Chapter 7

Mystery

Roy was sitting in the matching room, and just happened to be sitting beside Samus. He'd never tell a soul, but he kind of had a crush on her.

"So how's Marth?" Samus asked.

Roy wasn't expecting the question. After all, he figured Samus didn't know Marth. "Oh...Well, the doctor said he'd heal just fine, but he'll need about a week of recovery. I didn't know you cared!"

She shrugged. "Just figured, he being your brother and all, that I'd ask. It seemed like the polite thing to do."

Before Roy could respond, a voice popped out from the seat on the other side of Samus. "Or you were just looking for something to say..."

"Oh, stop it, Mary. I'm just sympathizing. It's normal for you Earthlings, right?"

Mary, Samus' best friend, put her hands up as a show of surrender.

"Us Earthlings?" Roy asked, confused.

"Sammy here is technically an alien."

"Technically?"

Mary looked as though she were about to go through a routine explanation, but Samus cut in. "I'm sitting right here, you know." She gave Mary an expression that said, Don't ruin it!

Samus then turned to Roy. "I forget sometimes that I was in fact born on this planet. So I consider the stars my home. But as of late I've been looking to settle down a little. Bounty hunting got...lonely for me."

"I see," Roy said. "So I'm guessing you just wanted company for a change."

Samus looked down, as if reluctant to say any more. It was then that Roy first realized she wasn't wearing her armor.

Roy decided not to push her on the matter. Instead, he brought up another topic. One that he had been thinking about for a while.

"Samus...You and I have been friends for a while now. I've been thinking, and I was hoping maybe...we could go out sometime?"

Samus had heard that from enough guys to know what it meant. "Listen...I know you mean well, but I don't think now is the best time to ask that."

"I see. Well I just thought I'd give it a go."

"But if you consider us fighting to a KO a date, then yes. I would like very much to go out with you."

"Ah. I see how it is. Prepare to get your butt whooped."

For that moment they looked each other in the eyes, and all that broke that moment was the call to battle. "Roy!"

"Huh?" He said. "Oh! Right!" He rushed down to the stand.

"Make googoo eyes at your girlfriend on your own time!" the caller said playfully. Everyone in the bleachers busted out laughing.

Roy chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah..."

"Go ahead and pick your opponent."

For fighters with a lower rank, they were allowed to pick their opponent, so long as it was one from the bleachers of the low-rankers.

Roy had no problem with that. "Samus!" he said.

"Then Samus it is! Alright, everyone just sit tight for a bit, and you'll be out!" The caller waited for a moment, then his buzzer went off. "Alright! Y'all git!"

Everyone left through the doors on either side of the room.

As Roy approached the gate, he watched a group of small plant warriors demolish their opponent. They were new, but Roy couldn't quite put his finger on what they were called. Pickers? No, that wasn't right. Roy put away the thought, as the gate had opened for him.

Meanwhile, Marth lay in his hospital bed, feeling rather dumpish. He had been instructed to make very little movement so his stomach could heal without stress. On top of his physical pain, he wasn't doing too well on the emotional side, either. He had not only been dumped, but stabbed as well. He had fallen for a horrible trick, and couldn't stop feeling like an idiot for it.

All that time... I was being spied on. I'm such a fool... he thought. He couldn't even convince himself that he couldn't have known. His thoughts were interrupted by the wheeling of a new patient into his room. It was a woman, with oddly green hair. She was bandaged on her arm and thigh, and there were stitches on her forehead. Marth would've sat up to get a better look, but of course he couldn't. After the nurses had her set in the bed adjacent to him, they left. She was asleep, most likely from anesthesia. Marth found that he had a hard time remembering what he had been thinking about, as this woman intrigued him. He rarely took his eyes off of her for hours. What could have been behind that face? Marth was dying to know. But he was already attracted to her. something about her seemed so right to him...it wasn't just her features, though she was pretty. No, it was more than that. Like Marth was destined to meet her.

Well, he thought, until I know you, I shall call you Mystery.