure of himself. ''Then again, I don't know the extent of Master Hand's magic.''
As they reached the middle of the area, there was another hall that John could see. The area was completely white, with the exception of the front view. There were at least thirty round tables around the room with four chairs at each table. TVs adorned the walls of the room, giving anyone sitting there a view of the fight. Lucas and Ness were the ones fighting at the moment. Ness was at 62%, while Lucas was at 102%
''Let's sit down for a moment, and watch.''Fox said, as he sat next to a blue jackal with its eyes closed. John seemed hesitant to take his seat.
''Do not worry, boy.'' Lucario said with telepathy. John jumped a little in shock. ''Oh, did I startle you? My apologies.'' Lucario opened his eyes to reveal crimson pupils. ''I'm Lucario, the aura Pokemon.'' John was about to speak up, but forgot that the jackal could hear his thoughts. ''I am very aware that you know who I am. It's a habit per say. Please, take a seat.'' Lucario assisted. John nodded as he slowly sat down. ''Some of our fellow Smashers won't react be so easy to accept a first impression like that...'' John felt nervous as the Pokemon glared at him.
''Rest assured, I won't hurt you. Being intimidating is simply part of my to our point. Do not allow that to be your first impression. You do not want everyone to think badly of you now, do you?'' John stared at him as the jackal continued. ''Please try and avoid acting like this the next time you encounter someone new.''
John slowly nodded, although he still didn't quite know what Lucario was getting at.
''You understand this right?'' Fox said, entering the conversation. ''For someone like me, or Lucario here, it doesn't quite matter. But for some of the others...I'm not too sure. You might want to stop being nervous all the time, and act like yourself. Heck, I prefer a good impression too, I don't want to think anyone as badly. So just be yourself that's my advise if you want to make a good impression.''
John looked down.''I understand Fox...but you expect to get used to a situation like this in a day...I mean, I'm separated from my parents, and everyone I've ever known. I just feel a lot more comfortable if I was with someone familiar. I know I'm a fan of you Fox, but being separated from my family is just..'' John continued as he sniffed. Fox sighed.
''John, I know how it feels, but it's for your safety, as well as ours. We might disappear if we let them get their hands on you. Try and get used to us. We're like your second family here.'' Fox explained, with concern in his voice.
Lucario nodded. ''Yes, we treat each other like family.''
''John, it's our responsibility to protect you from that enemy. We will do everything in our power to make sure you see your family again.'' Fox paused for a moment, trying to think of something to cheer John up. ''Hey, didn't you say you wanted to know me, right?'' John looked up at him before nodding. ''Then how about this...You said you had a brother right?'' John nodded again. ''Then I'll be like a big brother to you, until everything settles down.'' Fox felt somewhat uncomfortable when he said "Brother". After pausing again, he continued.
''That way, we can talk together, and do what brothers do. What do you say?'' Fox asked John, smiling sincerely.
''You don't have to if you want..but thanks...'' John muttered. Lucario darted his eyes at Fox. Fox did the same.
''You are lying...You don't really want to be his brother...'' Lucario telepathically said to Fox. ''You are not trying to hurt him, are you?''
''No! I'm just trying to make him feel better!'' Fox yelled, at least in his mind. ''Yes, I might not be used to it, but it's our best bet!''
''You know your action has consequences, correct? If, John finds out...''
''Like I said, this is our best bet. I'll try to get used to it.''
''Fine...''
''Uh, guys?'' Both of them snapped, as they had forgotten a certain boy was watching them. Fox noticed John had perked up a little. He supposed he took his offer. ''Are you guys okay? You guys were just staring at each other for a while.'' John asked, confused. The two stared at each other, than back at John.
''Nothing to worry about.'' Fox said, as an announcement went off.
''GAME!'' proclaimed the announcer.
''And the winner is...''
Lucas was clapping in the background, while Ness nodded.
''…Ness!''
Eventually, the two came back into the room where the group was.
''Aww, don't worry Lucas, you'll win next time!'' Ness reassured.
''I-I don't t-think I will...'' Lucas shyly muttered. He most likely wasn't wrong either. Almost every time he had fought Ness, he had gotten his butt kicked.
''I'm sure you will.'' Ness said, as they ignored, John, Lucario, and Fox's presence. They simply walked to the hall, Fox, and John came from.
Fox looked at John, then grinned. ''So, are you ready?'' Fox asked. John gulped, as he slowly nodded ''Then click the button in front of you.'' Fox clicked a red button, installed I tot eh table. John looked down at the table, and pressed a blue button. Suddenly the TV showed the character select screen. John could see himself at the bottom of the list, preceded by Wolf. Fox clicked on his name.
''FOX VS?'' said the announcer.
John nearly jumped from the sudden announcement. He looked down and he saw Fox on the red side, performing his signature pose. John clicked his own name.
''FOX VS JOHN!'' the announcer said, before pausing a moment.
''ARE YOU READY?!''
John suddenly appeared at the blue side. He was doing his pose on the character select screen. His pose was him, standing firmly, and pointing his blaster at his opponent.
Fox looked at him.''Are you ready?'' John nodded. Fox clicked the "OK" button on the right bottom corner of the screen. John did the same. Suddenly, the stage select screen appeared. Fox moved his scope over to the Lylat Cruise stage.
''Is Lylat Cruise OK with you?''
''Sure.'' Fox nodded, as he clicked the icon. Outside the door, the crowd could be heard going into a frenzy. John looked outside of the window to see the stage transform into the one shown in the icon. They were clapping. Fox stood up, walking towards the red door. ''Well, go and get ready. Don't worry though, this will just be a friendly match between the two of us.'' Fox suddenly wore a malicious grin, as he waited for John, who was quite confused.
''What he means by a "friendly match", is that he will try his best to beat you.'' John's face turned white as snow. Lucario could easily tell how frightened the boy was. ''Don't worry, I know you will do well.'' John nodded nervously, as he left Lucario to meet up with Fox.
''Well, good luck.'' Fox, said walking outside the door. It was pitch black beyond the room. John gulped, as he went through the door.
''Lylat Cruise'' said the announcer.
John looked around his surroundings. He was in space, on a ship. It was tangling from left to right. Out of cue, an Arwing was coming by.
''3…''
Fox landed on the ground.
''2…''
Fox pulls of his starter stance. John did the same.
''1...''
The boy took a deep breath. Time seemed to stop for a moment.
''GO!''
Immediately, Fox suddenly ran up to John, attempting to kick him. John managed to avoid it by jumping out of the way. ''A little warning next time!'' John yelled.
''Wasn't the "GO" enough warning for you?'' Fox yelled backed, before jumping into the air. Before John could dodge him, he assaulted John with a drill kick and two jabs. He then sent out a flourish of kicks, but John dodged them by jumping back. To avoid any further attacks, he again rolled away. In response, Fox ran up to him and grabbed him just in time for the invincibility frame to end. Fox got a hold of the boy's collar, as he sends multiple knees to John's face. He then threw a punch at John's face, which launched a him screaming off of the stage.
John could feel his body being surrounded by blue flames, as he charged up. The human grabbed the ledge and got back up, only to see Fox using his tail to send John above him. Fox performed his up-air, landing two kicks on John. The boy was knocked further up, close to the boundaries. Fox quickly jumped up to a platform, before once again using his up-air. John was sent off the boundary's edge, as he disappeared with a bright light.
''OWW'' John cried as he was sent out of the boundary.
John reappeared, standing on a floating device. He heard Fox call ''Come on, John! Attack me, or you're gonna lose.''
''How about not!'' John yelled back, a bit scared. ''I don't know how to fight.''
''Didn't Master Hand give you a move set? Come on, try and fight back! We can't always protect you!'' Fox encouraged, as John took a deep breath.
''I'll t-try!'' The floating device disappeared, causing John to fall on the floor. Fox again approached with a dash attack. John readied himself to pull off some stunt, but he just simply ducked down. He turned around while Fox's kick went over his head. The boy then threw two jabs at Fox's chest. They launched Fox a small distance away from him. Fox was holding his stomach from the impact of the attack.
John took the opportunity to take out his blaster, carefully aiming at Fox. He pulled the trigger, but it didn't fire. Instead, the blaster seemed to be charging up in his hand. Master Hand did say something about his blaster being special. John kept his finger on the trigger, eager to see how powerful the shot would get. He saw Fox pull out his reflector, ready to reflect the attack. Deciding not to fire it, John flicked something on his blaster and placed it on his holster. The energy charged up was still in the gun, ready to fire.
''Are you Lucario or Samus?'' Fox jokingly asked, letting down his reflector.
''Neither! Master Hand said this blaster is unique!'' John said. He quickly pulled the gun out of the holster and fired it. Fox dodged the shot by jumping on a platform, just as quickly.
In response, John jumped up to the platform across from Fox's. The two then tried to attack each other, all while jumping from platform to platform. Fox managed to catch him while doing his up-air, with his second kick. Fox tried to do it again, but John air dodged. John reacted by using his forward air, but only the first kick landed on the vulpine. When he landed, he was on the platform next to Fox. He then performed his up-tilt, which was similar to Wolf. However, it was twice as fast. John managed to kick Fox four times with the up-tilt. He then threw his jabs sending Fox down onto the floor, back first. John followed by dropping through the platform doing a neutral air. As the kick hit Fox, John did his forward tilt, hitting the still knocked down Fox. As soon as the onslaught was over, Fox stood up. Almost immediately after, John pulled his blaster, and fired his beam point blank.
Fox cried out in pain as he was sent near the boundary. He managed to recover, but John kneed down doing his down tilt. Fox dropped down, then jumped again. The vulpine used his Illusion, damaging John. Fox jumped using his neutral air. John ran forward Fox, as he landed on the ground ,completely missing John. The human in training quickly turned around and grabbed him, resulting a pivot grab. While grabbing him, he repeatedly headbutt Fox's face. He then kicked Fox's back, sending him back to the boundary. John turned around then jumped. Fox air dodged, but John waited. Then he pulled off his back air. Fox was sent to the boundary, disappearing with a light.
''HUAWAH!'' Fox cried before losing a stock.
After a second, Fox appeared on the floating device. That's when the crowd began cheering, clapping, and whistling. The stadium was divided in terms of sides. Some were cheering ''FOX! FOX! FOX!'' while others called out ''JOHN! JOHN! JOHN! JOHN!''.
Fox landed on the floor, and turned to John.''It looks like we've got the crowd up and running.'' He paused while looking around.''Let's give them a good fight! It's one on one stock right now!''
Fox dashed to John. John readied himself, expecting a dash attack. Instead, Fox grabbed him on the collar, kneeing into his head before slamming onto the ground. John got sent diagonally, and Fox followed up by running up to the suspended boy. He jumped up, and sent multiple kicks into John. Ask the last kick landed on him, John was sent higher into the air than before. Fox used his double jump, then his forward air, but the attack did not fully connect. Fox landed back on the ground, ready to make his next move.
John realized he had forgotten about his main source of defense: His grenades. While in mid air, he picked up an explosive from his utility belt. John pressed the button on top of the ball-shaped grenade, then dropped it on the platform. The grenade starting beeping as he landed next to it. Fox suddenly became wary of his moves as soon as he saw the grenade. He had only just remembered that John was a defensive Smasher. John picked up another grenade from his belt, which was his last one. The boy threw it directly at the vulpine. Fox saw the grenade coming, and quickly ducked, as it passed by his head. John quickly ran to Fox, grabbing the vulpine just in time. Instead of pummeling him, John quickly threw Fox where the grenade was. The grenade turned yellow, then red, and then exploded as Fox was sent off the stage.
John ran up to the edge, and jumped off the stage. Fox quickly reacted by using his reflector as the human made contact with it. John was stunned for a second, before Fox used his neutral air, and then Fox illusion to get back on stage. John used Fire human, but Fox interrupted it by using his back air. It proved ineffective, as John used fire human to grab the edge while hitting the vulpine multiple times. John grabbed the ledge, Fox used his FireFox. John let go of the edge and performed his forward air. The vulpine used back air, but John dodged it, as he readied to charge. Fox used his reflector to cut off the fire human as both were sent near the boundary.
Meanwhile, in Smash Mansion...
By this point in the fight, the rest of the Smashers had gone to the lobby to watch. Practically all of them, with the exception of Wolf, were gasping at the intense match. Their damage percentages were shown on a JumboTron-Like screen.
Fox:41%
John:74%
''I wonder who's going to win. This is exciting!'' Peach said with glee.
''Sheesh...Peach sure has changed since she's become a Smasher.'' Red said, pulling his cap further down.
''I a-know.'' Mario said, deadpanned. ''She would never get excited over something like a-this...''
''Would you please quiet down?'' Peach politely asked, refusing to take her eyes off of the fight. ''I'm trying to watch the game''.
Red and Mario both glanced at her, then back at each other. They shrugged, before looking back down at the fight.
At the fight...
John couldn't fire human again, his armor wasn't activated, and a grenade appeared out of nowhere on his belt. The human picked up the grenade as Fox kicked. Immediately after, John responded by using a footstool as Fox used his firefox to grab the ledge. John threw the grenade, accidentally hitting the ground below him. The following explosion caused John to sent back to the air. Fox again used his back air, hitting John before getting back to the stage. John used fire human, charging back onto the stage.
''You have a powerful recovery!'' Fox said.
''Thanks!''
''You know, we have to end this!'' Fox shouted while jumping. Still in mid-air, he started to use his drill kick.
John readied himself as Fox threw punches with a flourish of kicks. The boy managed to roll away quickly. Fox pulled out his blaster, and rapidly began to shoot it at John. The onslaught of lasers only caused the human to take a few hits of damage. Fox again used up air to catch John in a combo. John placed a grenade below the platform. If Fox landed on the grenade, it would be combo galore.
The grenade did explode, but it sent Fox the wrong way. John groaned, as he raced after Fox, only to get hit by Fox Illusion. The boy quickly drew his blaster, pulling the trigger to charge it. John again saved up its energy by holstering the gun. Fox ran up, but John quickly jumped while back air. Instead of hitting him however, he ended up landing behind the vulpine. John then did his up-tilt four times, this time landing in front of Fox. As soon as he landed on the ground, John fired his blaster at Fox. The beam caused Fox to be sent flying to the near edge of boundary, but not enough to KO. Waves of gasps could be heard coming from the crowd. Fox managed to recover back to the stage.
Suddenly, a Smash Ball appeared above the fighters. Both of them looked at it, knowing it would finish the game. Fox was the first one to chase after it. John quickly began to race him, as he watched Fox land several kicks on the ball. Despite the attack on it, the ball didn't break. John was about to make his move on it, but Fox used his back air, sending the human away from the Smash Ball. John's only hope was to fire it down. He picked up his blaster steadied, his aim and fired one clean shot. Fox watched in shock as the beam landed a direct hit on the ball, breaking it. His eyes widened as saw he the human's eyes turn yellow, and a familiar aura envelope him. Fox was preparing himself for what John had to throw at him.
''H-here it comes!'' John voiced echoed as he picked up his blaster, and another one taken out of nowhere. He aimed both of his blasters at Fox, charging both of them to their full extent.
''T-take this!'' John cried out as both blasters sent ginormous beams at Fox. The vulpine had practically no time to react, even though it felt like an eternity from his view. When the beams pierced Fox, he jolted for half a second, before flying beyond the boundary.
''GAME!''
''And The Winner is...''
John flipped his blaster, then swiped the air with his arms. ''That was tough!'' he called out.
''JOHN!''
Back in the Lobby…
Everyone's comment?'' Master Hand said, suddenly appearing in the lobby.
''Relies on instinct rather than planning his next move.,''
''Sloppy movements.''
''Panics often.''
Master Hand stared at them, dumbfounded.''Really?''
''Yes, you saw the fight. He could have used those grenades of his as a wall, but he forgot.''
''And, if he's going into a real fight...He should be calm instead of nervous.''
''Okay, okay! I get it! He needs to improve! But he did okay for his first fight!'' Master Hand retorted, just as the beginner and the veteran came out of the red door.
''I would say it's a good match, but you act out of instinct instead of improvising,'' Fox explained, unknowingly echoing the other Smashers.
''A-at least I did okay! A-nd I w-won'' John said.
''True, but you forgot about your grenades. You could have used them strategically. Master Hand did point out you're a defensive Smasher. You were directly coming into combat, instead of analyzing your opponent, or making strategic use of the shield, recovery, and rolls '' Fox explained. John hung his head. ''But, other than that, you did okay.''
''Ah...It looks like John the noob won his first fight!'' Everyone gave Master Hand a blank stare. Silence followed for a few seconds, before John decided to break it.
''Noob?!''
''Woah...Master Hand. You would never say a "noob" to a newcomer...''Link deadpanned.
''Oh, I didn't mean it like that!'' Master Hand replied, sweating. ''Anyways...Congratulations on getting your first win! Your Smash Coins are being transferred to your account!''
''Smash Coins...?''
''Smash Coins are currency here in the world of Nintendo! Look at the TV!'' John did as he said.
''250 Coins won'' read the screen. A visualization then played out of the coins being stored in John's portrait. John looked back at Mater Hand.''But...How can I spend it?''
''Oh, I completely forgot!'' Out of thin air, Master Hand summoned a trophy. It was modeled after John's character pose from the select screen.
''Here,'' Master Hand said, handing the trophy to John ''this is your trophy!''
''Uh...''John took the trophy, and began to inspect it.''I don't get it...''
''Look here.'' Master Hand summoned another item. It had a hole that seemed to fit the trophy perfectly, and there was a button on the front.''You use this if you want to buy something. Try putting your trophy in the hole.'' John gave a doubtful look but agreed. He slid the trophy into the hole. After a second, it began to shine. John backed away In shock.''Now, now it won't explode, I assure you.''
''I remember it did explode when Popo tested it...'' John slyly stared at Masted Hand bored.
''Won't explode, huh?''John deadpanned.
''Hey, it wasn't my fault! It was malfunctioning at the time! Come on, just press the button!''
John hesitantly pressed it. Instead of exploding, it displayed a hologram. ''Ha! See… it does work!'' Everybody but John was rolling their eyes. He was staring at the hologram, which was his portrait, with the number of coins in his saving. There was also a list of upgrades he could buy. John looked at the upgrades under labeled LV1. His eyes widened when he saw the prices, since most of them cost around 100,000 thousand Smash Coins.
''Uh...These prices seem a little high, don't you think?!'' John exclaimed, shocked.
''What? Helping everyone out with their missions isn't cheap! I need to find them somehow!''
John decided to change his attention to the list of items. He found only one item he could afford.
''Well, I can't buy anything except a Maximum Tomato. What does that even do?''
''Read the description.'' The hand told. John looked at the item, but hadn't noticed the description. It read: ''The Maximum Tomato is a helpful item that allows you to recover a certain percentage.''
''Certain percentage?''
''Let say for instance, that you're at fifty-six percent damage. If you eat a Maximum Tomato, you can recover about forty-three percent. ''The Hand explained. John nodded, still somewhat confused.''So, do you want to buy it?''
''No, I think I'll save my money.'' John took out his trophy, but the machine didn't stop shinning. Everyone stared in confusion. Master Hand touched the device with his index finger, nothing happened.
''Huh?'' Master Hand exclaimed.
''Why...'' He said as he slapped it.
''Won't...'' He slapped it harder.
''It...'' He slapped even harder.
''Close!'' The Hand turned into a fist, smashing the device. Electric shocks could be seen coming from the machine, as it started shining. Everyone closed their eyes as it became impossible to see anything.
*BOOM*
As the smoke cleared off, all of the Smashers slowly opened their eyes. Their bodies, as well as their clothes were covered in soot. As they looked around, they noticed the whole room was pitch black, thanks to the explosion. Suddenly, a groan was heard from the center of where the explosion was. Everyone directed their attention to Master Hand, who was lying on the ground. The Hand was also covered in black, even more so than the Smashers.
''Remind me to never to do that...'' Master Hand said, before passing out.
After the dust settled both figuratively and literally, most of the Smashers began to clean the room. The others were tasked to drag Master Hand back to his office. John left the group, deciding he wanted to explore the outside of Smash Mansion. When he got to the front door, he didn't hear or see the crowd that was there earlier, so he assumed they had left. He opened the door slowly, and looked around in all directions. His theory was confirmed when he didn't see anybody. The boy sighed in relief before closing the door behind him.
As he went down the stairs, John was admiring the view of Nintendo City. The streets were lined with skyscrapers galore, and the roads were filled with cars. Oddly enough, both the buildings and cars were pixelated. The city itself seemed to be flat, save for the mansion, which was in the top of a large hill. Eventually, John reached the gates, pulling them open.
John was admiring his surroundings, wondering why everything was pixelated. As he stepped on the road, he was nearly hit by a car. He retreated his foot back onto the sidewalk. He breathed in shock, looking from left to right to be sure that there were no further cars. John quickly ran to the other side of the road, which housed a fountain. John stared at the it shoot water into the sky. After a moment, he began to continue on his way, stopped when he heard a voice.''Mommy! It's that new Smasher that was just recruited!'' John turned around. He could see a boy, who was holding his mother's hands.''Can we meet him, Mommy?! Please?!''
''Of course, honey.'' The mother walked over to John, with her anxious boy holding her hand.''Excuse me!'' John sighed as he turned to greet them.
''Y-yes?'' John asked nervously.
''Oh my gosh! You are so cool!'' The boy exclaimed while bouncing around. John stared at him.
''Um...'' John was unsure what to say about the situation.
''Please don't mind him. He gets excited when meeting a Smasher.'' The mother said. ''My name is Ashley.
''M-my name is John.''John introduced.
''We know. You're the talk of the town!''
''Huh?'' John asked, confused.
''Oh, when the Smashers introduces a new recruit with a trailer, we Mii get excited'' Ashley explained.
''I-I see...'' John asked a bit flustered. He was so not used to the crowds or attention.
''Well, it was nice to meet-''
''C-can I wear your scouter?'' The boy suddenly interrupted. John and Ashley stared at him.
''Brian!'' She scolded.
''But Mom! None of the other StarFox Smashers won't let me near them!''
''Still!''
John didn't want to give his silver scouter away. ''Maybe someday...It's my equipment.'' Brian began to pout.
''B-but...''
''Brian!''
''Fine...'' Brian said, admitting defeat.
The mother turned to John. ''I'm really sorry about this...''
John shook his head. ''No, it's fine...I should be going now.''
''Okay. Again, it was nice meeting you!''
''You too!'' John began to walk the other way, wanting to see more of the city.
Back In The Mansion…
All of the furniture had been replaced, and the room had been dusted top to bottom. It looked as if the explosion had never happened. Link, Mario, and Fox leaned their brooms on the wall as they sighed.
''That took a while...'' Red said as he sat down on a white chair he had just brought down. He had every right to be exhausted, as he has carried dozens of chairs up from the mansion's basement. tired from carrying the chairs.
Wolf was sitting on the floor, panting like the others. He had been assigned to carry tables with Donkey Kong, because both of them were quite strong. ''What's wrong Wolf? You tired? Old age catching up?'' Falco said in his signature mocking tone. Wolf glared up at him.
''Shut up, Bird Brain! I don't see you carrying tables non-stop!''
''Forgive us Wolf, but your strength was needed to carry the tables.'' Lucario replied. Wolf switched his gaze over to Lucario.
''And where were you?!'' Wolf angrily asked.
Lucario stared at him, still psychically communicating ''Forgive me, but I was dragging Master Hand back to his office.'' Wolf grunted in response.
''Well everything seems to be done.'' Marth proclaimed.
''Yeah, let's go and rest up...'' Fox said. With that comment, everyone began to get up and leave
''Wait...Someone is missing...'' Lucario said. Everyone stopped, and looked at the Pokemon.
''Who?'' Pit asked.
''John...'' There was silence throughout the room now.
''Your kidding right?'' Captain Falcon asked. Lucario shook his head.
''He didn't just walk out on us!'' Fox exclaimed angrily.''Maybe he still here!''
Lucario shook his head again ''I checked already...I did not sense his Aura, at least inside of the mansion. He must have left when we were cleaning.''
Fox had an expression of disappointment mixed with anger. ''He knows he shouldn't walk anywhere alone, when he can be kidnapped at any time!''
''Getting angry won't solve anything! We should calm down, and think!'' Ike said. Fox frowned.
''As much I don't care about the kid, we should find him.'' Wolf said.
Fox was slightly off put by his comment. Usually, Wolf would usually be the last one to say anything in a situation like this. And even when he did say something, it was usually sarcastic.
''Alright then, what's the plan?'' Fox said, deciding not to question his rival.
''Isn't simple? We split up and look for him! Without the Hand, we can't use the computers in the command room to track him!'' Wolf angrily replied. Most of them stared at him with shock and fear. Half of that was due in part with his extreme anger. The other half was because of how concerned he seemed.
''Wolf, that's a bit unlike you to worry.'' Zelda said. Wolf responded by glaring at her.
''What are you talking about?'' Wolf asked. He was confused, and still teaming with the anger.
''We can talk about that later. First, we need to find the boy!" Link said urgently.
Meanwhile…
John decided to enter a grocery store. As soon as he stepped inside, he saw the wiles lined with shoppers. He didn't want to be surrounded in attention, so he decided to leave before he was noticed. Upon leaving, he darted across the street to a clothing store, which seemed to less crowded. He peaked into the window to get a closer look. Inside, John noticed the rows of clothes. Each one was labeled. The first rows held generic Mii clothes, for men women, and children. The rest displayed costumes that belonged to a certain franchise. There was a Pokemon row, an Earthbound row, etc.
John stepped away from. The window, and made his way to the door. While walking there, he noticed a banner that was hanging on the other window. It depicted him, in his character select pose. It read: ''25% discount on John clothes! The new StarFox Smasher!''
''They've already made merchandise?!'' John thought to himself. He just had to see them for himself. So he went inside the store, and walked to the StarFox section. On the walls of the row, he could see perfect replicas of the clothes worn be the StarFox Smashers. There was Fox's outfit with the scouter, Falco's near identical getup, and Wolf's attire, eye patch and all. At the end of the row, John could see his clothes. He walked over there, and quickly examined it. It was quite a resemblance. He ran his hand down the jacket. With the exception of the sale tag, it was nearly the same texture as his own.
''Mom, look!'' A teenage girl called out. She pointed a finger at John. John could tell what was going on. He quickly left the section, trying not to get any attention. As he exited the row, John was stopped by a Mii citizen.
''Is s-something wrong, s-sir?'' John asked, sweating. The Mii inspected him top to bottom.
''Hey...Aren't you that new Smasher, who's been going about the city?''The Mii asked. John stared at him nervously.
''I don't know what you're talking about...'' John said, trying not to expose himself. He looked to his right, and could see the same poster that had been in the window. John sweated more. The Mii looked at the poster that John was looking at. He quickly compared their clothes and likeness.
''You are!'' The Mii citizen exclaimed. John had practically just died on the inside. ''Oh, Crap...'' He thought to himself.
''Look, sir...I need to go...'' John said, in an effort to escape. He noticed that he was dragging attention from the other shoppers.
''IT'S HIM!'' All the citizens said at the same time. In an instant, they all rushed to the "noob Smasher" and surrounded him, preventing escape. They began to take pictures, beg for autographs, etc. He didn't time to deal with this. John barley managed to squeeze his way through the fighting crowd. As he was reaching the end of it, he tripped, and the floor with a thud. He shook his head before standing up. Apparently the crowd still believed he was in there, somewhere. Now was his chance to leave. He walked out onto the city street, and sighed.
''I need to go back, before they start to worry.'' He said as he made his way back to the mansion, hoping he wouldn't be noticed. As John was walking, he accidentally bumped into a figure.''Sorry!'' John turned behind him to apologize, but didn't see anything. Had he bumped into a cheetah? John rubbed his eyes to be sure, but still couldn't see anyone. Suddenly, he heard a voice.
''Well, well, look who it is.'' The voice said with anger.
John looked where the source of the voice was coming from. He spotted a Mii wearing gloves and a clenched up face.
''If it isn't the new smasher.'' The Mii said.
''O-oh...um...w-who are you?'' John asked as the aggravated citizen approached him.
''The name is Brawler, and you don't seem fit to become a Smasher.'' John was confused, and a little nervous.
''Huh?''
''I said you are not fit to be with them! The guardians of Nintendo!''
''U-um...''
''Heh, scared I see...Maybe I can take you out now. To prove you're just a weak kid!'' Brawler said as he charged at John, ready to punch him.
In an act of instinct, John covered himself to block punch. Just then, a power shield came on, preventing the punch.''What the?!'' Brawler said in shock. John opened his eyes, he noticed that he was surrounded by a red bubble. Both of them were shocked ''Of course! You're a Smasher!'' Brawler said as he continued to throw punch after punch at the red bubble. He noticed the shield was getting smaller and smaller.
John decided to roll. As Brawl was ready to punch the shield, John rolled front as Brawler jumped. John rolled underneath. Brawler's eyes widened as John stood up after the roll. Brawler looked behind him as John threw a punch, then another, then a kick on the face. Brawler hit the floor with a thud, John took out his blaster in his fighting stance. Brawler got back up.''Heh, tough move kid!'' The fight seemed like it was going to escalate, until they were interrupted.
''HIYAH!'' cried a voice as a grizzled boot kicked Brawler in the face. Once again, Brawler hit the ground with a thud. As he slowly opened his eyes, he could make out Wolf standing in front of John. ''Don't you go near the kid!'' The lupine shouted. John stared in shock as the brawler got up. As he did so, the rest of the Smashers began to appear behind the aggressive Lupine.
''Damn Smashers…'' Brawler muttered under his breath.
''Brawler, you pathetic fool! How many times are you going to attack us!?'' Lucario questioned.
''Until I prove that we don't need you!'' Brawler replied, shouting.
''It does not matter if you need us or not, you have no right to attack the boy!''
''Like I care!''
Fox's eyes narrowed. ''Just leave Brawler, you're outnumbered!''
Brawler growled as he took off running. Every single Smasher made sure he wasn't coming back, before they looked at John, angrily. John looked down in shame. He had the feeling that they were going to have a long talk with him when they got back.
Inside Smash Mansion…
''In today's news,'' A Mii said. He was wearing glasses with a suit, and was holding a sheet of paper ''the new Smasher, known to be John of StarFox has recently been the talk of our beloved Smash town! Footage has arisen of the recruit speaking with some a boy and his mother.'' The screen showed John interacting with Ashley, and Brian. ''Interactions like this, as you know, are extremely ra-'' The voice was cut off when Fox turned off the TV. Everyone in the command room looked at John. In response, he simply looked down in embarrassment.
''John, didn't Master Hand specifically tell you to stay with us! And don't you know you shouldn't walk outside of the mansion, especially alone! You could've been kidnapped!'' Fox yelled. John winced. It's not like he could be surprised, he knew this was coming as soon as Brawler was defeated.
''Fox is correct, John. You shouldn't be walking alone without our supervision!'' Zelda lightly scolded.
''S-sorry...I was curio-''
''STILL!'' Wolf yelled, louder than Fox. Like almost anything Wolf said, it frightened John.
''Wolf, calm down. Your scaring him.'' Peach stepped up. Wolf growled.
''If the kid wants to be a part of the team, he's gonna have to think about his actions!'' Everyone watched Wolf stomp his way to the door, kicking it as he exited the room. As he reached the other side, he slammed it behind him. While most of the Smashers simply watched in awe at the spectacle, John once again winced.
Fox sighed as he turned back to John. ''I know, you were curious about Smash town, but we've got to set ground rules. It's not a punishment, but for your safety. Alright?''John hung his head. It's like the punishment from his parents.''
''If you decide to go out, let one of us know. I'm sure someone will accompany you'' Marth said.
''And don't sneak out like you did this time. If it weren't for Lucario's little psychic tricks, we wouldn't have even known you were gone.'' Falco said. Lucario gave no response besides a slight head nod.
''O-okay...I'm sorry I made you guys worry.''
''It's okay, John. No one's mad at you. We were just worried is all.'' Peach said, holding her signature pink parasol.
''No one expect for Captain Eyepatch over there.'' Falco said, gesturing towards the door. ''Man, you should have seen him when we found out you were missing. He was flipping his sh-''
''Hey Falco, can we keep this focused on what's at hand?'' Fox interrupted. ''I'd appreciate it.''
Falco lazily threw his hands up in a surrender pose, then retreated back into his chair.
''Anyways…'' Fox continued, attempting to get back on track. ''Were only looking out for your safety. As it is, what you did isn't really a big deal. So don't sweat it, ok?''
''Ok...'' John looked away, a bit embarrassed. All of the Smashers began to ease up and show slight smiles. John looked back up at the group, and gave a small smile himself.
After a moment of silence, Link spoke up. ''Is anyone else feeling famished? It's about time we all ate.'' If anyone wasn't hungry before, they certainly were now. All of the Smashers began to get out of their seats and leave the command room. John slowly got up following the others. As they walked throughout the halls of the mansion, he thought the shield he had summoned.
''Hey, um Link?'' John asked.
''Yes?'' Link said.
''When you guys found me with Brawler, what was that shield that appeared when I was defending myself?''
''Did Master Hand not tell you?'' Link asked. John shook his head.''Master Hand always explains what that is to every new fighter. How did he forget?'' John shrugged. ''Well, what you summoned was what's known as a guard.''
''A guard?''
''Guard is an ability that every Smasher has. It's a shield that protects you from harm'' Zelda interjected.
''When Brawler was attacking my shield, it was shrinking the as I held it. What was that for?''
''That's because it cannot be held forever. It will shrink, depending on the amount of time passed and the amount of hits it receives. When it runs out, it will break, causing you to be dizzy. During this time, you're open for attack.'' Marth explained. ''That shield is important, it is mostly used in a Brawl or a mission.''
''Brawl...wait a minute. Fox, when we were fighting, you weren't using the shield. Why didn't you?'' Fox looked at him, with a smirk on his face.
''I was going easy on you. It was your first fight after all. Did you expect me to crush you? That's a bit unfair.'' John looked at him, shocked.
''That was going easy on me?! It looked like you were going all out!'' John exclaimed. Fox chuckled. ''It supposed it didn't look like it, but I was actually going easy on you,''Fox said, still chucking. John frowned.
For hours, no one really did anything besides meander around. Since Master Hand was still unconscious, no matches could be held, nor could missions be organized. As the sun was setting, John began to help Mr. Game and Watch and Peach with dinner. It certainly wasn't an easy task, due to the number of mouths that had to be fed. After some time, Mr. Game and Watch placed another tray of delicious food on the counter. John took the last tray, and placed it on the table. The dining room had several tables with about three or four chairs at each. It was set up like a school cafeteria in a way. Since John had become a Smasher, one of the tables was given an extra chair. As Mr. Game and Watch and John placed the last trays of food on the counter, Peach signaled everyone down with an intercom microphone.
''So, John what do you think of Smash so far?'' Peach asked as she sat down in her chair. She sat at a table near the center of the room with Mario, Luigi, and Bowser. Bowser was always trying to change where he sat, but Master Hand denied him every time.
''Well...Yeah, I guess?'' John replied, unsure of himself.
''I know you aren't comfortable yet, but we're all family here! We help each other until the end! Don't worry, John. After this is all over with, you will get to see your family at home!'' Peach said, trying to cheer the boy up. John showed a small smile. Suddenly, the dining room door opened up. All of the Smashers poured out of it, and began to take their seats. John could see Master Hand floating in with them.
''Aw...I'm never doing that again...'' Master Hand said, as he floated to the middle of the room. John politely waved goodbye to Peach, and walked over to his assigned table and chair. The nameplate on his chair made his placement official. John noticed that he was sitting with Meta Knight, Lucario, and someone he didn't know. He struck out to John in particular, because he looked incredibly realistic, as well as gritty.
Master Hand reached the middle of the room, and scoffed, trying to call attention. Since everyone was chatting amongst themselves, the Hand's scoff was lost in the noise. After a few seconds of waiting, he blurted out a loud ''Ahem!''. All of the heads in the room now turned to face Master Hand. ''Thank you for your attention. As you all know, a newcomer has arrived! His name is John, and he's from the real world!''
''We knew that you dork.'' Red replied. Master Hand made a gesture equivalent to an eye roll.
''Whatever. Anyways, John is in danger, and I entrust all of you to keep him safe.'' Most of the Smashers frowned.
''Yeah, he could walk out of the mansion or something...'' Ness muttered.
''What!?'' Master Hand asked, confused. Most of the Smashers gasped. Before he could say anything else, Luigi put his hand over Ness's mouth.
''Nothing!'' Luigi shouted, sweating. Master Hand stared at Luigi, then looked around at all of the smashers. Everyone just shrugged.
''Alright...'' The Hand said, still confused and partially suspicious. ''Now, sorry to keep you all waiting. You can continue to eat. When you are done, go to your respective rooms! Except for John!'' John jolted his head up and stared at Master Hand.'' You are to come to my office after dinner. Understand?'' John nodded.''Splendid! Now go on and enjoy the rest of your evening!'' When he was finished speaking, Master Hand floated out of the door, and back upstairs.
John looked back down at his food. ''What could Master Hand possibly want to talk to me about?'' He thought to himself.
''Do not worry. You are not in trouble.'' Lucario telepathically replied as he chewed his food. ''He simply wants to discuss your living space. Now go on and eat your food before it gets cold.''
''Hey, Kid.'' Said the stranger. John stared him as he spoke. .''I don't believe we've met. The names Snake.''
''Oh...It's nice to meet you! My name is John.''
''So, from the real world?''
''Yeah! Someone, or something wants to kidnap and or kill me, so I'm staying here for the type being!'' John replied with a sheepish smile.
''Wish I could say I've never been in your shoes. Although, maybe I've only experienced the first part.'' Snake said, now eating his food.
''Ok...?'' John said, awkwardly. He then went to eating his own food, which was a steak burger.
As dinner ended, John walked out of the room and up the flights of stairs. He reached the thirteenth floor, and opened the door to Master Hand's office. John then made his way to the chair in front of the desk, and took his seat. Master Hand turned around, and met John's eyes with his fingers.
''The reason I called you here is very simple. I'd like to go over some rules, as well as your assigned room.'' Master Hand said. ''Rule number one: Be respectful to your elder Smashers like Snake, Link, Fox.''
''Elders? Fox isn't eighty or anything, he's thirty.''
''You know what I mean! Be respectful to Smashers that are older than you!'' Master Hand said. ''Anyways, rule number two: Be competitive in tournaments and other fights. As a Smasher, you must try your best.''
''O-ok...''
''Rule number three: Smashers fifteen or below must sleep an hour earlier than everyone else. Since everyone goes to bed at ten, you go to sleep at nine.''
''Really?...''
''Yes really. Rule number four: Don't go into any of the girl's dorms.''
''Like I'd ever do that.''
''Hey, you never know. It's just a precaution. Rule number five: Don't break anything around the mansion. It costs a lot of Smash coins to install a new painting.''
''OK, I'll make sure to be careful.''
''Rule number six: Whenever there is danger around Smash town or during a mission, you must participate.'' John cringed for a moment, dreading when he'd have to follow through with that.
''And finally, this rule applies to you. Rule number seven: Don't go anywhere alone. Someone has to be in your range. I'll assign a Smasher to be with you if you plan on going somewhere. Now as for your room...I have to discuss it with the rest of the Smashers. For now however, you are assigned to the second floor dorms. The room should have your name on it.''
''But, I don't know where the dorm is...''
''Oh, It's easy. Go to the first floor, then turn left. You should find yourself at the dorm lobby'' Master Hand instructed. John nodded, slightly confused. ''Good, You are dismissed.'' John got up, left Master Hands office, and went down the stairs to the first floor. Unsure of himself, he turned left, as instructed. He walked down the hallway, wondering if he had gone the wrong way. John felt relived when he reached a double door reading "Boys Dorm". He slowly opened it.
John looked around the lobby of the dorm. It seemed ordinary enough. There were chairs, tables, a rug, the usual. As he looked around the room, he noticed the staircase towards the back of the room. John went up the stairs, and arrived on the second floor. He began to walk down the hallway that lay before him. Decorations lined the walls, like the rest of mansion. John reached the first door on his left, and read the nameplate. It read: "Ness and Lucas.'' John went to knock, but withdrew at the last second, realizing they would be asleep at this time. John walked further down the hallway. He could see all the rooms with names assigned to most of them. By the time he reached near the end of the hall, John was seriously doubting he had gone the right way. He got to the end of the hall, reviewing two more hallways, going left and right.
John looked at the last door before the split. The nameplate had his name on it. John frowned, realizing he was far away from anybody else. His closest neighbor was Kirby, but his room was three doors away from his. After that was Link, who was two rooms away from Kirby.
John opened the door to his room. It housed two beds, a drawer on each bedside with a lamp on top, several plants, two chairs near a window, and another door that probably led to the bathroom. The boy flipped the light switch on so he could see clearer. He sighed in exhaustion as he sat on the white bed. After all, he had just traveled down thirteen flights of stairs, and traversed half of the mansion just to get to his room. He lied on the bed in comfort, until a sudden lightning strike jolted him out of it. John walked over to the window. It was raining heavily.
He sighed to himself as he pulled out his NDS, and turned it on. It surprised him it still was working. The game started up, and he began to play it. He walked back to the bed, and sat on it, back to the window. If it wasn't for the game he was playing, he would have noticed the figure picking the window lock. After successfully breaking it, the figure silently snuck into the room. It was about to come up behind John, when he broke his attention from the game. John had been alerted by the sounds of rain drops hitting the floor. When he was alerted, the figure crept out of sight. John stood up, put the NDS in his pocket, and walked over to the window. ''Wait a minute…The window wasn't open when I go-'' He was suddenly cut off when the figure grabbed him. John wanted to yell, but his mouth was blocked.
''Why hello there.'' A voice said. John looked up, and saw the hooded figure which had crept into his room. He couldn't tell if it was the thing he had seen on Earth, or some other hooded figure who wanted to kidnap him.
''You shouldn't have let your guard down...Oh, but I forgot you're just a kid. You know nothing except video games.'' The hooded figure taunted. ''Now I will take that device, and kidnap you.'' John's eyes widened. The figure slowly opened the zipper of his pocket, and began to slowly take the NDS out from it. But before it could, John quickly and hardly stomped his foot. The figure yelped as he dropped the NDS, and his grip on John. The boy quickly snatched the NDS off of the floor, and began to run towards the door. After he got back up, the figure jumped at him. John saw this and ducked out of instinct, causing his attacker to crash into the wall. He looked at the figure to make sure he was down, and then quickly busted through the door. ''HELP!'' he cried.
John's voice echoed through the halls, waking up almost everyone in the boy's dorm. ''What was that?!'' Fox asked immediately after he was jolted awake. The voice came again.
''SOMEONE HELP!'' Fox instantly recognized the voice.''It's, John!'' Fox glanced at Wolf, who was trying to go back to sleep. ''Wolf! Get your ass up! John is in trouble!'' Fox jumped out of bed, and began to put his boots as fast as possible. Wolf still refused to get up, even though he heard the cries for help.
''I'm not the kid's babysitter!'' Wolf replied, annoyed.
''Well, Master Hand's probably going to put you through multiple rounds of Cruel Smash, if you don't protect John!'' Fox yelled out as he left the room, still in sleepwear.
''Grr...Fine!'' Wolf said as he got up. He put on his boots, grumbling to himself. By the time he left the doorway, Fox was already at the other end of the hallway.
As John ran down the stairs, in an attempt to get away, the unknown figure jumped off a wall, and landed in front of him.
''You're not going anywhere! I'm kidnapping you, and I'll get my reward!'' John began to back away. He frantically looked around him, hoping to find an escape route. Unfortunately, none seemed to be in sight. Suddenly, he remembered his grenades. John quickly snatched an explosive from his holster, as he tossed it in contact mode.
*BOOM!*
As the spoke disappeared, it revealed the figure behind the hood. It was a Mii. He muttered something from under his breath, and ran out of the dorms as quickly as he could.
Meanwhile…
*BOOM!*
What was that?!'' Marth asked, who was in sleepwear.
''I don't know! We have to find the kid before he gets captured.'' Snake said. The small crowd of Smashers behind him nodded.''Let's check out where that explosion came from.'' Everyone ran to where the loud bang came from. When they arrived at the lobby, they saw Mii covered in black soot.
''Uh...I guess John used his grenades on him?'' Ike asked Marth, nodded.
''It has to be, John is the only one with explosions.'' Marth replied.
''C'mon lets see, who this guy is.''
Mario and Fox went over to the smoked Mii. As they turned the body, they saw its face, complete with swirly eyes. ''I guess John's grenades did a number on him...''
''Seems a little overkill for a Mii…'' Falco said.
''Hmm...'' Lucario was sensing multiple unknown figures throughout the mansion.
''What do you see?'' Marth asked.
''There are three other Mii besides this one...''
''And the kid?'' Falco asked.
''Hiding inside of the infirmary...''
''Ok, one of us will have to report to Master Hand!'' Fox said. Lucario immediately raised his paw.
''I will go. While I retrieve Master Hand, some of you keep you watch on this Mii. Meanwhile, the rest of you need to find John, and protect him.'' Lucario explained. Everyone liked the idea, and nodded in approval. Lucario ran out of the dorm to get Master Hand.
''As of right now, we got to split up! Fox, Sonic, since your agile enough, you can get to him quicker than the rest of us.'' Marth explained.
''I'll get to him in no time!'' Sonic said, in some sort of cheerful manner. Immediately after saying this, he ran out of the dorm, trailing dust behind him. Fox began to follow him shortly after.
''Now, the rest of us. We wait.''
John was hiding behind a curtain in the corner of the infirmary. His boots were the only things in sight, but the managed to blend in with the shadows. Of course, being scared to no ends, his boots were shaking uncontrollably. ''Okay...just calm down…Maybe I should come out now…It was probably just one person...'' John was ready to leave his hiding spot, when he heard something talking. ''Woah! Look at all these Smash coins! These guys are so rich!'' A female voice cheerfully said. It seemed to be coming from outside of the room.
''I know right! Don't lose you head about it, we still have to wait for Lens!'' A second voice said. John could tell it was male.
''He always seems to be late! How long does it take to kidnap some weak kid?'' The first voice said, clearly annoyed.
''Oh, calm down! Maybe he just hasn't found him yet.'' A third voice said. It paused for a moment before continuing ''Once we deliver the kid to that Siyet guy, we'll be even richer than the Smashers!'' The voice said, filled with greed. Suddenly, it began to laugh like a little girl afterwards, even though it belonged to a male.
''Hey, we haven't checked the infirmary yet!'' The first voice said. John's heart began to pound in fear.
''What is there to steal in an infirmary?'' The third voice asked.
''I don't know, maybe some valuable medicine...?''
''We might as well check it while we're waiting for Lens.'' The first voice said.
''I guess...''
As John heard the door open, he could see the figures walk in through the curtain. ''As expected. Nothing here but ordinary medicine.''
''At least we checked it out!''
Just as the three were about to leave, John's blaster slipped out of his holster.
*Clunk*
Both John and the three figures froze still when they heard the sound.
''Wait...Someone is here...''
John went to pick up the blaster, but realized the curtain would move if he did. So he sat there, making sure not to move. Since he was raked with fear, this wasn't hard for him to pull off.
''Take out your weapons. It might be a Smasher...'' John saw them taking out what looked to be a knife. He clenched up further in fear, sweating profusely.
As the figures were searching the infirmary, one of them noticed an odd curtain in the corner.
''Guys...I think that curtain is bigger than the rest.'' The third voice said, pointing to John's location. ''What have I done, what have I done? Why did I think it was a good idea to hide in a curtain?!'' John thought to himself.
''You think someone is there?'' The female voice asked.
''Well, look at it! Do you see any of the others bulging out?!'' The third voice said.
''Well, there's only one way to find out...'' The second voice said as it approached the curtain. John noticed as the figure came closer that it was a Mii. He supposed the other two were as well, but he also supposed that didn't matter, since they all had knives. Just as the Mii was about to open the curtain, his survival instincts kicked in. He grabbed his blaster and ran out of the curtain, away from the thieves. John then faced them, blaster at the ready. ''Wait, it's that kid! The one that Siyet told us to kidnap!'' One of the Miis exclaimed.
''I guess you escaped Lens, but you ain't getting away from us! There's no way I'm not getting paid for this!'' A black hair Mii said. As the three Miis started to approach him, John slowly backed away. He tried to make a break for it out of the infirmary. ''Oh, I don't think so!'' The female Mii said as she threw her knife. John quickly ducked as the knife passed over his head. As he got back up, he could see the female Mii pull out another knife.
The three Miis once again began to envelope the boy. In an act of fear and instinct, John formed a ball with his body.
''Are you serious?! The kids a Smasher, and yet he won't even fight back?!'' The black hair Mii said, laughing in between words. ''Man, how come Lens couldn't take him?! This is the easiest job I've ever had to do!''
''Think again!'' A familiar voice shouted as a blaster went off. The Mii stopped laying as the laser whizzed past his face. The attackers looked towards the entrance of the infirmary, and saw Fox aiming his blaster at them.
''Sonic, NOW!'' Fox shouted. Just then Sonic ran at full speed towards the corner. He picked up the still petrified John, and ran back to Fox. ''Are you okay?'' Fox asked the boy, but John was frozen like a statue. Fox looked concern as he and Sonic glanced at each other. They both return their attention to the thugs before them.
''I don't know what you did to John, but I promise you pain because of it!'' Fox said as he put his blaster back into its holster. He then ran up to the thugs, and beat them with all his might. Sonic stood back, simply watching the one-sided fight. After a few seconds, Sonic switched his paid attention back to John, who he had placed near the door.
''Hey buddy, you don't have be scared anymore...you're safe.'' Sonic said, trying to comfort the kid. No reaction. The hedgehog decided to try loosening up the situation. He considered his ability to make people a little more chill his forte, besides speed of course. ''Hey, you see Fox over there, showing those guys what for? That'll teach 'em for messing with us, won't it?'' Sonic turned back to John. The boy stared off into space with a thousand-yard stare. Sonic sighed, and looked at John with a worried face.
After Fox had easily taken down the thugs, they, as well as the other Mii, were taken to the command room. Every Smasher was either gathered around John, who was still frozen, or Fox'x interrogation if the Miis.
''What happened to him?'' Toon Link asked Fox, pointing to the boy in the corner.
''I don't know…We found him like this in the infirmary. Hasn't moved, spoken, or even blinked since. I checked afterwards to make sure he even had a pulse.'' Fox said, thinking about how John could be in shell-shock for so long.
''Now talk, you filthy bitch!'' Wolf shouted at one of the Miis. He had either forgotten that kids were in the room, or he just didn't care. Most of the kids were confused by what the word meant. Toon Link turned again to Fox as Wolf continued to shout.
''Hey, Fox what does b-'' He tried to say, but was cut off.
''Don't say that word, Toon!'' Fox nervously said. Toon Link was more confused than he was beforehand.
''What? B-''
''Yes! The word that starts with a B!''
''Ok...?'' Toon Link replied, confused and unsure. Fox sighed in relief. He could hear Wolf in the background, seemingly at his angriest.
''I said TALK! Do you want me to grind my claws into your face?!'' Wolf threatened them while also curving his claws inches away from them. Their faces turned white as the idea Wolf's razor sharp claws cutting them filled their thoughts.
''AHHHH! OK, WE'll TALK! PLEASE DON'T HURT US!'' They begged in terror.
''Then start talking!'' Wolf said, still bright red with rage. ''Who put you up to this?! Why would they want they kid?!''
''We were promised great rewards if we kidnapped the kid! Siyet told us that the kid harbors great power, and is the true owner of the NDS!''
''Wait, who is this Siyet?'' Ike asked, injecting himself into the interrogation.
''We don't know!'' Most of them said, looking doubtful.
''They are not lying...I scanned their auras. There was no sign that they lied.'' Lucario said, confirming their statements. The Miis were briefly confused, since they weren't used to outside voices in their heads. They got a hold of the situation when they noticed everyone looking at Lucario.
''So, there telling the truth...'' Master Hand muttered. ''What else do they know?''
''Spit it out!'' Wolf demanded.
''Nothing else! We promise!'' The Miis said desperately. They all looked to Lucario for any signs that they were lying. Again the Aura Pokemon shook his head, an indication that none of them were lying. After a moment, the Smashers began to shift their attention over to John. Their faces began to show signs of worry.
"From now on, John should be under someone's supervision all times. This little incident here nearly got him kidnapped. And until we capture this Siyet figure, John is in danger.'' Master Hand proclaimed. He paused for a moment, expecting a response from the boy, seeing as this concerned him. However, John didn't budge from his traumatized state.
''Then what's the plan?'' Snake asked. ''We can't always be in the same area as the kid.''
''It's simple. I assign one of you to keep guard on John when no one else is around, and to be his roommate.'' Master Hand explained. ''Now, who here has a roommate they'd love to get away from? If no one volunteers, I'll pick randomly.''
''Wait, won't Siyet come after us?'' Falco asked. Everyone else nodded in agreement.
''No, I'm positive they're only after John and the NDS.'' Master Hand said, very sure about his theory. ''From now on, we all have to be on high alert, and we have to have tight security. This includes keeping John protected at all times. These four thugs here nearly kidnapped John. No offense to you, O'Donnell.'' Master Hand said to Wolf. The Hand had noticed Wolf grunting at the word "thug". He paused for a moment, before continuing. ''Now, who volunteers to be his protector, at least until everything's settled down?''
Everyone immediately raised their hands, with the exception of Wolf. ''Alright then, it's decided. Wolf, I'm placing you in charge of this task. It is of the utmost importance.'' Wolf eyes widened in shock, then quickly narrowed in anger. Everyone who raised their hands stared at looked at Master a Hand, then back at Wolf.
''What's the point in asking if your just going to choose?'' Nana asked.
''Simple. You see, I actually just wanted Wolf to be his protector.'' Master Hand said. Nana sighed to herself. She had more questions than answers, but she chose not to ask any of them.
''Why me?'' Wolf asked, growling.
''Well, you haven't been that helpful, and you need to pay back the damage you've done. If you don't agree, you can make up your dues by fighting in fifty rounds of Cruel Brawl. Back to back, of course.'' Master Hand said. Wolf once again growled.
''You son of a bitch...'' Wolf muttered under his breath. After sighing, he spoke up. ''Fine! I better get paid good money for this!''
''Oh, you will be!''
Wolf raised his eyebrow, suddenly interested. ''How much are we talking?''
''1,000 Smash Coins.'' Wolf glared at the hand. Master Hand stared back, confused. ''What?''
''You call that good money?'' Wolf snarled.
''Hey! That's an okay amount! Fine, 2,000!''
Wolf narrowed his eyes with a growl, showing an angry expression.
''3,000? 5,000? 25,000?! 50,000! How much do you want?''
''Above 500,000!'' Wolf proclaimed.
''Are you crazy?!'' Master Hand replied in a surprisingly aggravated voice.
''I demand a high amount for this kindof job! As you said, it's a ''task of utmost importance'' !'' Wolf argued, mocking Master Hand in the process.
''Fine! You get 750,000 Smash Coins! That's my final offer! On top of the 500,000, there's an extra 250,000 as a bonus.''
Wolf smirked. ''Deal.''
Master Hand sternly pointed at Wolf with his index finger. ''You better do a good job in protecting John.''
''Wait!'' Fox interrupted. Everyone turned their heads to the vulpine. ''No offense, but can we trust Wolf to do the job?''
''He's right. Wolf is too careless. He's not the type of person that can be trusted with a mission like this.'' Samus said.
''Yeah, I don't trust him enough. He's just a criminal!'' Red spoke up. Wolf gave him a death glare, coupled with a growl.
''This is my final decision!'' Master Hand said, silencing everyone.''You all may not trust him, but I will trust him just this once! I know he means well!''
''I doubt it! This is Wolf we're talking about! Even I-''
''Fox! SILENT!'' Master Hand shouted, losing his temper. Fox instantly shut his snout. ''Listen here! I don't care if he's a criminal from your world! In Smash Town, he's one of us! That's why I trust him! I will hear no further objections!'' Fox frowned in anger. ''Now, Wolf! Go pack up your things. You'll be moving out of Fox's room in the morning. As for the rest of you, be on alert. We don't know who we are dealing with.'' Master Hand proclaimed.
''What about them?'' Ness asked, gesturing toward the Mii thugs.
''I'll see to it. Dismissed!'' Everyone separated from each other, with the exception of Lucario, who decided to keep an eye on John.
Wolf walked down the hallway, ready to pack his few belongings. Besides his clothes and his gear, there want really anything else he owned. Suddenly, he was stopped by a hand on his metal shoulder. Wolf looked behind him. It was Fox.
''What do you want, pup?'' Wolf asked.
''You better not harm him, Wolf.'' Fox said, glaring into Wolf's one eye.
Wolf rolled his eyes. ''I won't. Now leave me alone, Fox!''
''You better protect him with all your life!''
''Risk my life?! Hell no!'' Wolf as he tried walking away. Fox grabbed both of Wolf's shoulders, and turned him around so that he would face him.
''Everything is on the line, Wolf. Every world and life is at stake. If he gets kidnapped, I will personally kill you myself!'' Fox threatened. ''And don't forget, your being paid for this! I don't trust you being around John, even though I can see through you. I'm gonna keep my eye on you!''
''Whatever, pup!'' Wolf said, unfazed by Fox's anger. He walked away as if nothing had happened. Fox kept on glaring at him, even though Wolf wasn't turning around. After a moment, he decided to walk in the other direction.
In the large bush where the rivals had had their conversation, a shadowy figure now whispered to himself
''Interesting...Interesting indeed.''
Featured in the Next Chapter...
Al of the Smashers rushed into the the command room. ''What happened?!''Link asked, alarmed.
''Smash Town is being attacked!'' Master Hand reported.
''What? By who?'' Samus asked.
''Is it the Subspace?'' Sonic asked, pulsing the questioning. Master Hand swayed back and forth.
''No...I don't know...''
''Kid!'' Wolf ran toward John, swiftly defeating the enemies John couldn't. ''Kid! You have to attack! I can't always protect you!''
''B-but, I can't!'' John shouted, scared out of his mind.
''Then try!'' Wolf said, as the horde of enemies surrounded them. Wolf readied himself. John gulped, positioning himself in his fighting stance.
''Who are you?!'' Wolf asked. ''You back off! I won't hesitate to attack you!''
''Don't worry...I'm on your side.'' The figure replied.
''I won't fall for it!'' Wolf shouted.