Chapter 5: It's Only Just Begun
John and Wolf were currently in their room, trying to sleep. but it proved hard for the boy. After all, it had only been a day since the incident, and about twelve hours since he snapped out of his traumatized state. Even though Wolf was with him, he would constantly jolt his eyes towards the window, just in case. Sometimes, he could have sworn he saw someone lurking in the shadows beyond the glass. After a moment or two though, he would reassure himself that it was just his paranoia. Just to be safe, John asked Wolf to sleep on the bed near the window, while he slept on the bed near the door.
As dawn broke, the sun's rays entered the room. John shifted in his bed, wanting to roll on his side. Instead, he ended up falling out his bed, crashing on the floor with a thud. John groaned in pain, which woke up Wolf. The lupine rose from his position, wearing a black body top with matching shorts. He also wasn't wearing his signature eyepatch.
''Would you keep it down, kid...?'' Wolf said in an grumbly slur. He parted the raggedy fur that was covering his face, but left the rest of it unkept. After John didn't respond back, Wolf tried to head back to sleep by covering his face with a pillow. John sat up, placing his palm on his forehead. He glanced up at the clock hanging on the wall. It read 8:37 A:M. John sighed, since he never got up this early. He was about to get back into bed, when he heard a gentle knock at the door. John took a moment to stare at the door, wondering who was there. After another knock, John walked to the door, and opened it. He was greeted by Pit, who was pleasantly smiling.
''Hello.'' Pit cheerfully greeted.
''Oh...Hello.'' John also greeted. It was clear by the tone of his voice that he was still half-asleep.
''I don't think we've met yet. You can call me Pit. You knew that already, right?'' John slowly nodded his head in response. ''Just came to stop by and let you know breakfast will be ready soon. Now might be a good time for you and Wolf to get ready.'' Pit said, before walking away fro the door. John closed the door,and turned his attention to Wolf. He felt a little frightened about waking him up, but he had to do it.
''Hey, um...Wolf, Pit sai-'' John said as he slowly approached Wolf.
''I heard what the angel said!'' Wolf muffled under the pillow. ''I'll be ready in a few minutes! Just go get ready!'' John just looked away, and walked to the bathroom. After he finished his hygiene, John put on his outfit and equipment, complete with weapons. The boy sighed to himself, and opened the door. Waiting outside was Wolf, who had a towel on one shoulder, and his gear on the other. As soon as John left the bathroom, Wolf entered it, and closed the door behind him. After a while, Wolf exited the bathroom, fully geared up.
''C'mon kid, let's go.'' Wolf said while walking out of the room. John began to speed walk in order to catch up with his protector. Wolf took the lead, since Master Hand's orders required every Smasher to be on alert, and vigilant.
Eventually, the two Smashers entered the main dining hall. As expected, most of the other Smashers were there waiting for their food, while the others were talking to each other.
Wolf turned to John. ''I hope you won't be needing me here, kid...The rest of the morons are here at your disposal.'' Wolf said while gesturing toward Fox and Falco. The two were oblivious to him, since he was on the other side of the cafeteria. After a moment without response, Wolf walked towards his seat, not saying anything else to the boy. Feeling a little awkward, John walked towards his chair.
''Hello John, and good morning.'' Lucario said as he opened one of his eyes. It was looking straight at John. The rest of the table followed suit, and turned their attention towards the boy.
''Oh, um...Good morning.'' John said, taking his seat.
''Are you okay? That was quite an event just happened yesterday.'' Lucario said.
''Yeah...Please don't remind me...'' John responded with uneasiness.
''Forgive me, I did not mean to disturb you..''
''No, no...It's okay...'' John said. Lucario didn't even have to read his aura to tell that wasn't the case.
After they had finished their breakfast, everyone headed out for the command room to see what Master Hand wants to talk about. John was in the middle of the crowd, while his protector followed suit. When they entered the command room, John made sure to sit close by to Wolf. While they waited for Master Hand's arrival, the Smashers began to chatter amongst themselves. John felt somewhat awkward and uneasy, since the only ones who weren't talking were him and Wolf. He decided to break the silence, as well as the ice, between them. ''S-so...How old are you...?''
''Why do you ask?'' Wolf asked with his usual gruff voice. The boy began to sweat nervously. Even though Wolf was his main protector, he couldn't help but get intimidated by him.
''Umm...I-I'm just curious...'' John answered, timidity showing in his voice. Wolf glanced at him, refusing to change the look on his face. John felt his heart race. The lupine was far scarier in person than in-game. Wolf let out a "Humph", figuring it was more than enough to convince him.
''Thirty-nine.'' Wolf replied as both of them looked away from each other. For John, it was fear. For Wolf, it was simple annoyance.
A few minutes later, Master Hand finally floated his way through the command room door. ''Attention, everyone!'' He called out as he entered the room. Everyone looked toward Master Hand, and made sure to hush their conversations. ''As a quick announcement, we have all been invited to watch an event, a soccer tournament specifically. However, that isn't all that important. What is important, is that something strange is happening in Smash World.''
''What do you mean by strange?''Link asked, a bit confused. Everyone nodded in agreement.
''Ok, I discovered that a number of Miis have gone missing without a trace.'' Master Hand explained. Everyone was intently listening to what the Hand was saying, and everyone could read him clearly, even though he didn't have a face. ''Now that's bad enough, but what concerns me is this...'' Just then a hologram appeared in the center of the table. It was a message.
This is what it read: ''Give us the new Smasher by tomorrow, or your town will suffer.''
''This is also going around social media, and the news.'' Master Hand switched the hologram from the message, into a clip from the news.
''Hey...that was on the news yesterday!'' Popo and Nana said in unison. The older Smashers looked at the siblings while they raised their eyebrows. The two silently retreated back into their chairs, as they all paid their attention back to the news.
''As of today, numerous innocent citizens are reported missing. The only piece of evidence is a message that left at the home of one of the victims. Police presume that the message is from the culprit themselves.'' The newscaster let out a nervous sigh, before continuing. ''To quote the message: ''Give us the new Smasher by tomorrow, or your town will suffer.'' What does this mean for our beloved Smash Town? Do they intend to go through with their threats? How will the Smashers react to the situat-'' The room was briefly filled with silence as Master a Hand cut off the feedback.
''This is a problem...They've resorted to kidnapping the Miis just to get to John.'' Master Hand said with growing concern. Everyone just sat in silence, John especially.
''So...What's the plan?'' Captain Falcon asked, breaking the silence. The Smashers darted their eyes around the room, looking for an answer from their comrades. But no one said anything, since no one was sure what they could answer. After a few seconds of this, everyone looked at Master Hand for answers, but he too wasn't sure either. ''So, nothing?''
''No...We stick to our original plan...We protect John at all costs. Wolf!' 'The said lupine looked at Master Hand, clearly uninterested.
''Do everything you can to protect John tomorrow. Remember, you're being paid good money for this. As for the rest of you, prepare for an attack tomorrow, even if one won't occur. Be sure to keep on eye on the news tonight. Dismissed!'' Everyone stood up from their chairs, and headed out for the door.
''Hey, umm...Wolf...'' John said while catching up with his protector. As he reached him, the two of them became the last Smashers to exit the room.
''What is it?'' Wolf asked. They were now walking down the hallway.
''Can I be alone for a bit?'' John whispered, making sure no one else heard him. Wolf jolted his head towards John with an angry expression on his face.
''Are you crazy kid?! If the Hand found out I left you alone, my head will be on a silver plater!'' Wolf whisper-yelled. At this point, the two were lagging behind the rest of the group. Mario and Luigi simultaneously turned around to address them.
''Hey! Are you a-gonna catch up?'' Mario asked. Both John and Wolf stopped their conversation, and looked at Mario.
Wolf rolled his eyes. ''Can you wait a minute?!'' The lupine turned back to the boy, and John looked at Wolf.''I would gladly leave you, but I won't! I'd rather not have the Hand sending me to that Cruel Brawl! Now come on, let's keep going!'' Wolf once again whispered-yelled as he followed the group. John looked a tad bit gloomy as he followed everyone.
As the day passed by, nothing of particular interest happened. It was as if the events surrounding the meeting weren't occurring. As the sun went down, and nighttime came, every Smasher was inside their respective rooms. Practically all of them, including John and Wolf were watching the news.
''Say, Wolf...Why are we watching the news again?'' John asked, clearly bored out of his mind.
''The Hand told us we should, but he never said it was necessary. If you want to change it, then go ahead,'' Wolf replied while he rolled his eyes. John didn't make the move since the remote was right next to the lupine. After a few minutes of menial stories on the news, something caught the attention of both Smashers.
''Breaking news! As of now, the Smashers have yet to make a statement on the threat left yesterday! What will they do?!'' The Mii newscaster said, shocked. At the right corner of the screen was the Smash symbol, with an X crossed over the logo. Wolf had only been hearing the news up to this point. Now he was listening.
''The Mii citizens are now in a panic! The protectors of our beloved Smash Town has yet to make a move! We have asked local citizens about the current situation, and this is what they have to say.''
''Nintendo City isn't safe...and the Smasher aren't reacting to this?''
''Why aren't they doing anything?! Their job is to protect Smash Town, so why won't they act!''
''I knew it! I knew they can't be trusted! They don't care about our town!''
''With the current situation, I hope they do something about it...''
John was simply shocked, while Wolf frowned. The clips from irritated citizens only continued.
''Seriously?'' Wolf asked, still frowning.
''S-so...what will happen now?'' John asked with a timid, yet confused voice.
''How would I know?'' Wolf said while turning of the TV. He then placed the remote on the drawer by his bed. ''Just go to sleep.'' He continued, as he turned toward the window, closing his eyes. John tried to follow his advice, but simply couldn't. For an hour the human tossed and turned in his bed, waiting to fall asleep. After giving up, the human gazed up at the clock. According to it, it currently 10:58 P:M. John felt he was thirsty. He looked across the room at Wolf, who seemed to be sleeping. The lupine was snoring, but not loudly. John was unsure whether or not he should leave to get a drink. Eventually, he came to the conclusion that a quick drink never hurt anybody. Without any further hesitation, he got off his bed, walked to the door and slowly opened it. As he exited his room, he closed the door behind him as quietly as he had opened it.
After making his way down the halls of the mansion, John entered the kitchen. He walked to the fridge, and opened it. The light poured into his eyes, causing him to cover them for a moment. When he opened them back up, he could see a variety of ingredients that could be used to cook any kind of dish. John began to think all of the delectable items in the fridge, then shook his head before he got sidetracked. He grabbed a big water bottle in the back. The bottle was nearly empty, but still had enough to refresh someone. John felt unsure if he wanted to drink from the bottle itself. So, the boy took a glass from the counter, and poured from the bottle, finishing it. John quickly downed the water, feeling quite refreshed. As he threw the bottle to the trash can, he noticed something out of the corner of his eyes. The boy instantly twisted his head towards the window, fearing another break-in. He could barley see anything, but could confirm that what he did see was a tail with silver fur.
''Is it Wolf?'' John thought as he leaned closer to the window. Now, he could see could the tail more clearly. It seemed to be distorted, as if it was a glitch out of a game...
''You know you should not be alone.'' A voice said, startling John. The boy quickly turned around, expecting to have to fight. He eased up when he realized it was simply Lucario. ''What are you doing here at his time of night?''
''Well...I wanted a glass of water...'' John looked back at the window. The tail was gone. He looked back at Lucario.
''Why do you not wake up Wolf?'' Lucario further questioned.
''Well, he was sleeping and I didn't want to disturb him...'' John timidly answered.
''Is this all that happened?''
''Yeah,'' John said, but Lucario just raised his eyebrow as he continued to stare. No one spoke for some time. ''What...?''
''I can tell you are not telling the full story. In case you have forgotten, I am the aura Pokemon. It is practically impossible to lie to me.'' John just looked away, knowing full well he had lied. ''Now, are you going to tell me the truth?''
''Well, I think I saw Wolf outside the window.'' John answered, coming clean. Lucario looked at John, surprisingly confused.
''Wolf? I still detect Wolf inside the mansion. What did you see? And what made you think it was Wolf?''
''I-I saw a silver tail...Wolf is the only one with silver fur...''
''Are you sure?''
''I'm sure. Also, the tail seemed to be glitching, if you can call it that.'' John replied, unsure of his own answer. Lucario was only further confused, since he could tell that boy wasn't lying.
''What do you mean by "glitching"?'' Lucario asked, wanting to get more answers. He wasn't sure if it was an enemy, or perhaps something else. What made the situation stranger for the jackal, was that he couldn't detect any auras on the grounds outside the mansion.
''I mean...The tail was acting weird. Like if it was truly glitching out of a game...''
''Strange...I have not sensed anything outside the mansion. Are you absolutely sure this is what you saw?'' John nodded.''I am going to have to report this information back to Master Hand. For now, please allow me to accompany you back to your room.''
As both of them walked towards the dorms, John still felt unsure about the situation at hand. He was sure he had seen someone, or something right outside the kitchen window.
Lucario had his aura at maximum range, which meant he could detect everything. However, he still couldn't sense anything outside the mansion. The mystery of the situation concerned the jackal. Whether it was an enemy or an ally, either way, he had to be alert.
The Next Morning...
Despite all that was going on, everything seemed to be normal for the most part. Everyone was in the dining area, eating their usual food. Lucario had a visible aura around his body, which meant he was more alert. He wasn't eating any food, even though he had a full plate in front of him. Instead, he simply stated off into the distance, seemingly focusing. Everyone at the table, and the surrounding tables, were concerned for the jackal. He had always been reclusive, but never to this extent.
''H-hey, Lucario? Why aren't you eating your food...? It might get cold...''John asked in an timid tone. The aura Pokemon gave no response.
''What happened to Lucario?'' Kirby asked.
''I am not sure...'' Meta-Knight replied. He looked to John for some answers, due to his facial expression. ''Say John, you look to be hiding something from us. Would you mind sharing it?'' As soon as he said that, most everyone at the surrounding tables looked to John. The boy began to sweat a little.
''U-umm...I told Lucario that I saw something outside the window when I was getting a glass of water...''John respond.
''What was it you saw?'' Marth asked.
''Well, it went like this...'' John said, before telling the whole story to anyone who was listening. Most of them raised their eyebrows when he told them exactly what he had seen.
''You saw someone at night with a silver tail?'' Marth asked.
''And it was glitching?'' Red followed up. John nodded in response to both questions. Despite his testimony, it didn't help the confusion.
''Are you sure?''Marth asked. Once again, John nodded.
''Wait! Why were you alone?!'' Fox shouted across the room. It was if he blocked out the rest of the account beyond that point.
''I didn't think getting a glass of water could hurt anybody!'' John shouted back.
''Fox, there's no need to raise your voice. Lucario was there with him.'' Peach said, trying to calm the vulpine.
''Fine...'' Fox muttered as he folded his arms.
''Protective much?'' Falco slyly said. Fox gave the avian a glare. Falco just shrugged in response.
After that, the entire room became as silent as Lucario. They were also all deep in thought, just like Lucario. Similar questions filled the heads of the Smashers. Was someone spying on them? Is it the same figure who made that threat? Would they go through with it? The only one with something different going through their head was John. He was simply wondering what the other Smashers were thinking about. Time seemed to stand still while everyone was pondering to themselves. This perception was suddenly broken when an alarm went off. Red lights began to swirl around the room, and an automated message echoed off of the walls.
''WARNING! WARNING! CODE RED! CODE RED! SMASH TOWN IS UNDER ATTACK! PROCEED TO THE COMMAND ROOM IMMEDIATELY!''
Every Smasher immediately snapped out of their thought process, and rushed out of the room. John was the last to leave the room, since he was initially thrown off by the alarm. It didn't take long for the group to reach the command room. People instantly glued their eyes to the screens on the wall, wanting to see what was happening from the security cameras. The Smashers had direct access to every security camera in the city, so they could see attacks from every angle imaginable.
''What happening?!'' Link asked, alarmed.
''Smash Town is being attacked!'' Master Hand shouted as he rushed into the room.
''By who, or what?''Samus asked.
''Is it the Subspace?'' Sonic also asked. Master Hand swayed back and forth in response to both questions.
''No...I don't know...'' Everyone's eyes widened. The questions had just been definitively answered. They began to see what looked like glitching, demonic versions of themselves. On one screen, Glitch Pit was attacking a crowd of Miis. On another, Glitch Falco could be seen destroying a building with his Arwing. Below him was a group of enemies, all glitching. Every screen in the room showed similar scenes of destruction.
''Wh-What the?!'' John exclaimed, shocked.
''W-what on earth is going on?!'' Ness asked, as he saw his glitched self using PK thunder.
''That's the thing, I don't know!'' Master Hand shouted, obviously concerned.
On of the screens they could see Glitch Wolf stomping down the road. He was wearing a sinister smile from ear to ear as he looked at the chaos around him. Even if he wasn't glitching, he still was still a terrifying sight to see. His head turned to where the camera was. The smile vanished from his face, and was replaced by rage. The glitch lupine pulled out a blaster and fired it at the camera. Static now filled the screen, as the Smashers watched in horror.
''We must act now! The whole town is in danger!'' Master Hand shouted, breaking the silence. Everyone nodded, now looking determined. John, on the other hand, was nervous, and couldn't seem to shake it off.
''John will accompany you all as well. I hope you will do your best! Especially you, Wolf!'' Wolf rolled his eyes. ''Is everyone ready?!'' There were shouts of "Yes!''and "I guess" in response. With that, the Smashers began to rush towards the front door.
As the Smashers left the front door of the mansion, they saw what could only be described as pure chaos. The sky was laced with smoke and fire from the burning buildings below. A good chunk of them had already crumbled to the ground, and their wreckage covered the streets. Several Mii citizens were currently running away from the war zone, as well as the Glitched Smashers who caused it.
One of them was a Mii girl, who was being chased down by the Glitched versions of the Ice Climbers. Both of their parkas were a mix of silver and white, and their eyes glowed crimson red. The key difference between the regular Ice Climbers and the Glitched however, was their hammers. Rather than just regular mallets, the demonic Eskimos carried ones covered in spikes. They were deadly enough to crush someone with one swift blow.
The girl, who had every right to be afraid, suddenly tripped while fleeing. As she turned her head to face them, her heart skipped a beat. The Glitched Ice Climbers were in the air, ready to smash the girl with their spiked hammers. The girl screamed, and closed her eyes shut. She was bracing for the impact, which she could tell would crush her. But, it never came. Instead, she opened her eyes and found Pit blocking the attack. She turned her head to see the rest of the Smashers arriving at the scene. Marth broke from the crowd to help the girl stand on her feet.
''We will handle the situation. Go.'' Marth ordered. The girl didn't hesitate to follow his instructions. She took off as quickly as she could. The Smashers then turned their attention to the Glitched Ice Climbers before them, as both sides readied themselves.
''Who are you?!'' Fox asked, aiming his blaster at the siblings.
Both of them flashed mischievous grin. ''Can't you tell? We're the Ice Climbers!'' The tone in their voices were demonic, distorted, or both.
The real siblings simultaneously became angry. ''No, we are the Ice Climbers!'' Nana and Popo shouted at the same time. The Glitched Climbers continued to grin, as if it were stuck to their faces.
''Well, well, well. If it isn't our doppelgängers!'' Glitch Nana said.
''What do you mean by "doppelgängers"?'' Ike asked.
''Oh, you don't know? How pathetic!'' Glitch Popo said, laughing. ''Each of you was born when your game was created, but that's common knowledge for you! It also shouldn't be new news that in every game there are glitches! And it was out of these glitches that we came to be! So unlike you, we were made unintentionally. Also unlike you, we were also unwanted. The people you praise, are the same ones we hate! At best, we were unseen from the creators. At worst, which was when they found us, they tried to erase us! And when our Master gets a hold of the boy...'' Glitch Popo fell into a fit of laughter before continuing. ''We can take our revenge on humanity. All of the fans, the creators, everybody! Everyone you love will die at our hands!''
''OVER MY DEAD FUCKING BODY, YOU BITCHES!'' Wolf shouted at the siblings. If it wasn't for that fact that this was a serious situation, someone would have mentioned the sheer rage that came out of Wolf's mouth.
''Woah, language.''Glitch Nana said, chuckling,''It would be easier if you hand over the boy.'' Both of the siblings looked at the boy, who was standing in the middle of the group.
''Like hell, we'll hand him over! You bunch of assholes!'' Fox shouted. Unlike his rival, the shout wasn't nearly as loud or full of rage.
''Figured. Looks like we'll have to take him by force!''
Both of the Glitched Ice Climbers jumped simultaneously, in an attempt to smash Fox into the ground. The vulpine, as well as the Smashers around him, quickly dodged the attack. The spiked hammers hit the ground, causing the ground to slightly shake a bit.
''We have to split up, and fight our respective counterparts!'' Marth instructed.
''Don't worry, we'll easily take care of these fakes!'' Popo said. The siblings jumped forward to face their Glitched selves.
''You think this will be easy?! That's where you're wrong!'' Glitch Nana said as she raised her hammer. Just then, five enemies appeared before her. They shared her silver coloring and red eyes, but more resemblance to the Primids from the Emissary. Of course, they were all Glitched, which only made them look more intimidating than before.
''After the kid.'' Glitch Nana commanded, pointing her hammer at John. The Primids approached slowly, as the Smashers got into their fighting stance.
''We can handle this on our own! We have a town to save!'' Nana said. She then smashed the Glitched Primid with her hammer, causing it to disappear.
''Nana's right! Everyone split up and deal with your counterparts!'' Marth ordered. Everyone nodded in response.
''Wh-what about me?'' John timidly asked. Fox looked at the boy.
''You follow Wolf!'' Fox said.
Wolf rolled his eyes.''I don't need help from a kid!''
''My gosh Wolf, follow the protocols!'' Fox demanded.
''Make me, McCloud!'' Wolf growled.
''Quit your bickering! The town is in danger! We don't have time for this!'' Samus yelled. ''Wolf, you will let John follow you, whether you like it or not.'' Wolf didn't have anything to say. Instead, he just grunted.
''Can you guys just go?! We're fighting over here!'' Popo yelled. Unfortunately, they were ignored.
''Whatever...'' Wolf said as he walked away. John was unsure if he should follow him.
''Go ahead kid, follow him, he won't bite. He prefers to use his claws anyways.'' Falco said while slyly smiling.
''Nows, not the time, Falco!'' Fox said before getting back on track. ''Ok everybody, let's go!'' Fox ordered as everyone went their separate direction. John hesitated for a moment, before running to his protector.
Wolf and John were currently fighting any enemies they came across. At least, that's what the plan was supposed to be. In reality, Wolf did all of the fighting, while John stood by with his blaster in his hands. ''Can you actually help me out, kid?'' Wolf said he released his forward smash. He lunged at an enemy, twisting his claws towards it as he did so. Upon landing the hit, the Glitch Primids disappeared.
''I-I am helping!'' John said, still holding his blaster firm in his hand. He aimed it an approaching enemy, and pulled the trigger. The Glitched was somewhat tossed from the shot, but not destroyed. Wolf dashed towards the enemy and flipped kicked it, finishing it off.
''Well, you ain't doing a good job at it!''
''At least I'm trying!''
Wolf rolled his eyes as he rushed to defeat another enemy, leaving the boy behind. John was about to follow him, but a hand tightly gripped his shoulder. The boy simply paused, and glanced at his shoulder. It was there he caught a glimpse of a long claw, inches away from his neck. John gulped, and slowly turned his head around. His face turned pale as he met up with the face of Glitch Wolf. As their eyes met, the lupine smirked menacingly.
''Found you, boy.'' Glitch Wolf said, his voice distorted. John opened his mouth to scream, but it was quickly covered up. ''Now, now, no need to scream...'' Glitch Wolf said, now chuckled. ''You wouldn't want me to harm you now, would you?'' The Glitched reached out and got a hold of John's arm, making the boy drop his blaster. In an attempt to break free, John began to wriggle around in Glitch Wolf's grasp.
''This would be a hell of a lot easier if you'd stop struggling.'' Glitch Wolf said as he started dragging the boy. Using what arm space he had, John quickly grabbed one of his grenades, and tossed it at Glitch Wolf. Since it was in contact mode, it exploded immediately upon impact with the lupine. The explosion tossed Glitch Wolf, as well as John, a few feet away. They both hit the ground with a hard thud.
''Grr! You want me to hurt you?! Fine then!'' Glitch Wolf growled, as he started to approach John. John was currently backed up into a corner, with a horrified look on his face. He hoped someone would save him, but that was becoming more unlikely with each passing second.
''How about I teach you a little lesson?'' Glitch Wolf said as raised his claw to attack. John quickly blocked, relaxing his shield. Just as the lupine was about to slash the red bubble, a blaster shot hit his hand. Both John and Glitch Wolf looked to their left. They saw the real Wolf, who was pointing his blaster at his doppelgänger.
''Kid, can't you save yourself for once?'' Wolf asked.
Glitch Wolf chuckled. ''Saving people is a bit strange for a criminal scum like you. Especially when it's someone you supposedly don't care about? Wolf glared him down, even though he was right. ''And how come you're doing this, O'Donnell? Is it the money? Perhaps. Or is it something more?''
''I'm just doing what the Hand told me. There's nothing else to it.''
''Oh, I don't think so. You care 'bout the kid, don't you?'' Glitch Wolf said as a grin formed on his muzzle.
''What're you talking about?''
''Don't act like I don't know. I am your counterpart after all! I can feel your emotions, and I don't feel any emptiness. There's no denying that you care for him?''
''I-I...'' Wolf stuttered, unable to come up with a response.
''See, you do care about him! How wonderful!'' Glitch Wolf said, as he started laughing like he was some sort of crazy person. ''Your weak and pathetic, Wolf! You'll never be strong if your gonna act like that!'' They were unaware that John was unshielded, and was listening. He looked at Wolf and could see a worried, yet angry expression from the lupine's face.
''He cares about me? That almost seems unreal...'' John thought to himself. Soon afterwards, Glitch Wolf stopped laughing.
''Enough talk!'' Glitch Wolf shouted, as he got into Wolf's signature fighting stance. ''If you're willing to fight for the kid, then I guess I'll have to take you down!''
''Fine!'' Wolf said, as he also got into his fighting stance. He then approached by using his forward smash, but Glitch Wolf ducked before grabbing Wolf's collar. The Glitched then sent multiple knees into Wolf's face, before slamming his elbow into him. Wolf hit the ground, but rolled away as soon as he made contact. In response, Glitch Wolf dashed towards him, then flip-kicked directly into him, once again knocking him away. Even though he was already tired, Wolf continued to try to attack his counterpart. After pulling off a few moves and hits, he used his forward smash, which flung Glitch Wolf back upon impact. The Glitched lupine quickly did a kick up, then leaned forward and slashed Wolf.
As the fight continued, John became increasingly nervous seeing Wolf getting easily overpowered. Despite Wolf's best efforts and minor successes, Glitch Wolf always managed to counter back. Before his eyes, he could see Glitch Wolf dealing a devastating blow by performing a down smash. He swiped his claws left and right, and flung Wolf back. The Smasher hit the ground with a hard thud. There were bruises and cut covering his face and body. He slowly picked himself up, wheezing in the process. Wolf then fell down on his knees due to a lack of strength.
''What? Over already? That was pathetic!'' Glitch Wolf said as he walked over to his counterpart. He grabbed Wolf by the neck and slowly began to lift him into the air. Despite Wolf's struggles, the Glitched managed to lift him up to the point that his boots were not touching the ground. ''You're weak, you know that?! And because you're weak, it makes it a little easier for me to kill you!'' Glitch Wolf said while tightening his grip. Wolf was now not only struggling to get the hands off of his neck, but was also struggling with breathing. Both struggles were turning out to be a losing battle. John was watching helplessly from a distance. As he saw Wolf equally helpless, he decided that he had to do something. He began to silently approach them as he held a grenade in contact mode.
''S-so...h-here I am...'' Wolf managed to speak, even though he could hardly breathe. ''Dying...''
Glitch Wolf chuckled. ''Yes, dying all alone...with no one to save you! No one to care!'' Glitch Wolf was unaware that John was currently right behind him. ''And once I deal with you, the kid is coming with me! And there nothing you or the rest of your pathetic friends can do about it!'' Wolf's vision was fading, and so was his consciousness. However, he noticed John crouching behind the Glitched, holding his grenade. He tried to speak, but couldn't at first.
''Huh? What's that? I didn't hear you. Speak up a little!'' Glitch Wolf mockingly said, tilting his head so his ear faced Wolf.
''Y-you're dead w-wrong…''
That was when John tossed the grenade at Glitch Wolf's back, which activated on impact. The following explosion not only made Glitch Wolf drop Wolf, but flung him as well. Almost immediately after Glitch Wolf collided with the ground, he leaped back up again, and quickly faced John. His face was red with anger, his eyes squinted, and his teeth clenched. John began to back away in fear.
''So, your gonna be a hero huh? Tell me...why save a worthless criminal like him?'' John didn't answer. That was when Glitch Wolf dashed towards John and clenched his collar. The Glitched pulled him only inches away from his menacing face. ''What's the matter? Cat got your tongue? Maybe it also got your guts!'' He paused for a moment, and began to form a sinister smile on his face. ''Well, at least it saved your breath for me!'' Glitch Wolf raised his claw to John, but was slashed in the back by Wolf's claws. He dropped John in pain. ''Gah! How come someone has to always interrupt me?!''
''Kid! Behind me!'' Wolf commanded. John quickly got on his feet and ran to his protector. Wolf now glared at Glitch Wolf, as if he was staring into his soul.
''Well, well look at this. Double teaming on me, are we? It doesn't make much of a difference. Two weaklings are just about as weak as one. Just in case you still have some fight in you, let's see you take on my friends here!'' Glitch Wolf raised his hand, as fifteen Glitched enemies appeared before him. He then jumped onto a pile of rubble to witness the battle. Despite John's fear and Wolf's injuries, they were both ready for a fight.
''Kid, I know I said I didn't need help from you, but I could really use some right now.'' Wolf said as he dashed to deal with some of the enemies. John looked to his left and saw three Glitched approaching him. At first, he backed away. Suddenly, he stopped, stood his ground and took a deep breath. After building up some courage and determination, he put up his fighting stance. The three Glitched jumped simultaneously, and began to raise their fists, while flames began to engulf them. As they approached the ground for a fiery punch, John quickly rolled away. The Glitched landed on the ground with their knees. Before they could react, John dashed towards them and performed his up smash, which sent them flying upwards. On the way down from his attack, John didn't have time to land on his feet. Instead, he crashed head first into the ground. John slowly got up with a sudden feeling of dizziness. While he was trying to fully regain his balance, Wolf was finishing off a group of Glitched. He turned around to check on the boy, and say him trying to snap out of his dizziness. He also saw several Glitched about to attack John from behind.
''Kid!'' Wolf shouted as he ran towards the enemies. He promptly began to beat the day lights out of them. ''You've gotta attack, Kid! How many times do I have to tell you this?!'' As Wolf yelled this to him, John snapped back, losing most of the confidence he had built up.
''I'm sorry, b-but, I can't! T-there's too many of t-them!'' John timidly shouted.
''Then try!'' Wolf said as a brand new horde of enemies surrounded them. The two Smashers readied themselves as they returned to their fighting stance. John gulped as he considered the number of Glitched that were circling them. John then noticed puffs of smog that seemed to be coming from the back of the crowd. As he lifted his head, he could see Fox and Falco fighting their way through the Glitched. The enemies that were on the verge of attacking John were now focused on the Starfox duo. The boy watched in awe as the two took down the hoard of enemies with ease, using moves they had mastered. As the last Glitched dissipated, John got a better look at Fox and Falco. Both were bruised up and were wearing tattered clothes, probably due to their respective fights.
''Having a tough time?'' Falco asked Wolf. Wolf did nothing except glare at him.
''Are you okay, John?'' Fox asked worriedly. John nodded in response. In the distance, the boy could see more Smashers approaching from the distance. ''John, sit tight. Let us handle this! And Wolf, you're not coming with us.''
''Are you calling me weak?'' Wolf asked, growling at his rival. Fox rolled his eyes.
''No, but you are badly hurt. You need to recover. Just stay there!'' Fox and Falco dashed, fighting off any enemies that remained in sight. They were soon joined by the rest of the Smashers. Wolf and John simply stood and watched. Soon after they were left, Wolf was struggling to stand due to the pain. As his knees finally gave way, he began to fall down. John quickly reacted by catching him.
''A-are you okay...?'' John asked. Wolf glared at John. Even though John was shocked by the glare, he dared not drop the lupine.
''Do I look okay, kid?'' Wolf asked. John slowly shook his head. ''Then don't ask!'' John slowly put Wolf on the ground, as he watched the Smashers fighting off the remaining Glitched. Thirty five pairs of red eyes, belonging to the Glitched Smashers watched them as well.
''They are powerful foes.'' Glitch Marth commented.
Glitch Fox grunted.''I couldn't care less how strong they are. What matters is the kid.''
''Let's just get back to Master. I believe he has something wonderful they can deal with later.'' Glitch Lucario said with an evil grin. The rest of the Glitched Smashers displayed similar smiles as they entered a portal of their creation. As the last one delved into it, the portal closed behind them.
As the last Glitched dissipated into a puff of smoke, Miis began to come out of whatever buildings were still standing. They began to form a crowd around the Smashers and bombarded them with every fitting question imaginable. The protectors of Smash Town continued to ignore them all the way to the front door of the mansion.
A few hours had passed since the ordeal, and all of the Smashers were currently resting up. While some of them relaxed in their dorms, most had to be administered to the infirmary, due to the damage they took. Out of everyone, Wolf had taken the hardest beating, which was only made worse by the choking he had endured. He was first to be administered to the infirmary, and had been lying on one of its beds for hours now. At the moment, John was with him at Master Hand's request. Both were silent, and both were avoiding eye contact with each other. The silence was only made more uncomfortable for John, since no one else in the infirmary was talking either.
''A-are you gonna be silent the whole time...?'' John asked as he glanced at Wolf. The lupine was still bruised up, but he had somewhat recovered since the fight. Most of his gear was taken off expect his black top, pants, and his purple boots. Everything else that was disposable was removed. He was currently laying in his side, facing the wall. For a moment, John wondered if he had fallen asleep, due to a lack of response. When he walked to the other side of the bed to check, Wolf rolled away from the boy. John looked away, bored out of his skull. ''You're not gonna say anything at all...?''
''Maybe it's because I have nothing to say! There, you happy?!'' Wolf angrily growled. His tone only further cemented the fact that he didn't wish to speak.
''I'm just worried...'' John said in a meek tone.
Wolf rolled his eye. ''Then stop worrying. I'm fine.'' Wolf replied, adding a grunt to the end of it. John sighed and formed a frown as he looked up at the ticking clock. It read 8:58 P:M. The boy sighed again, hoping to speed up time for the next two minutes. He began to think to himself, mainly reflecting on the fight. Suddenly, after what felt like an hour, a knock on the door snapped John out of his thoughts. The boy raised his head to see Link standing by the entrance. Like practically all of the Smashers, the Hylian had his share of scratches, cuts, and bruises. Of course, most of them had either mostly healed or were bandaged.
''I'm just checking in. The lights are about to go out in a minute, so you two should get some sleep. Also, Master Hand said that you should report to the command room first thing in the morning.''
''O-ok.'' John looked at Wolf, who had yet to acknowledge Link's statement.
''Wolf...?''
''Fine, fine! We'll be there.'' Wolf said, clearly annoyed.
''Alright, goodnight.'' Link said as he left the room. The sounds of his footsteps could heard getting further and further away from the infirmary. Right after he left earshot, the lights throughout the mansion automatically turned off. John lay on an empty bed, and looked at Wolf. The lupine seemed to be asleep, but it was hard to tell from his angle. John simply continued to stare at a wall while his eyes began to droop. Eventually, their weight was simply too much. John slowly closed his eyes, as he drifted off to sleep.
''WARNING! WARNING! DANGEROUS ENEMY INCOMING! PROCEED TO THE COMMAND ROOM IMMEDIATELY!''
Like the first warning, this one was followed by swirling red lights that filled the room. John groaned, as the obnoxious automated message kept on repeating. He sat up and glanced at the clock. The specific time couldn't be read until the alarm lights passed by it. When he was able to see the dials, John realized it was 4:11 A:M. From his side he heard Wolf growl out ''Again with this bull crap?'' Suddenly, rapid raps came from the door.
''Are you guys awake?'' Samus said, identifying her as the knocker.
''Yeah!'' John responded, even though he was still half-asleep.
''Ready up, then head for the command room!'' another voice said. Even in his drowsy state, it didn't take long for John to realize the voice belonged to Fox. Along with the voices, the boy could also hear a large amount of footsteps passing by the infirmary. Based on context, John guessed that they were also headed to the command room.
''Why can't I have a peaceful night without being annoyed?'' Wolf asked himself. The lupine got off the bed and grabbed on the same table as John's. ''Suit up, kid.' 'Wolf ordered as he put on his blue vest. John nodded as he grabbed his utility and wrapped it around his waist. He then holster his blaster around his right leg, and put his jacket on. He glanced at Wolf, fully set, fully ready.
''Let's go.'' Wolf said as he ran out of the infirmary. John followed soon after, and had no problem with catching up with him.
As both of them reached the command room, instead of opening the door normally, Wolf had the not-so-well-thought-out idea of bursting through the door. This little idea of his caused the other Smasher to stare at the lupine upon his entrance. As they saw him stomp through the room, they noticed John causally walking behind him, as if nothing unusual had happened. No one in the room dared to speak a word. That was until Falco decided to break the silence with his signature sarcasm.
''Hey O'Donnell, you know there's this thing called a doorknob, right?''
Wolf just grunted at the response. ''Whatever.''
''This is no time for sarcasm, we have a serious matter at hand! Look!'' Master Hand called out as a cue for everyone to look at the main screen. What they saw was a building, or at least something that looked like a building, destroying what was still standing from the previous attack. It had a silver effect, like the Glitched, two large windows for eyes, and a giant door as it's mouth. The Smashers didn't have to look at the footage for long to realize the scale of the upcoming fight.
''Th-that thing is huge!'' John exclaimed, shocked. Most of the other Smashers were similarly shocked, but said nothing.
''Those who could fly on the air, get to your ships!'' A select number of Smashers, including those who could fly naturally, nodded. ''Captain Falcon! Get to your blue Falcon! The rest of you will either be on the wings of craft, or on top of the Blue Falcon!'' Everyone nodded, understanding the game plan. ''John, you stay here.'' John looked up at Master Hand, confused.
''W-why?''
''This is an extremely dangerous mission were about to partake in. You're too inexperienced to fight something like that, and after what Wolf reported about your performance in the last mission, you won't be helping anyone if you're too scared.'' Master Hand said.
''B-but...w-what would I do...?'' John asked. Despite the fact that he was afraid, he hated feeling helpless.
''That's up to you. The rest of you, move out!'' Fox sent a worried glance at John before following the rest of the team out of the room. John hung his head down, feeling useless. He simply sat down at a random chair, as if on cue. After what felt like an eternity of mopping to himself, the boy looked out the window. In the distance he could see the Glitched building, with a flurry of tiny ships approaching it.
As the Smashers arrived at the scene, they all stopped their vehicles to inspect the Glitched building before them. ''Geez, it already looked pretty big from the screens... '' Falco was heard saying from the com.
''Yeah, but how do we stop it?! It would take a whole fleet of Arwings to take that down!'' Fox said.
''We have to try at the very least!'' Marth said through the com.
''You're right. Alright, just hang in tight! We'll see what we can do!'' Fox said as he flew his Arwing into formation alongside Wolf and Falco. ''Let's rock n' roll boys!'' As Wolf heard his rival shout that through the com, he simply rolled his eyes.
Fox began to attack the building by rapidly firing lasers at it. The building, almost sensing the incoming lasers, paused its destruction. Right before it would have been hit, it opened it's mouth and engulfed the lasers.
''What the?! Did it just eat the lasers?!'' Falco asked.
''Apparently so.'' Wolf answered.
''Why are you so calm about this?!''Falco asked.
''Guys! It's attacking!'' Pit said as everyone focused their attention towards the building. It's mouth was open, and seemed to be charging up something. Suddenly, it spat out the lasers it had absorbed. However, it only fired one ginormous beam, which was made up of all the lasers it ate. As it fired the shot, the three anthro pilots quickly dodged it, while simultaneously trying not to let their hitched riders fall of the wings. Just then, Samus shot multiple missiles from her gunship towards building. While all shots landed a direct hit to the face, none gathered a further result past smoke.
''Gah! This thing doesn't take damage from missiles!'' Samus called out.
''Everyone, spread out! Captain Falcon, try and find anything we can hit from the ground!'' Fox ordered as every ship separated from each other. Every ship was either flying around to find a weak spot, or distracting the building. On the ground, Captain Falcon was circling around the building to find anything that could help them.
''Do you guys see anything?!''Captain Falcon asked his passengers. Just like him, no one could see anything of use. No one spoke.''I'll take that silence as a no.''
''Lucario, can you detect anything?'' Marth asked, realizing there might be a hint within it's aura. Lucario nodded, before closing his eyes. He could sense something powerful coming from inside of the monster. In fact, it was in the direct center of it.
''I can detect something within it…it seems to be around the core...'' Lucario muttered as he concentrated harder. The ambiguous figure slowly came into the shape of a sphere. Suddenly, the jackal shot his eyes up, and looked surprisingly startled. ''The core! That is where the building's weak spot is!''
''What?'' Multiple voices asked, confused.
''The weakness! It can die in one hit if we can hit the weakness inside the building!''
''But how can we get inside the building?! It's holding us off!'' Fox exclaimed as he dodged another beam. Despite the boosts in acceleration, or his constant maneuvers, none of his teammates fell off the ship. ''There's no way we can get that close to it's mouth, let alone it's core!''
''There must be some other way!'' Red said as he was ridding Charizard's back. Like most others in the air, he was also currently dodging attacks.
''I don't know, that's what I'm trying to figure out!'' Fox yelled at his com.
''Then hurry it up, McCloud! We won't last long!'' Wolf shouted as he dodged an attack. In result of the sharp turn, Pikachu fell off the side.
''PIKAAAAA!'' Pikachu screamed while falling. Noticing the Pokemon in free fall, Falco quickly maneuvers his ship to catch him with his wing.
''You alright pip squeak?'' Falco asked.
''Pika...'' Pikachu said before rubbing off the sweat from his forehead.
Meanwhile...
John was currently sitting alone inside the arena, thinking to himself. ''I mean, I understand Master Hand's concern, but how can I learn to be brave if he's just going to have me sit on the sidelines? I'm a Smasher, and yet I'm being treated like a child.'' The boy sighed to himself out of boredom and sadness, since he had no one to talk to. "I just wish I wasn't too useless...''John thought as he placed his hand on his forehead.
''Why, hello there.''
John instantly shot up and looked around. He knew it wasn't Master Hand's voice, yet it sounded familiar.
''Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you.''
From the hallway, John could see a vulpine that looked extremely similar to Fox, with the addition of some age and a pair of sunglasses.
''I just came to find Master Hand, but I guess I've found you instead. I'm James McCloud. And you are?''
''U-u-umm...John...I'm John...'' The boy shyly said, realizing just who the figure was.
''Ah, John. Got it. Listen, I shouldn't really be showing myself to the Smashers. I hope you could keep this a secret about our meeting.'' James said.
''W-why?''
''Well...If this got out, my son Fox would try to find me. I want him to grow up independently from me.''
''H-he's already grown up! What are you talking about?!'' John asked, nearly shouting at the older vulpine.
''Now now, calm down. I didn't mean it like that.'' James said while raising his hands up in a defensive gesture. ''He still has much to learn. Now, can you please tell me where Master Hand is?''
Before John could respond, Master Hand's voice was heard behind James, before coming I to view. ''Ah, James there you are! It seems you've met one our beginner Smashers.''
James turned around in shock.''My god, Hand! Can you please stop doing that!''
Master Hand chuckled, while John simply looked at him with eyebrows raised. Currently, the NDS was in his hand, and was shining light. However, John was distracted with Master Hand and James.
''So Hand, what is this about?'' James asked.
''Oh, it's about the new-comer.'' Master Hand said, completely ignoring John's presence. As he was about to speak up, he felt the light coming from the NDS. So he looked down, and saw a sort of app labeled ''Support'' on the screen.
''Uhh...Master Hand...?'' John asked, not looking up.
''Yes?''
''Um...somethings happened to my NDS...''
''What exactly happened?'' Master Hand asked.
''Well...It started to shine for some reason…and there's something here that I don't was there earlier. It looks like an app, and it's called "Support". What does it mean?'' John asked as he showed the screen to the two.
''Did you just discover a new power by accident?!'' Master Hand asked, shocked.
''Maybe, I don't know!'' John said, as the NDS began to shine again. ''What's happening this time?!''
''NDS?'' James asked, looking to Master Hand for answers. The disembodied hand looked back at James as he began to sweat.
''Umm...well...Let me tell the whole story...''
After Master Hand explained everything to James, the vulpine was simply in shock. Not only did the story shock him, but he had never met an Earthling before, much less one who was a fan of StarFox. It was almost surreal in that sense. Meanwhile, John was still trying to figure out how to stop his NDS from shining.
''So this Siyet and those Glitch Smashers are attacking you, just to get to the boy?'' James asked. Master Hand nodded in response.''I see...''
''This thing won't stop shining!'' John said in a panic.
''Calm down. I think I understand what's going on with this "Support" app.'' Master Hand said.
''You do?''
''Not for sure. We'll have to test it out. Ok, John, go far away from us. All the way to the entrance!'' Master Hand ordered. John looked at him with a confused expression.
''Uh...sure...'' John said as he left the main area.
''So, did it stop shining?!'' Master Hand yelled when John got to his destination. surprisingly, John could hear him clearly.
''Yeah, it did!'' John shouted back.
''I see...'' Master Hand muttered to himself. ''Come back!'' John began to run back to the two. As he got close to them, he noticed that the NDS began to shine once again.
''H-huh?''
''I see how it works. It's reacting.'' Master Hand said.
''Reacting to what?!''
''Perhaps it's one of us. Or maybe it was something you did.''
''What?''
''Look, perhaps you did or said something and that triggered a response from it. It's only a suggestion, but it could be a possibility.''
''Well, before you came, I said that I wished I wasn't useless...''
''That could have been it. Maybe the NDS is simply trying to respond to your pleas.'' Master Hand paused to think for a moment. ''I'm thinking it might be reacting to James.''
''Me?'' James asked raising his brow. John could only see the top of it due to the sunglasses.
''Yes. It could be that the NDS is suggesting you can be his support.''
''But why me?'' James asked while pointing at himself. Master Hand shrugged using two of his fingers.
''I don't know...the NDS seems to be full of surprises.''
John began to approach the two. As he did so, the NDS began to shine brighter, causing him to step back. As the device began to further illuminate, so did James's sunglasses. He took the off to inspect them, revealing his green eyes.
''Okay, this doesn't explain why his sunglasses are glowing!''
''I think it reacting specifically to them…'' James said, trailing off. ''But what does this mean?''
''I think I understand...'' Master Hand said, thinking of the right word to use. ''It's just like an assist trophy! The NDS is reacting to the sunglasses because it sees James as a support! Just like an assist trophy in battle!'' John and James simply stared at him with raised eyebrows. ''James! Would you help John in battle if he calls out for you?!''
''I-I'm afraid I don't understand...''
''Me too! W-what's going on?! And what's an assist trophy?!''
''Calm down. An assist trophy is an item that summons someone to help the user in battle.'' Master Hand said, answering John's question. ''In a way James, the NDS says you're somewhat like an assist trophy to John. Like it says, I'm guessing you can support John in battle.''
''So, the kid can call me out whenever he wants?''
''That's what I'm thinking. But would you help John in battle when he needs it?'' Master Hand asked in a serious tone.
''Depends...''James said, trailing off. ''I can help him out, but it just depends on the situation...''
''But, why would you want to help me?''
''Since you're the owner of that NDS, to protect you is to protect my loved ones. At least from what Hand has told me. That being the case, I'll help you at all costs, no matter the stakes. I can't risk to lose anyone I hold dear, especially my son.'' James said, his voice changing into a more sincere one. As he mentioned Fox, he put his bare hands over his chest.
''So, I assume that means you're joining me?'' John asked. James nodded. ''But, how am I able to call you in for support?''
''What I suggest…'' Master Hand said, coming up with an idea as he spoke. ''…is that you need to connect yourselves in some way, like a handshake or something.'' John and James once again stared at Master Hand in confusion. ''Look, whenever you get close, both the NDS and the sunglasses glow brighter. So, maybe if you make contact, it allows James to support you.''
James and John faced each other confused, but willing. Both walked toward each other as the sunglasses and NDS grew brighter with each passing step. As they reached arms-distance of each other, they gave each other a handshake. They were shocked when their arms became stuck, and the items which were glowing now began to float around them. The three stared amazed as the glowing sunglasses transferred all of it's luminescence over to the NDS. Once the process was compete, their arms separated and each of them grabbed their respective item.
John looked at the support app, and noticed a message had appeared.
''James McCloud was added to support.'' read the message.
''Looks like you have James as a support!'' Master Hand said gleefully. He coughed, then returned to his typical, serious tone. ''Now, you know what you must do...''
At the battle...
On the horizon of Smash Town, the sun was rising, yet the battle raged on. Although they had been fighting for hours, the Smashers had yet to make a dent in the building they were facing off against. ''God dammit Pup! We can't keep this up much longer!'' Wolf shouted as he barely dodge one of it's attacks. On the ground, Captain Falcon was struggling to avoid the wreckage of collapsing buildings.
''Then what do you propose we do?!'' Fox shouted, losing his patience. This hadn't been the first, or tenth time Wolf said something along those lines. However, he wasn't that far off from the truth. Even though they tried their best to dodge the Glitched's attacks, every one's ship was at critical condition.
''Calm down you two!'' Samus said.
''Calm down?! Our ships are about to fall out of the sky, and we have yet to do damage to that thing! We can't even get to it's weak point!'' Fox shouted again before coughing.
''What the?'' Falco said, noticing an incoming ship on his radar. According to it, the ship was unknown, which only confused Falco further. looked down his radar. ''Hey Fox, another wing is coming.'' He said.
''What?'' Fox said as he too looked down at his radar. The unknown ship seemed to be another Arwing, and it was flying at full speed towards the monster's eye.
''Hold on tight, kid.''James said, who now wore a hoodie jacket.''We're going in the eye.''
''Why don't you have seat belts in the backseat?'' John asked. James ignored the comment as he focused on the monster directly in front of him. The monster building noticed the new ship coming, and shot a beam at it. James instinctively reacted by dodging it using barrel rolls, which he had learned from an old comrade. Eventually, after much dodging, the ship entered the main eye of the building.
''No way! Did it just enter the eye without a problem?!'' Captain Falcon asked, astonished.''They might be as good as Fox, maybe better!''
''Shut up! We don't know who this guy is, so we have to be careful!'' Fox said. ''Lucario, can you sense who it is?''
''No, I could not identify who it was. A strange force was pulling me away. It felt...familiar...'' Lucario explained as he shot an aura sphere, destroying a boulder.
''Familiar? As in what?'' Samus asked.
''It felt like the NDS, but I cannot be sure.''
''You can't say its the kid! The kid is in the mansion!'' Wolf retorted.
''It does not explain that familiar power! And I am not sure if it is John, or someone else!''
''Calm down. We just have to be careful. Whoever this is we'll find out. That, and who's side their on.'' Samus said. Everyone nodded in agreement.
Inside the building...
The rusty Arwing flew through the darkness, hardly able to navigate. James stared outside his windshield, somewhat shocked. He had seen some dark places in his life, but not to this extent. ''This place could sure use some light, right kid?'' There was no answer. ''Kid?'' James said, turning to John. The boy had swirly eyes, and a spinning head. James frowned, raised his brow through his sunglasses, and sighed. ''Ok, I guess went too overboard with my flying.'' James muttered as he continued to fly through the darkness. The further in he flew, the darker it seemed to get. ''I can't even see a darn thing.'' His Arwing had no light source, so unless something lit up the space for him, he was stuck in perpetual darkness. Suddenly, an energy beam went flying past the Arwing, then another. ''Woah!'' James shouted as he barely dodged the beams.
James clearly heard John's cry, as well as the crash that caused it. ''Good to know your back.'' he said, seemingly only caring whether he was alive or not. Another laser suddenly came up from behind, and James performed another barrel roll. Since there was no warning, John once again banged his head.
''Ouch! Would you stop doing that!'' John said, clearly annoyed.
''We have someone at our tail! Just hold on!'' James said, shooting back at the unknown attacker.
''First things first! Where are we, and why is it so dark?!'' John asked. He began to stand up and walk towards the front of the ship.
''Do you want to bang your head again?!'' John's eyes widened as he quickly grabbed James's seat. ''Thought so.''
As they continued to fly into nothingness, more lasers were being fired at them from several directions. Even with his skill and effort, it was impossible for James to dodge all of them without taking a few hits.
''Where are these shots coming from?!'' James asked with a tone simultaneously distressed and angry. Just then, the Arwing suffered another hit from a laser. The shot shook the ship upon impact.
''I don't know James! Just fly!'' John shouted in fear. James growled as he accelerated to full speed, hoping this barrage of energy beams would end. He looked at his radar. Even though they were being shot at from all sides, there were no signs of enemies. He wondered how this was possible as he began to concentrate back on flying. Once again, the ship was hit with another laser.
''Is there no end to this?!'' John asked, his voice quivering while doing so. His face also seemed to match his tone of voice. Suddenly, the barrage ended, as if John's plea had worked. James was still wary, expecting another attack. His eyes shifted around the cockpit view to see if any any other lasers were being fired.
''Is it over?'' John asked. The vulpine didn't immediately answer, and still wouldn't let his guard down. After about a minute or so, he finally replied.
''I don't know, but keep an eye out for a second.'' James looked down to see how well his shield was holding up. It was currently at thirty one percent.
''Damn...My ship took some heavy damage...'' James said as he slowed down his ship. He sighed as they drifted through the darkness. There was no way for them to tell where they were. It was if they were in a maze with no paths. Eventually, they began to see something in the distance. As they approached it, they made it out to be a sphere of some sort.
''What is that?'' John asked. James just shrugged. ''Maybe it's the life form?''
''Don't know.''
''Try shooting it.'' James glanced at John. He was unsure at first. Eventually, he nodded, turned to the sphere, and pressed the button to fire the laser.
''Gah!'' Wolf yelled as his ship was hit by yet another laser. ''My Wolfen won't last long!''
''Your not the only one Wolf!'' Fox shouted. By this point, the pilots had dropped their hitch riders off to join Captain Falcon. Their reasoning was that if their ships fell out of the sky, they didn't want to take anyone else down with them.
''Is there nothing we can do?'' Ness asked as he was using his psychic powers to throw a boulder back at the monster. Like everything else they had tried, it proved ineffective.
''We have to relay on that mysterious pilot. Lucario, can you really not tell who it is?'' Red asked.
''I am afraid not.''
''How is everyone?'' Fox asked.
''We're not doing good, Fox. Any more shots, and were gone.'' Falco answered. Fox closed his eyes. For a moment, he pondered on whether or not this was the end.
Fox opened his eyes, ready to say his goodbyes. Suddenly, the monster stopped dead in his tracks. Fox's reaction was similar. Not a muscle in his body moved, not a breath was taken. Time too, seemed to be frozen. After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, the monster suddenly began to roar in pain.
''What the?!'' Wolf asked shocked. Lucario used his aura to sense the monster core. The dark aura that surrounded it was weakening. Along with it, he could see the aura of the mysterious pilot, which seemed to be attacking it. The jackal opened his eye and gave his report.
''The pilot is doing damage to the building.''
''What? You mean he's going to kill it?'' Fox asked as a sincere smile and a tear began to form on his face.
''Yes, he is.''
As James was firing his laser at the sphere, both he and John could feel the building shaking. The sphere was gradually getting smaller and smaller, which only caused more and more shaking.
''I think it's doing damage!'' Suddenly, they heard the monster roar. It's cries bounced off of the walls and only further shook up the space they were in.
''It is!''
James pressed the button again, and a laser directly hit the sphere. After a second, the once ship-sized sphere disappeared into nothingness. The roar seemed to die with it.
''Is it done?''John asked.
''I think so.'' James replied.''Let's go. I think the job is done.'' As they were about to leave, they were distracted by a sound on the roof.
*CLINK*
Their eyes turned to the dashboard to see a small stone bouncing down and off the ship. James and John confusingly glanced at each other. Their attention snapped back to the window when multiple stones began to crash into it. Both of their jaws dropped to the floor and all of their eyes widened as they realized what was happening.
''Kid, the building is crumbling around us! Hold on tight while I try to get us out of here!'' James shouted as he accelerated full speed towards a distant light, which he could only hope was the exit.
Outside...
The Smasher were staring at the building, shocked and amazed at the sight. The monster was frozen stiff, and falling apart from all sides. Suddenly, the ship that had so easily entered minutes before was now racing out of its mouth as it turned to dust. The Arwing sped past the four ships, who were still stunned in amazement. In an instant, the monster was no more and the pilot was too far for them to reach.
''Well that took a while...'' Captain Falcon drowsily said.
''But who was that pilot? Gah! I can't even think straight!'' Fox mumbled to himself. He felt something was familiar about that Arwing, but he couldn't just tell why. It had been a long night of fighting, plus he had almost died. So it wasn't surprising he couldn't come up with an explanation.
''Your probably just your tired, Fox.'' Falco said. He too, was on the verge of passing out, and he too showed it in his voice.
''We all are...'' Marth added.
''Let's just report to Master Hand.'' Samus said. The ships turned around, and headed for the mansion. On the ruined street, a hooded figure was watching them fly away. In fact, he had been watching the whole time, making sure not to get too close. Not only was their scanning software on their ships, but they also had a psychic jackal.
''The child is more capable than I thought...'' Siyet muttered to himself. ''No…it's not the boy. It's the NDS…But the boy is beginning to learn it's powers…This should be interesting...interesting indeed...'' When the ships were out of sight, Siyet opened a dark portal behind him, and walked through it. It closed behind him, leaving the war-torn street devoid of people.
James was forced to escort John to Master Hand's office. The reason was that if he tried to leave John, he would feel an intense pain in his chest. It was if he was being shot by a million point-blank bullets. There was no other solution he could think of besides seeing the Hand about it. The Smashers were still on their way, so he had some time.
As James opened the door to Master Hand's office, they were greeted by the Hand himself, who was wearing a sleeping hat on his knuckle. ''Welcome back! The Smasher gave me the report. Good job!'' James just nodded while John showed a sheepish smile. ''James, you might want to leave now. The Smashers are coming now.''
''One problem...I can't!'' Master Hand looked confused.
''What do you mean?''
''Whenever I try to leave him, my chest would burn! Worse than that, actually!
''I see...John. Check your support list.'' John was confused, but did as he was told. When he saw James on the list, there were two buttons next to his name. They were labeled ''Dismiss'' and ''Apply''.
''I think I'm supposed to dismiss you...'' John said as he tapped the icon. As soon as he did so, James started to glow a bright orange. The old vulpine suddenly turned into a medal of sorts, which displayed a portrait of him. The medal then began to rapidly spin around in a circle, before bursting into glowing particles. After floating for a second or two, the particles suddenly transferred themselves to the NDS screen. Both of the boy and Master Hand started in confusion throughout the process.
''What just happened?'' John asked, confused and concerned. He glanced up at Master Hand for answers, but he just shrugged using two of his fingers. The boy looked at his NDS, and could see James's current status. It read:
James McCloud
Current Location: Unknown
Current Condition: Good
''He must have been sent somewhere else.'' Master Hand suggested suddenly appearing behind John.
''AH!''
''Calm down! There's no need to yell!''
''How do you expect me to react when you show up right behind me?!'' John retorted. He quickly calmed down as he stared at the NDS's screen. ''This thing has strange powers...''
''Indeed it does. But, they are useful. Keep that in mind.'' Master Hand said. John looked at the Hand and nodded his head.
''I guess he's right.'' John thought to himself. ''If it wasn't for the NDS, how would they have taken down that…thing? If that's just a regular ability of it's, who knows what's it's true powers are? I hope it never comes to the point where I'll have to use it, whatever it is... '' He sighed as he put away the device in his safe pocket.
Later that night...
The Smashers had returned back, too tired to even report to Master Hand about the mysterious pilot that just helped them in battle, or the possibility of John's involvement. After the day had passed, they simply forgot to give the Hand the details. He didn't seem to mind. In fact, he was glad they had forgotten. Otherwise, he might be in trouble with Lucario, since he was unable to lie around him. At the moment, dinner was being prepared and the Smashers were in their seats, conversing with one another. The one notable exception was John, who was currently absent.
''Where is John?'' Kirby asked, noticing an empty chair at Lucario's table.
''He doesn't like following orders, does he?'' Fox said, frowning.
''I saw him outside the mansion entrance.'' Peach said. ''Fox? Can you go get him? Master Hand is talking to Wolf.'' Fox sighed as he got up from his seat, and walked out of the dining room.
Outside the mansion...
John was sitting on a bench overlooking a view of Smash Town. Despite the brutal attack from earlier, the city seemed to have already rebuilt itself. However, John didn't wasn't puzzling over that, instead, he was admiring the view. On the street by the mansion, he could see Miis walk by, either smiling or laughing. John too smiled as a familiar song played itself in his mind. It was a deeply special song to him, as it was one he would sing with his family on New Years.
''You're the one that never lets me sleep...''
John got up from the bench, and started walking towards the front gate.
''To my mind, down to my soul, you touch my lips...''
''You're the one that I can't wait to see…''
''With you here by my side, I'm in ecstasy...''
''I am all alone without you...''
John grabbed the gate's bars, but didn't open it.
''My days are dark without a glimpse of you...''
''But now that you came into my life, I feel complete...''
''The flowers bloom, my morning shines and I can see...''
''Your love is like the sun, that lights up my whole world...''
''I feel the warmth inside...''
''Your love is like the river, that flows down through my veins...''
''I feel the chill inside...''
John let go of the gates while looking down. As the song continued in his head, so to did the thoughts and memories of his family.
''Every time I hear our music play...''
''Reminds me of the things that we've been through...''
John turned to face the mansion.
''In my mind, I can't believe its true...''
''But in my heart the reality is you...''
''Cause I am alone without you...''
John began to walk toward the mansion, but stopped halfway. His legs began to shake, and his face began to clench.
''My days are dark without a glimpse of you...''
''But now that you came into my life, I feel complete...''
''The flowers bloom, my morning shines and I can see...''
It was becoming harder and harder for the boy to hold back his tears.
''Your love is like the sun, that lights up my whole world…''
''I feel the warmth inside...''
''Your love is like the river, that flows down through my veins...''
''I feel the chill inside...''
The boy was now at his breaking point. The memories were too much to bear. The thoughts of home were too much to think about. The song was too sentimental. With heavy breathing, he fell to his knees. The boy's eyes couldn't take it anymore, and began to cry.
Up the path to the mansion, the front door opened. Fox was at the entrance, ready to greet the boy.
''Hey, John it's din-'' Fox suddenly stopped when he laid his eyes on the boy. He quickly ran to the weeping figure to see if something had happened.
''John! Are you alright?!'' Fox asked worriedly as he kneed in front of him. The boy didn't respond. Fox placed a hand on his shoulder, not knowing how to respond to the situation.
Out of nowhere, the boy quickly hugged Fox. He latched on to the vulpine as if his life depended upon it. Fox was initially shocked, then became somewhat uncomfortable and confused.
''What happened...?'' Fox asked. Once again, no answer. Fox sighed to himself, and pulled the distressed child further in. The both of them barely moved for what seemed like forever, as one continued to cry into the other.
Between the sobs, Fox thought he could hear whispering. As he perked his ears up to hear better, he realized that the boy wasn't whispering at all. Instead, he was feebly singing.
''Y-your love is like the sun, t-that lights up my whole world...''
''I-I feel the warmth i-inside...''
''Your love is like the r-river, that flows down through my veins...''
''I feel the c-chill i-inside...''
The boy slowly closed his eyes, and fell into a slumber. Fox was still confused, but didn't mind comforting the boy. He lifted his head up, sensing something behind him. When he turned it around, he saw the other Smashers, who had come outside to check on him. No one spoke a word, nor made a sound. After staring at the crowd for some time, Fox looked back down to to the boy, who he noticed was fast asleep. He slowly but surely picked him up with both of his arms. Fox was surprised by just how heavy John was, but it didn't matter. All that mattered at the moment was that the boy is to be placed in his bed. Fox turned to the group so they could see the dozing child. When they realized what was happening, they quietly returned inside. Fox entered the mansion as the sun fell under the horizon.
?
''The Smashers are quite persistent Master. They have defeated the building Medgor decided to possess.'' Siyet reported.
''Foolish...A useless underling...''
''And the boy has also awakened one of the NDS's powers.''
''Interesting, yet futile.''
''What do you suggest we do, Master?'' Just then the figure revealed himself by floating away from the darkness. It was Glitched doppelgänger to Master Hand. Everything that was white about the original was now silver.
''As of now, We wait...Keep them thinking. Then we shall strike.''
To be continued..
Featuring in the next chapter...
''I'm kinda worried...'' John said, hiding behind Wolf. They were on their way to watch the famous band practice before their performance.
'Bout what?'' Wolf asked.
''Maybe they might attack us again'' John replied worried.
''I'm right here kid. Don't worry.'' Wolf replied. Fox gave a glare at Wolf as he flashed a smirk.
''I-I mean, I don't care!''
''We're very sorry. Master Hand, but most of our band is sick.'' One of Miis replied. ''Without them, we can't perform the concert.''
''I see...''
''M-maybe I can be in the band?'' Everyone turned and stared at John.
''You want to participate?'' John nodded.
''HA!'' Fox yelled as he smashed the Glitched, guitar in hand. The guitar broke apart on impact. ''You have a tough skull!''
The four Smasher were surrounded by the Glitched. Everyone involved was in battle stance, waiting for someone to make a move. ''We're in deep trouble.''
''Just attack!'' Wolf shouted as he charged ahead to attack.
A/N: As of now, all of the chapter that was previously written has been edited. Thanks to ColinCeption a big round of applause for him. He has been helping with The Worlds Connection progress lately so a big thanks to him.