4-1: Brinstar

The climate of Planet Zebes was, and always had been, a cross between a desert and a rainforest. Hot and humid, with merciful periods of coolness at night and during the autumn and winter months. Zebes was mainly volcanic in geography, with periods of bubbling lava or acid. But those living on that planet, mainly on the base known as Brinstar, had found ways to adapt to this volatility.

Inside her private exercise studio, Samus Aran, the Intergalactic Bounty Hunter, was astride her stationary bike, pedaling hard and fast. She'd been into indoor cycling well before the Smash tournaments started. In addition to training her and designing her suit for her, the Chozo had turned her onto what was known to fitness buffs as "spinning". Great for the abs, legs and cardiovascular system, they said. Well, Samus liked those things about indoor cycling, but most of all, she liked it because it was fun, because it made her sweat and because it burned away stress or whatever foul emotion she was feeling as well as fat. On any day of the week, when she wasn't Smashing or pursuing bounty, she was in a cycling class at California Family Fitness. Almost every Nintendo universe had a California Family Fitness someplace. There was even talk about getting a Cal Fit established in the Smash Realm.

A lot of Smashers could use a conveniently located Cal Fit.

Samus's little gym overlooked the section of Brinstar designated for matches. There was one main platform with a destructible portion three quarters of the way. This destructible area could cause this main platform to separate. Above the main platform were two small platforms, and above them was another small platform. This top platform would be the only structure unsubmerged by the acid when it rose to its highest point. That was why most Smashers held that platform at all costs.

Luckily, the gym was also out of the acid's reach, so Samus could safely watch it rise and fall as she got her cardio in. Headphones were snugly placed on her head, connected to a portable CD player. The bounty hunter's workout attire consisted of a blue sports bra with the Screw Attack symbol imprinted on the center, blue, knee-length shorts and blue socks and sneakers. She'd been mounted on that bike for over an hour, shredding pounds and killing calories. Loose strands of blond hair stuck to her firm, slightly angular face. Cool sweat slicked her skin, tracing and dancing along the contours of her abs as they weaved with her pedal strokes, trailing down her back, standing out on her shoulders, running down her arms and forking at her elbows, pooling on the handlebars, and bathing her neck and chests and seeping into her bra. Her eyes were focused on some random area of the gym, but her mind was elsewhere.

Luigi—wow! She was really fighting him today? This unsung powerhouse was way different from the awkward and shy fellow she first met in April 1999. He was still humble about his improvements and conquests, but still! He made the likes of Abate and Eddy México into powerhouses!

How could she forget the day two years ago when she accidentally walked in on him in the steam room and took the opportunity to alert him of their impending battle? The current Brinstar stage was an updated version of the stage they'd fiercely battled on during 1P Mode. Luigi had stood firm against her Charge Shot, Bomb, Screw Attack, Arm Cannon and punches and kicks hardened by her armor. He'd managed to not only wear down said armor but also crack her visor, forcing her to take off her helmet. The ways he'd made good use of that acid pit, too! Samus never doubted Luigi's abilities for a second, and that day, she'd been glad she didn't. In the course of two years, Samus had upgraded her armor, and she chose a Missile (which could be charged into a Super Missile) as her side-B. And Luigi had returned with some brand-new moves, a quick wavedash and improved skills and strategies. He could misfire all over the place if he wanted to. The bounty huntress counted in her mind how many Smashers had been on the receiving end of a Weegee beatdown even as she felt her legs and core work and work. In her opinion, some on that list really deserved it. Whether they were trying to cut him down or just being a general pain in the you-know-what, perhaps a loss to "Player 2" would give them something to think about.

She streamed out a breath and worked her muscles even harder, edging closer and closer to threshold. It was an adrenaline rush these days, seeing Luigi in battle. Each match he fought seemed to be a statement—that he didn't have to take any mess from anybody anymore. Engaged in her high-intensity endurance training, it was as if she could see him right in front of her—

He was not too proud to wear pink, forever engraved in stereotype as a "girl's color". The light pink shirt and cap, paired with the deep red overalls, paid homage to his days demolishing crumbling, condemned buildings or structural eyesores. And was the spiky-shelled turtle not an eyesore? Yeah, that hulking kidnapper thought he was everything; he was always hanging around with the Gerudo King and making everyone miserable. MH reprimanded them and even suspended them on a few occasions, and what did that do? Absolutely nothing. It was like they were too righteous to be punished.

Ganon was seated at the end of her row, noshing on a hot dog with mustard and relish, obviously rooting for his pal. Samus, however, was cheering for Luigi. For the occasion, she wore an emerald-green soft cotton tank top, a pair of denim shorts and nude sandals. She'd also painted her nails green and white. She would've dyed her hair green, too, but that would've been too over-the-top. So, she used a sparkling green headband to keep her hair out of her eyes. There were some other spectators, she noticed, who were wearing green, from shirts and pants to shoes and accessories. There was even a girl with green eye shadow. Many fans had flocked to the Battlefield in solidarity with the green-clad plumber.

Pink was, after all, a nice complement of green and seemed to melt into Luigi's warm skin tone and chocolate brown locks and 'stache. Samus craned her neck and swore she could see his chest steadily rising and falling with his breaths. His eyes were locked on his opponent, the focused concentration lighting up those orbs. Lips, a neutral line, masking what many knew he was feeling as jaw muscles gently flexed. He was a cool contrast against the ambient lighting of the Battlefield.

A tub of caramel corn was passed around. Samus took a nice handful and then passed the tub over to the racer sitting next to her. She was a row above Mario and Peach, and she could sense their nervousness as they distractedly ate a few handfuls of the caramel corn the racer offered them. Back on the stage, Luigi turned and locked eyes with his brother. Briefly, his face softened into a smile, and he offered Mario a quick wink before focusing his attention back on his opponent.

In the face of Koopa's intimidation games, Luigi stood there, bright and beautiful and bedazzling. His facial expression remained unchanged, even as he raised his fists. He may have looked vibrant but he was also focused; he left impulse behind. Samus squinted and noticed his lips move slightly, as if he was running through his strategy one last time. Examining his massive opponent, drinking in strengths and weaknesses, anticipating what his strategy might be and deciding on which moves he should bait. Koopa was not only conditioned to think low of Luigi but also was conditioned to meet a haphazard lunge at the word "Go". So, what to do? The exact opposite.

Luigi had definitely been the yin to Koopa's yang. While the former was lighter, faster and more athletic, the former was stronger but slower, having one of the lowest jumps in the tournament. The man in green was all about defense, bait-and-punish, reads and spacing, but Koopa was all about demonstrating his awesome might and trying to sweep his weaknesses under the rug. Luigi intricately placed combos together like beads on a string or puzzle pieces, while Koopa coughed up whatever popped into his head. The green-clad plumber taught himself to be patient, to wait for a critical moment to come to him. Koopa taught himself to take what he wanted and crush anyone who opposed him. Luigi was a general at war; Koopa was a Leroy Jenkins. Perhaps his impatience was the reason why all of his plans failed.

Like a spectator at a sports game, Samus waved a green scarf round her head, cheering like a tomboy, her eyes glued to the Battlefield, transfixed, as Luigi chipped away at his opponent with his aerials, which were fast and came out pretty early. His n-air weakened over time, but his f-air was sharper than a rapier. He used it to juggle, as a combo tool and out of a short hop. His b-air knocked Koopa away while protecting the rest of his body. He mainly used his d-air offstage to land the spike. When it got dangerous in the air, Luigi fast-fell into his ground attacks. The strong attacks were most likely the ones aimed at the face, and the smashes were saved for the body. But none of these attacks were random, nor were they aimless. Luigi slowed Koopa's approaches with fireballs, pushed him away with his long-ranged roundhouse kick, tripped him with his heel kick and used his overhead punch as an anti-air technique, coupled with the turtle's short jump. All the while, his eyes studied and analyzed every last inch of Koopa's body, from his horned head to his clawed hands and feet to his tough shell. The skin on his face and limbs was a thick hide, but the underbelly was softer and fleshier. There would be plenty of nerves and nerve points that would deal quite the pain if traumatized. That helpless, defenseless section of Koopa's body was the target for Luigi's awesome Smash attacks, aimed with terrifying precision. He even treated that with extreme prejudice! As for the face, snout and jaw took many a Trowel Stab, but whenever Luigi went for the face, he was catching his breath and bringing his strength back, using jabs, his standard 3-hitter, his strong side and his b-air, n-air and f-air. Whenever Koopa tried to escape, Luigi immediately punished with a breakdance sweep. If Koopa attempted to punish, Luigi would dodge or shield as many attacks as he could, but he didn't want to be easily read. So, this was where Luigi's baiting came in, conditioning his opponent to throw caution to the wind and punish with some laggy move that could either lead to a self-destruct or running into a painful trap. Luigi easily snatched Koopa out of shields and pummeled. These pummels were usually followed by a throw. Forward and back throws were reserved for when Luigi was being pressured and needed an escape. Up throws could combo into a Cyclone. Down throws were exclusively for offense. They led to impressive combos which robbed Luigi of breath but were so exhilarating to pull off. But due to Koopa's bounce height after the throw, Luigi could also chain-grab him, conditioning himself to read his DI. Samus felt her seat vibrate with each slam of Koopa's body onto the ground and gave a sideways smirk toward the King of Evil, who clutched his head in anguish and wailed for Din to help his friend.

Magnificent. Bold. Delightful. Incredible. These were just four words to describe Luigi at that moment in time. Quickly, he pulled at the neck of his green shirt, glimmering with sweat. He licked his lips as he rolled up his sleeves. Samus could almost see the pearls of perspiration decorating each arm, as well as his neck and face. His breath had started to come out quickly, but he simply threw fireballs until he could at least breathe with his mouth closed, if still fairly fast. As the sweat lathered him up, his breaths settled into a deliberate pace, to stay calm, to stay focused, to stay motivated and to stay hungry. His hair was starting to peek out from under his cap. With his sleeve, he wiped blood off his face, from when Koopa had penetrated his fortress of combos. He had a good stock lead, but he wasn't going to abandon his strategy now. Stoic blue rose to meet boiling mad green, fists up, a light compress of the lips. For someone anticipating angry charges from opponents, it was shocking that Koopa did such a thing. Luigi, also a whiz at anticipating haphazard, frustrated movements, was ready for him. Grab. Slam down. Start a combo.

Thus, Luigi wasn't entirely impregnable. There were moments when he miscalculated and found himself at the mercy of savage claw strikes, crushing slams or other painful blows from his larger opponent, but that wouldn't deter him. He'd tweak his strategy and continue fighting. He'd open his mouth and shout to the sky. He'd always believe in himself. And he'd always have that energy.

Which made it all the more puzzling to Samus when he lost.

She was brought back to the present by the "huff" of her breaths out of her now-open mouth, fast, harsh—as harsh as Luigi's as he watched him nearly pound an overgrown turtle into submission, only to have his luck turn sour. There was also something else in her breaths. Anger. It was as if there was a channel connecting her with Luigi, allowing her to feel whatever he was feeling. During the match, Samus noticed that Luigi seemed—cross—with his opponent. Was it their long rivalry speaking, or was it something else? Word on the street was that Koopa didn't take him as seriously as Mario, calling him names like "Green Stache". Everyone hoped that Luigi's battlefield tactics would force that turtle to respect him. So far, that wasn't happening.

"Samus?"

She slightly lifted up her headphones. "Yeah?"

"I'd save some of that energy if I were you," boomed Master Hand. "Don't forget the adventurer you're taking on today."

"I'd never forget anything like that," Samus told him. She made no move to stop her cycling. "Besides, I'm warming up for it."

"From what I hear, it takes a lot to work out on an indoor bike," said MH. "I don't want you fighting with sore limbs."

"Don't worry, Master Hand," said Samus. "I know when to stop."

"He's on his way here, you know," warned MH.

"Cool. Tell him I'll be there in a jiff."

Sweat puddled on the floor below her as it continued to pour off her body. MH couldn't help but catch something in the bounty hunter's tone.

"Sam—is something the matter? Look, I apologize for interrupting you, but I just don't want you to burn out before you take on Luigi. You'll need as much juice as you can get."

"It's not that," Samus said through her breaths. "It's just—one of the newcomers here has been a jerk lately, and I want to know what will make him shape up."

"I know who you're talking about," sighed MH. "If I may, let me offer you one piece of advice. Ignore him, and he'll stop. Just remember, Sam—nobody likes a tattletale."

"Thanks, I guess," muttered Samus. "I can't wait to fight Luigi—again." She chuckled.

"Break a leg, Sam," said MH before leaving Samus to her own devices.

Samus closed her eyes and let herself go until she could no longer ignore the throbbing in her side. Finally, she slowed her legs and got her heart rate back down. She took a few minutes to stretch out and wiped her bike clean. Her sports drink was still relatively cool as it poured down her throat. On her way out, she paused at the mirror and regarded the limber woman staring back at her with a smile.


On the Brinstar stage, Luigi sat cross-legged, eyes closed, focusing himself, breathing softly and deeply at a moderate pace. The sound of metallic footsteps stirred him back into consciousness, and he opened his eyes to see Samus staring at him.

"I kept you waiting, didn't I?" she asked.

"Not really," replied Luigi as he stood. "I haven't been here long."

"Hm. Good to know," said Samus. "You ready?"

"You ready?"

She smiled. "I asked you first."

"I'm ready."

"I'm ready, too."

Luigi shook Samus's proffered hand, staring intently at her.

"Oh, and by the way, my armor recently got an upgrade," said Samus. "So, it won't be as easy to break."

"We'll see."

Both fighters raised their fists. Samus's face was obscured by her visor, but her eyes and her mouth were as hard as her opponent's. Her blood was still pumping from being on her stationary bike, and she wasn't too tired to take on the man in green! Luigi's eyes searched the helmeted visage before him as he thought about how he got past her projectiles last time and how her Missiles would present a new challenge for him. He glanced at her Arm Cannon, held at the ready. Let's see if it stopped him this time around.

READY…GO!

Luigi didn't even give Samus time to charge her shot. He approached her with two quick fireballs and was soon upon her with karate chops. She air-dodged and swung her leg around, knocking him back diagonally, and took the opportunity to charge. As he got up, she fired, sending him flying to the ledge. He flipped back onto the stage with a leg sweep and countered her assault with two body blows. From there, he started a chain grab with his down throw which ultimately led to a combo. He punctuated his offensive with a Trowel Stab and then threw more fireballs. Samus fired a Missile at him, but he dodged, slipped in and landed some more blistering strikes to the body. She tether-grabbed him and began to pummel him with her Arm Cannon before slamming him down and following up with her f-air and her Screw Attack. Luigi fast-fell and swiftly checked himself for injuries. Aches, but nothing serious. He took a deep breath and then kicked his heel out low, catching his opponent mid-approach. A quick spinning kick to her side doubled her over, inviting him to pepper her helmet with short-hop f-airs and n-airs. He strung together a handful of up tilts before she brought an end to this nonsense with a powerful axe kick, and up smash and a Bomb. As soon as her foe smacked against the ground, she picked him up with her Grapple Beam, slammed him back down and started an aerial combo which became a mostly-smash combo when he tried to DI away from her. He'd attempt to escape, only for her to put him back into hitstun with a Bomb. Eventually, however, her combo-fest was put to an end by a roundhouse kick to the hip.

By now, Luigi was bleeding from his temples, his nose and his mouth and chin. His body was in pain, but he could ignore it. One eye was swollen, and he was covered in bruises and burns. Seeing Samus charge her Charge Shot, he sidestepped the blast and then aimed a forward smash at her shoulder, and then parried her Arm Cannon strike to return with a jab to the face. It was his turn now to start combo-ing, stunning her with his sissy fists, blindsiding her with his d-air, head-butt and b-air and knocking the wind from her over and over again with his forward smash. If the throbbing aches got too much, then he'd hurl her away with a forward or back throw (normally back). He'd always get his bearings back, and he'd get them back quickly. Then, he'd either use fireballs or jabs to set up for an offensive.

Below them, the acid continued to bubble, rise and fall. So focused were they on each other that they almost forgot about it. But now, Luigi began to lay into Samus, using the acid pool to infinitely combo her. She returned the favor once she escaped. They now began to scramble for the top platform, the safe spot, where there was just enough room for the two of them to exchange wicked blows but one could be knocked off at any time. But Samus would use her Super Missiles, which had better homing abilities, to force her foe to back off, possibly making him fair game for the rising acid. And Luigi would misfire to safety, knocking into Samus as an added bonus. He tried many times to pull of an up-B, but Samus wasn't stupid; he'd seen him do that to other opponents and frustrate him by staying just out of range.

Since she wasn't going to let him do his Super Jump Punch, he was going to have to KO her another way. Resisting the urge to throw frenzied attacks every which way, he baited Samus into shielding and either grabbed her out of it or broke it. His Trowel Stabs connected hard with her armor, denting it up despite her upgrade. He used his wavedash to quickly evade her tether grab and went for his more long-ranged moves until he got her to drop her guard and let him move back in. But he wasn't the only fast fighter out there; her speed continued to rival his with her fast kicks, Arm Cannon blasts and Missiles. Both made sure to hit precise areas on the other's body. That armor still hurt Luigi's hands, but he continued to throw attacks nonetheless, dodging projectiles or sometimes even crouching under them. Shielding against them was useless; she'd learned how to break them with a Bomb, followed by a Charge Shot. He could be pelting her with karate chops when she threw a b-air out of the blue. Or, she could be slamming axe kicks into him, following up with her f-air, u-air, d-air or some smash attack when he disrupted her with a kick or two. Rising acid also disrupted combos close to the ground, allowing one or the other to take the lead.

There it was again. The angry, harsh breathing. Concentration lightly creased his forehead, his eyes big, bright starbursts. Yet he wasn't getting frustrated—he was staying in control and focusing everything inward, on finding out what he was doing wrong here and why. His opponent had been on plenty of missions to know that impulse wasn't going to do any good. She had to watch for him to make a mistake. The tough part was that he was doing the exact same thing, and once she punished him for rolling, or DI-ing the wrong way or some other move like that, then he wasn't likely to do it again, no matter how much she tried to bait him. But his baiting was so subtle and out of the blue that Samus couldn't help but fall for it. He was without doubt one of the cleverest people she ever had the pleasure of meeting.

Luigi tasted his sweat. Its saltiness mixed with the metallic zing of blood. They were back on the high platform as the acid swelled menacingly, Super Smashing away, sometimes knocking or throwing each other out of the safety zone into the burning liquid below, only to send them back down again and again. They fought on the stage and tangled off the stage, in the air, where a simple, well-timed hit snatched a combo from one and gave it to the other. Recoveries were attempted, hindered and punished. Green Missiles flew across Brinstar at high-rated speeds and rammed into Chozo armor. Screw Attacks forced Luigi upwards. Bombs were used as anti-air maneuvers, where Samus could fire a fully charged shot as Luigi struggled to his feet. The bounty hunter found herself assailed with kicks from all sides, breakdance sweeps and powerful punches as well as those stinging chops and those swift, ferocious open hand jabs. His face was pink, and he was near-breathless, but he kept answering her strategy with his, refusing to let up. Because letting up would mean that he let the words get to him.

Once the acid settled down back down, they returned to center stage, battering, throwing fireballs, firing blasts and Missiles, grabbing, throwing each other, attacking, defending, laying Bombs and laying the groundwork for the finishing blow. Luigi could see his foe's breaths fogging up the visor of her helmet as they echoed from her Varia Suit. Samus could see the look on his face as he continued to drive or try to drive his blows into her. Sensing his iron determination, she thought, It

It's you or me, L.

After a brief but exciting deadlock in which they exchanged their most painful attacks yet, Samus found herself in Luigi's grip. He pummeled her once—twice—three times—until his head started hurting, and then hurled her hard onto the stage. As she bounced back up—

Luigi shouted with effort as he speared his hand one last time, right onto Samus's chin. Due to the damage she sustained, this hit was the final straw for her. She flew diagonally off the stage and out of the boundaries.

SUCCESS!

He rounded his lips, closed his eyes and released his breath in a low, soft whistle. Then, he inhaled slowly through his nose and stomach, feeling his abs contract, and then breathed out in another whistle. He breathed five more times in this fashion and was pleased to find that his heart rate was back down to normal. Samus had perfected her skills as much as he had, and she'd given it her all the way she did two years prior. She was still a worthy opponent and friend.

"I wouldn't start the victory parade if I were you," boomed Master Hand's voice.

"Why not?" asked Luigi.

Klaxons began to sound around Luigi, and the ground shook. As he struggled to keep his footing, he saw rocks beginning to crumble around him. "What's going on?!" he demanded of MH.

"You have 40 seconds," said MH. "A ship is waiting for you at the top of the escape shaft. This is where your high jumps come in."

Please R&R!