Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Permission to enter, sir?"
Standing in the center of the Halberd's bridge, Ganondorf showed no visible reaction to the noise. While the ship suffered obvious damage from the recent attack, the bridge had fortunately received little in terms of destruction. Save for a broken window, a dent in the right side in the shape of an unskilled Primid's head and a number of blood spots spattered across the floor, the area endured the battle's effects greatly, much to the bearded king's relief.
"Come in."
The door opened slowly, revealing a koopa donning the usual green shoes and helmet but unlike the others, a pair of hammers was subtly displayed behind his green shell, signifying his earned rank among the Hammer Brothers, elite fighters of the koopa king Bowser's army. Clutched in his hands was a small clipboard, packed with numerous papers, no doubt the recordings regarding the current situation after the successful takeover.
As the koopa gave a crisp salute and began his report, Ganondorf was secretly glad Bowser's minions accompanied him for the trip. Originally intending to lead an army almost entirely consisting of Primids, the addition of koopas with knowledge of strategy and enormous experience with manual labor proved invaluable to the tasks at hand. Primid's excelled at wanton slaughter, but any jobs that involved one to use the grey, squishy organ between their ears was better left for someone else.
Anyone else.
"Reporting in sir. As of one hour ago, every member of this ship's original crew has been defeated and only the leader has the potential to become a trophy. With no chances for a possible rescue attempt, the Halberd is ours without a doubt."
"I see. Give me a damage report." The Gerudo king stepped around the wheel until he stood at the front of the bridge.
"Roger that. Surprisingly, we came out even greater than anticipated. There's some minor damage here and there from the battles taking place inside and on the deck, but nothing serious. Aside from that, there's also the preexisting engine trouble, but it shouldn't be much trouble for the mechanics I sent."
"Did any others become a trophy?" Ganondorf couldn't help his curiosity. Those who experienced the mysterious phenomenon of transforming into a trophy following death were incredibly rare among the world's population. The ability to simply revive through sincere touch was enough to make such individuals highly valuable to contractors for any dangerous profession.
"Negative. The entire crew has been accounted for as well. Their leader was the only one."
Ganondorf nodded and peered out the window on the bridge's left side, taking special note of the Shadow Bugs approaching the trophy form of his latest victim. He never learned the name of the minute swordsman, but the bearded king had to admit he underestimated his foe. In addition to perfectly executing a Final Smash, the blue puffball was insanely quick and dangerously skilled at swinging his blade. Not that the little creature stood any remote chance of defeating the leader of the Gerudos, but Ganondorf wouldn't deny for an instant that such battle prowess could've greatly served his side in the upcoming attack.
No matter. He'd take what he could get.
"Tell me… is he ready?"
The Hammer Brother nodded, keeping his composure. "Yes sir. It took a while to get him under control, but he's definitely ready for action."
Ganondorf closed his eyes. "Show me."
The hammer-wielding Koopa snapped a quick salute, "Right away sir."
The two quickly proceeded through a number of corridors, halls and elevators while maintaining silence, save for the sounds of minor repairs to any damage the ship sustained during their takeover. Ganondorf took note of the Primids frantically doing their utmost to carry out the instructions the mechanically experienced Koopa Troopas barked out from the sides. He had no particular problems with the arrangement. Primids were expendable. Losing a few to unexpected accidents meant little given their origins and prevented even one among Bowser's henchmen from losing out on contributing.
And without the Koopa's guidance… even the confident king of Gerudos refused to entertain the thought.
Soon enough, the pair arrived at their destination. A wide area in one of the lower sections of the Halberd, a number of Koopa Troopas stood near the walls in observance while a couple Primids were near the center along with a rather gigantic plant-like creature wearing what appeared to be a white-dotted red thong. Ganondorf recognized the beast from earlier reports as Petey Pirahna. Its attention was diverted thanks to an oval-shaped cage the creature swung repeatedly in each of its large green hands in the shape of a leaf.
"As you can see sir," one of the mechanic Koopas began, "Petey here is hungry for some action. And everything's been set up perfectly for that to be arranged."
"I see. And is Bowser ready on his end?"
"That's an affirmative, sir. Once the ship's repairs are completed, we'll be fully prepared."
A thin smile stretched across Ganondorf's features, "Excellent."
Disclaimer
I don't own anything from the Super Smash Brothers series, nor anything from the games associated with it. Obviously.
Survival Crusade
Invasion
Chapter 1: Calm Before the Storn
By Big-Babidi
Up in space, the mothership of the renowned mercenary team Star Fox slowly orbited a nearby planet. Within the Great Fox's bridge, the group discussed their current situation and debated their next course of action.
"Is this the place?" Fox asked, viewing the planet's image projected in the room's center. General Peppy, ROB 64 and the remaining three among his team stood at their appropriate stations.
"That's the one," Peppy said. "It may only be a rumor, but it's better to be safe than sorry. I know you two have been here before." He directed the latter comment to Fox and Falco.
"Andross…" Fox whispered. He couldn't imagine that mutated lunatic monkey surviving their last encounter, but Fox had too much experience to rule out the possibility. Besides, stranger things had happened across the galaxy.
Smacking a fist into his other hand's palm, Falco smirked, "Either way, this'll be a piece of cake."
Fox closed his eyes, knowing better than to take the comment at face value. "Let's take this time to analyze the planet."
Hitting a plethora of buttons, Slippy gathered various pieces of information at an extraordinary rate. "Its name is Earth. We can breathe inside without any problems, and the hottest area is its equator. The temperature is gradually cooler as you go north or south."
Fox nodded, already familiar with that information, "What about current events?"
A few extra buttons punched in, and the Great Fox established connections with online databases of the planet, "Right now the top headlines of nearly every news publication is discussing a certain tournament taking place in some midair arena."
"Can you pinpoint a location?"
"Gimme a sec… got it. The northeastern continent and fairly close to the Mushroom Kingdom."
The top two pilots shared a look. Would Mario get involved? The powerful plumber had shown great strength during their last encounter. Not just Mario, would the others from the previous tournament offer aid as well? If Andross had truly returned, the Star Fox Team could definitely use their assistance.
"Can you come up with a list of participants? I'll bet there's some familiar faces." Fox asked, approaching the toad and looking over his shoulder at his progress.
"No problem." Slippy accessed the roster of all participants. "Yowza! That's a lot of fighters." He gawked.
"Good ones too." Fox scanned the names while nodding. Falco soon joined them, reading over the list of names and instantly recognizing many entries. Marth. Kirby. Link. Mario. Luigi.
"Katt?" What the heck is she doin' there?" Falco demanded. A closer inspection revealed the name Katt Munroe. Luckily, Fox had already planned on Falco's accompaniment during exploration.
"General," Backtracking from the roster, Slippy picked up on more pressing matters, "I'm picking up something approaching."
Peppy crossed his arms, "On screen."
A closer inspection revealed a ship. Covered in yellow and shaped like a tailless manta ray, the green window in the front along with the ship's design displayed the trademark appearance of a well-known and equally fearsome bounty hunter.
One that Fox was familiar with.
"Samus Aran?" He asked aloud. He hadn't seen her since the Melee tournament sponsored by the unstable Crazy Hand back on the planet they orbited. Her face appeared, replacing the ship.
"Fox McCloud," A quick glance, she nodded at the other familiar pilot, "and Falco Lombardi. It's strange running into you two here of all places."
Falco raised an arm, "I hear that. What's up?"
"Are you here for the tournament taking place?" Fox asked, "I think it's a successor to the last one."
"No." She shook her head, "My trip here is much more serious than that."
"Same with us," Falco interjected, "We've been hearing a disturbingly large amount of rumors that an old enemy or ours, one that should certainly be dead, has been spotted on this planet."
The bounty hunter frowned, "Strange. I'm here for similar reasons. If you don't mind, I think we should take the time to exchange information."
With heavy uproar during each bout, the tournament in the midair stadium was in full swing. Much to the relief of the organizing committee, every single seat had someone in attendance. The numerous vendors journeying the aisles shared in the joy, making enormous profit in meeting the heavy demands for their concessions.
"Oh my! There's a real crowd in here too." Turning around, Princess Peach took in the scenery of the V.I.P. section of the stadium. The area had five different columns of luxurious chairs, each row elevated at a higher level than the one in front of it. Like the stadium's seats, every chair was occupied or reserved for those in combat, nobles and notable individuals worldwide drawn to the tournament, whether to leisurely view or participate in battle. Along with their own respective bodyguards, a number of servants had been stationed to the side near the exit, obeying their guests' every demand.
Seated beside her, Marth raised an eyebrow. 'Surely she didn't realize such a thing just now.' He thought as the Mushroom princess waved to Daisy –who was petting the head of a smiling Luigi– with a cheery smile. Glancing to his other side, he noticed Princess Zelda wearing a similar expression. He shrugged nonchalantly, an amused smile tugging his lips. Zelda laughed, hand covering her mouth.
"Same old Peach."
An immediate response to the name, Peach whirled around to face the other nobles, clasping her hands in front of her chest, "Marth! Zelda! Did you see how many people are here?"
Marth sighed, still smiling, "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"
Princess Toadstool's appeared confused, tilting her head, "Whatever do you mean? I'm just surprised there's so many people. Don't you agree Mallow?" She asked the noble seated to her other side.
A small body of cloud that fit entirely on the chair, Prince Mallow of Nimbus Land nodded enthusiastically, "I sure do! It's great to have so many of my friends here too." He took a quick glance at the rows behind at Mario, who was seated between Kirby and his brother, intently peering down at the stadium while Luigi received a kiss to the cheek.
"You're so right! Even if some of them are really mean," Peach agreed, turning around again to stick her tongue out at Marth and Zelda. The pair pointedly ignored her, refocusing their attention to the tournament as the referee Toad approached the center of the battlefield, microphone in hand.
"Ladies and gentlemen! The next match is when this tournament begins to step it up a notch! Before we saw duels, but now we're doubling the participants! That's right folks! Now you'll understand why the Brawl Tournament has that name!" The crowd's cheer grew louder with each sentence, and he had no intention of stopping there. "Twice the action! Twice the suspense! Twice the drama!" He swept his arm across the area, "And now, I present to you our fighters!"
"Better known to most as the Hero of Time, in this corner resides a former competitor, the swordsman who saved the Kingdom of Hyrule against the Gerudo sorcerer Ganondorf!" He approached the upper left corner, standing near a blond swordsman wearing a universally recognizable green tunic. As a competition of enjoyment, the Master Sword remained stuck in the ground, replaced by the Ordon Sword rested comfortably in his sheathe.
"Link!" The crowd continuing going wild as the hero raised his arm in greeting.
"In our next corner, the most proficient martial artist in all of Dream Land, Knuckle Joe!" A small brown-haired fighter wearing blue with white gloves and headband jumped up with a raised fist.
"Now in our other corners, a swordsman from the previous tournament, Roy!" The young redhead nodded to his mother Lyndis, comfortably seated in the V.I.P. section beside Daisy, the Sword of Seals held firmly in his grasp.
"And our last contestant, a young girl planning to donate the large cash reward to charity and her parent's preschool. Give it up for this adorable sweetheart, Paula Polestar!" A round of applause equal to Link's reception greeted the young girl. Paula had a big smile as she excitedly waved to the audience with bright red cheeks.
"The rules haven't changed from before. Last person remaining is the winner." The Toad paused solely for dramatic effect, "Get ready… fight!"
The experienced tournament competitors wasted no time in seeking each other out. Given their positions, they both simply ran a straight line until sword met sword. Link found himself on the defensive as the Ordon Sword in one hand fared terribly against a two-hand held Sword of Seals.
"PSI Shield!" Paula shouted instinctually, barely managing to block Knuckle Joe's fast punches and saving herself from a quick loss right when the match started. When his flurry of fists halted, she went on the offensive. "PSI Fire Beta!" A stream of fire jettisoned from her fingers. Raising his arms in defense, Knuckle Joe directly felt the searing heat as the attack sent him flying.
After a trail of parries, Link swung his blade with tremendous force, meeting Roy's and halting both weapons upon contact. The Hylian held a small smirk, "If you want that rematch against Marth, you'll have to go through me first."
Roy narrowed his eyes, "No Link. That is exactly what I should be saying… to you!" He yelled, extra adrenaline providing the strength boost needed for an upward swing that knocked the Ordon Sword right out of Link's hands. Roy followed up with a second swing of his flame-consumed sword.
Unlike Roy, Link's arsenal held far more than just a blade. Sword of Seals hit a brick wall known as the Hylian Shield, the latter with a reputation for guarding fire. With no intention of wasting the opportunity, Link reached out with his foot and kicked Roy's knee forward, then delivered his shield straight to the redhead's face, sending him to the ground. Reaching for his pouch, Link retrieved his Hookshot, its red light glowing on his opponent's ankle.
"PSI Thunder Beta!"
The action canceled as both swordsman rolled in different directions, both evading Paula's powerful lighting attack. Reclaiming the Ordon Sword mid-roll, Link discovered he'd face a different opponent, as a nearby Knuckle Joe thrust a powerful kick that sent a shockwave that nearly knocked him over, his shield barely staying in his grip. The small fighter followed with a series of ultra fast punches and the Hero of Time found himself hard pressed to evade them all.
Paula launched a wave of PSI Fire Alpha, only realizing her mistake when Roy's fire sword swatted each spell away like a fly. Her hands glowed blue before an ominous change occurred from above.
In an instant, the ground started to shake and red clouds filled the sky at an alarming rate. The fighters stopped combating, each one confusedly looking around. At the head of this sudden change of atmosphere, a ship with the mask up front led the charge. A ship anyone from Dream Land would recognize on sight.
"That's…!" Knuckle Joe started, his eyes and jaw widened considerably, "What's the Halberd doing here? Not to mention this sky. Meta Knight never made it weird like that!"
"The Halberd?" Link asked, "What is that?"
"It's that ship we're staring at right now of course!" Taking a deep breath, the small fighter provided a calmer and more detailed explanation, "It's piloted by the only other person I know from Kirby's race, a masked swordsman by the name of Meta Knight. A while back he'd tried to conquer Dream Land, but I- we all thought that was water under the bridge by now. For him to come here of all places… just doesn't even make sense."
Roy remained silent through the exchange, curious eyes fixated on the incoming ship.
"W-w-what's going on here?" Paula couldn't stop trembling.
A compartment below the Halberd opened its doors and a countless supply of purple specks flowed outward like snow. Upon hitting the ground, a number would combine and form the Primids fought by the former crew of the ship. As the enemy's number continued to multiply, so did the overall panic.
Up in the stands, Kirby had already inhaled and taken flight, Lyn following immediately with a tight grip on Mani Katti's hilt. Marth stood up along with the princesses on each side. Mario seemed itching to launch forward but waited word from his kingdom's princess, while his brother and Daisy held each other in fear. Zelda and Mallow accessed the situation calmly, while others either had similar thoughts or gathered their bodyguards to vacate the new combat zone with great haste. Marth worried little for those in the room, having greater concern for the audience. The dropping of purple was far from exclusive to the tournament battlegrounds, a number of them falling in every area of the Midair Stadium. Most people in the crowd erupted into chaotic panic, trying to escape and evade the Primids and stay alive. Luckily, they weren't entirely defenseless. Fighters who'd lost previous matches and stuck around found themselves with another reason to put their combat prowess to use.
Back on the battlefield, the four felt stunned at the monsters forming right before their eyes.
"What in the world…?" Roy narrowed his eyes at the sight.
"Fight now. Ask later." Joe crackled his knuckles.
Shaking considerably, Paula felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Link looked down with a confident smile. "Don't worry Paula. It's going to be alright. We're all in this together." She nodded, steeling herself for the inevitable.
The four in the stadium prepared for real combat. There would be no competitive nature, each gearing up to battle to the death. Sword gripped in one hand, Link raised his Hylian Shield protectively in the other. Knuckle Joe kept his fist and feet ready to swing at a nanosecond's notice. Standing in his preferred battle stance, Roy began charging his strongest flame attack. Her legs bent, Paula's extended hands glowed in different colors, one for PSI Shield and the other PSI Freeze.
The Primids started their approach.
There would be brawl.
