A/N: So, Michael/Holly is my new favorite ship. And if you don't know what that means, you need to catch up on The Office. And start watching Pushing Daisies! It's the best show hardly anyone watches. Anyway, now that I've done my plugs for TV:
Disclaimer: I do not own Heroes, NBC, Super Smash Brothers, Nintendo, Sega, Konami, or anything contained herein.
(Open on the Bennet house in Pallet Town. Peppy and Vivian are packing everything into boxes downstairs. Peach comes down the stairs in her blue cheerleader uniform. Peppy glances over and sees her.)
Peppy: What are you wearing?
Peach: My uniform.
Peppy: (stern) I thought I made myself clear yesterday: we're leaving.
Peach: I know. You guys are leaving. I'm staying.
Peppy: Go upstairs right now and take that off. Or else –
Peach: (getting angry) Or else what, Dad? You're gonna abduct me? Experiment on me? That's what you do, isn't it?
Peppy: You're talking about things you don't understand!
Peach: No, I understand. You abducted Doug.
Vivian: What?
Slippy: (coming downstairs) What are you talking about? Dad doesn't abduct people, Peach.
Peach: Dad's a bad guy, Slippy, don't listen to him.
Vivian: Now, Peach –
Peach: Stop defending him! All of you! He's the reason this family is so screwed up!!
Peppy: (after a pause, sincere) I just want you to be safe. To have a normal life.
Peach: This isn't about me. It's about what you did before. What you did to Doug.
Peppy: If you and your boyfriend hadn't showboated, none of this would be necessary!
Peach: Stop using that as an excuse. No matter what I do, we'll always be running. Won't we?
(Peppy doesn't answer. That's all Peach needed to hear. So she turns to go.)
Peppy: Don't you walk out that door!
Peach: (turning back) What're you gonna do? Tie me up?
Peppy: (grabbing a roll of duct tape) If I have to.
Vivian: Peppy! Put down the tape! (She goes to Peach) Peach. You are gonna go to school, say goodbye to your friends, and come home. Then we're packing up and leaving.
Peach: (glaring at Peppy) I hate you.
(She turns and leaves. Peppy looks after her in fear.
Cut to a cemetery in Tokyo. On two headstones appear the title card: "Chapter 9: Cautionary Tales."
Cut over to a funereal. Several monks chant as the funereal progresses. Roy, Marth, and Marth's sister Ellis are among the attendees. One monk gets up on the podium.)
Monk (translated): It is tradition for the eldest son to speak on the deceased's behalf.
(Marth slowly gets up and walks to the podium. But he can't say anything. He runs off to stand under a tree. Roy comes up behind him.)
Roy (translated): Marth? Are you OK?
Marth (translated): No. I do not know who killed my father. I cannot honor him until I fix this.
(He quickly closes his eyes and concentrates. He disappears.
Cut to the Deveaux rooftop, one week ago. Marth appears behind the pigeon cages. He looks out to see Ike and Samus talking on the roof.)
Ike: Someone is getting revenge on us. For all the people we killed in the name of our beliefs. I sought redemption by helping Marth on his quest to save the world. (He steps up close to her) How did you help your son?
(Samus seethes in anger. Then she reaches out and slaps him. Marth looks on in curiosity.
Cut to Diddy's apartment in the present. D.K. sits at the kitchen table, studying the picture of the Company founders. Everyone in the picture has a Post-It with their name on it – except one person on the bottom. It's the short guy with the oval-shaped head and large nose. Mew comes in, smiling.)
Mew: Good morning!
D.K.: Good morning, Mew. How'd you sleep?
Mew: Just fine. No nightmares.
D.K.: That's great. (He starts to pour her a bowl of cereal)
Mew: (seeing the picture) What's that? (She walks over to look at it closer)
D.K.: It's a puzzle. All of these people are connected somehow. I have to find all of them.
Mew: I can help you –
D.K.: No, Mew. I asked you to do that once, and I'm never going to again. (They sit down and start to eat.) I just want you to be a normal girl.
Mew: But I'm not normal. I can find people.
D.K.: I don't care, Mew, I just want you to…go to school, eat too much candy, watch too much TV. Be normal. OK?
(She nods. The two hug.)
Mew: But why do we have to be normal?
(D.K. closes his eyes and, without realizing it, thinks at her.)
D.K.: Just do it for me. OK?
Mew: (breaking the hug) Okay, I'll do it for you. Back to normal.
(She gets up and leaves as D.K. looks after her, surprised at what he did. Then he concentrates and thinks at her again.)
D.K.: Mew, come back and finish your cereal.
(Mew immediately turns around and comes back to the table. She sits and begins eating her cereal. D.K. looks at her, a little guilty.
Cut to a hotel in Pallet Town. Diddy, still with the bandage on his nose, walks by the pool and finds Ash.)
Ash: Doctor Kong. I trust you had a pleasant flight.
Diddy: It would be more pleasant if it wasn't for what we're about to do. I just want to get this over with.
Ash: We're just going to grab Peach and get out. And take out Bennet if he gets in the way.
Diddy: By "take out", I assume you mean kill.
Ash: It is a euphemism. (He motions for them to walk, and they do) I know you feel a certain loyalty to him. But you've made the right decision to help The Company instead of bringing it down.
Diddy: I'm not choosing sides. This is about getting Peach's blood to cure Zelda. Doing the right thing.
Ash: (smiling) That's the great thing about you, Doctor Kong. Your moral compass always points true north. That's why you need a partner whose more compass points…north-northwest.
Diddy: (surprised) A partner?
(They come upon Pichu, laying out in the sun in a pair of gigantic sunglasses.)
Ash: I hope you're wearing sunscreen.
Pichu: Geez, overprotective much?
Ash: Diddy, I'd like you meet my daughter, Pichu.
Diddy: Your daughter? Your daughter's the killer?
Pichu: (taking off her sunglasses) What's your superpower? Punching bag?
Ash: Have you been practicing your sharpshooting? I don't want you to get too close to Bennet.
Pichu: (nodding, and turning to Diddy) Hey Fight Club. Get a load of this.
(She points her finger like a gun toward a drink sitting on the table next to her. She "pulls the trigger" and a lightning bolt shoots out of her finger. It smashes the glass. Pichu turns back and blows the smoke from her fingertip, grinning.
Cut to an open field. Peach carries a rock and puts it down in the grass. When she turns around, she sees Doug.)
Doug: What is your deal?
Peach: I figured this was how you got to school and you'd see it here –
Doug: Why bother? The jig's kind of up, Peach.
Peach: I'm not pretending. I really do care about you. I'm not a spy, I'm…(sadly) I'm just a cheerleader.
Doug: So this is all just one big coincidence? Why didn't you just tell me?
Peach: I didn't want to lose you. I was being selfish, I know. If I told you the truth it would just force you away, which…it did.
(Doug melts a little at this. But he turns away to go.)
Peach: My family's leaving tonight, but…I'm staying. Because of you.
Doug: (turning back to her) I want to believe you. But I don't. (He shakes his head) I just need to figure things out.
(He looks up and flies away. Peach watches him go. She sighs and looks back at the rocks on the ground, arranged in a large "SORRY."
Cut to the police station in the Mushroom Kingdom. D.K. is on the phone when his boss comes in and hangs it up.)
D.K.: Hey! I was on hold with the FBI!
Wario: And why were you on hold with them?
D.K.: I was trying to get more information on the Ike Nakamura case.
Wario: There is no Ike Nakamura case. Samus Petrelli confessed, the case is closed.
D.K.: She didn't really do it, though. I need to get to the bottom of this.
Wario: It's over, Parkman. Let it go.
D.K.: No, there's something more here. There's this group of people, in some organization from the '70's.
Wario: Like a disco?
D.K.: (taking the Company picture of his desk) Look, see, all these people. There's some research facility. Ike, Samus, my father, all of these people started something –
Wario: (interrupting, seeing where this is going) Your father? That makes you a little too personally involved. You have more important work to do. Got it?
D.K.: (pausing) No.
Wario: (with a glare) What was that?
(D.K. looks at him, concentrating. He projects some thoughts.)
D.K.: Give me 24 hours. Let me talk to Samus Petrelli again.
Wario: Tell you what. Give it twenty-four hours. Talk to Samus Petrelli again. Then you're done.
D.K.: (with a smile) That's good. Great idea, sir.
(Cut to the Bennet house in Pallet Town. Peppy pulls a picture of a young Doug out of a file.)
Peppy: Yup, here he is. Douglas Jay Rosen. He can fly.
Vivian: Did you really do the things that Peach accused you of?
Peppy: I thought I was doing good then, saving the world.
Vivian: I don't know why I'm not getting in the car with the kids and just leaving you.
Peppy: Here. I'll show you what's going on.
(They go into his office, to his computer. Peppy pulls up the pictures of the paintings.)
Peppy: You remember the paintings of the future? I found the rest of them.
(He shows her the last painting of his death.)
Vivian: Oh my God… (she points to Diddy's picture) And do you think he's going to shoot you?
Peppy: No, he won't. He's one of the good guys.
Vivian: And you think that's Peach? And Doug?
Peppy: I think so. I need to talk to him to see if I can stop this from happening. (He takes Vivian's hand) I really need you now.
(After a few seconds, Vivian pulls her hand away. She composes herself.)
Vivian: I'm going to take Slippy to school.
(She quickly leaves the room. Peppy just looks back at the painting of his death. He takes out his cell phone and dials.
Cut to a hotel room. Diddy's phone rings and he answers it.)
Diddy: Hello?
Peppy: (through phone) I need your help. I need Mew to find someone. A boy, Doug Rosen.
Diddy: Peppy? Are you OK?
Peppy: (losing patience) Can you do it or not??
Diddy: Yes. Of course.
Peppy: Great. Thanks, Kong.
(He hangs up. Diddy also hangs up and goes into the next room to find Ash and Pichu.)
Diddy: That was Bennet. He needs my help to find someone. A Doug Rosen.
(Pichu turns and hands him a holster and a large gun. Diddy looks at them and goes to Ash.)
Diddy: We don't necessarily have to kill him. We can use this. Isolate him from Peach and get her blood.
Pichu: (handing him the holster again) Do you know what happens when you change your plans mid-stream?
Diddy: (taking the holster) Uh, no.
Pichu: That's because we don't do it.
Diddy: (as he puts the holster on) We're doing this my way, or I call him and tell him what we're doing.
Ash: You know Peppy is dangerous. Don't you remember how he killed his mentor in Sauria?
Pichu: And if push comes to shove, don't you think he'd kill you too?
Diddy: (determined) No. He wouldn't.
Pichu: He's adorable! (She grabs him and puts her hands all over him) Can I keep him?
(Ash just rolls his eyes at his daughter.)
Ash: All right, Doctor. We'll do this your way.
(Pichu grabs the gun off the table and gives it to Diddy again. He puts in his holster, then turns. He looks at his reflection in the mirror, obviously not pleased with it.
Cut to the Deveaux rooftop one week ago. Marth continues to watch the scene. Samus turns to leave.)
Ike: Samus. (She stops, looking back) I am leaving for Japan tonight. I suggest you disappear as well.
(Samus walks off. As soon as she's gone, Marth jumps out of hiding and runs to Ike.)
Marth (translated): Father!
Ike (translated): Marth! What are you doing here? Where have you been?
Marth (translated): I was back in the 17th century!
Ike (translated): (smiling) The time of Takezo Anri. Please, tell me everything.
Marth (translated): I can't! I've just come from your funereal!
Ike (translated): My funereal? (He thinks) Then it is inevitable.
Marth (translated): No it isn't! I can move through time and space! This cannot be your fate!
Ike (translated): We have the power of gods. That does not mean we can play God.
Marth (translated): No! You are just being stubborn. I will not let you die.
Ike (translated): You cannot allow your emotions to control you.
Marth (translated): You once felt as I do. I can prove it.
(He quickly moves forward and takes Ike's shoulder. They disappear.
Cut to the Bennet house in the present. Peppy grabs his coat and keys and prepares to leave.)
Vivian: Where are you going?
Peppy: I can't just wait around, I need to do something.
(He walks out the front door. Suddenly, something shoots in front from the right and grabs him and takes off.
Cut to up in the sky. Doug, his arms around Peppy, flies upwards.)
Doug: Remember me? I don't have superstrength too, so I can only hold you for so long. I want some answers.
Peppy: We took you before you even manifested your ability –
Doug: Not those answers! About Peach. Is she working for you? Did she ever really care about me?
Peppy: She lied to me. Didn't tell me about you. So you must be pretty important to her.
(Doug flies them back to the ground. They land and stumble. Then, Peppy turns and tackles Doug to the ground.)
Peppy: (while holding him down) Peach and the rest of us are leaving tonight. You're going to convince her it's the right thing to do.
(Suddenly, his phone rings. He answers it, still holding Doug down.)
Peppy: Hello?
Diddy: (through phone) Mew found him. He's at the corner of Verbena and Palm.
(Peppy glances to the side. He sees they're in a field at the corner of Ocean Avenue and 4th Street.)
Peppy: (confused) Are you sure?
Diddy: Mew's ability has pinpoint accuracy. But I don't know how long he'll be there. You should get there quickly.
Peppy: Of course. Thank you, Diddy.
(He hangs up. He steps off of Doug, who slowly gets to his feet.)
Doug: What's going on?
Peppy: Peach is in danger. I need your help.
(Cut to Peach's high school. She's at cheerleading practice.)
Coach: Peach Butler! Come on in.
(Peach jogs over to the coach, who is standing with Ash.)
Coach: This is Mister Bishop from the Board of Education.
Ash: Please, just call me Ash. I'm here to talk to you about Pikachu. Walk with me?
Peach: Sure.
(They start walking away.)
Ash: As you know, we take underage drinking very seriously.
Peach: Of course.
Ash: Was there any hazing or anything going on as well?
Peach: No, sir.
Ash: Are you sure? You wouldn't lie to me to protect someone, would you, Miss Bennet?
Peach: (stopping dead) What did you call me?
(Ash realizes his mistake. Peach turns and immediately runs away.
Cut to a black van at Verbena and Palm. Pichu, sipping a large drink, and Diddy wait in the front.)
Diddy: So…have you killed many people?
Pichu: (with a look) How is that any of your business?
Diddy: (gulping) Please, just let me talk to him first. He trusts me.
(Pichu nods. They look over to see a car pulling up down the street, driven by Peppy. Diddy gets out and walks over, getting into the back seat.)
Peppy: (looking at him in the rearview mirror) Kong? What are you doing here?
Diddy: I'm sorry I lied to you. I only have a few minutes.
Peppy: Are they making you do this?
Diddy: No one's forcing me to do anything. I'm here to ask you for Peach. We need her blood.
Peppy: (turning, surprised) You've gone native. Are you kidding me?
Diddy: She'll be returned to you, safe and unharmed.
Peppy: Absolutely not!
Diddy: Please! She's important to the work we're doing.
Peppy: You sound like me ten years ago. Did you listen to NOTHING I said? I was very clear about this. They are NOT who you think they are!
Diddy: I know who they are. Helping people, saving lives. That's what this company is about.
Peppy: They are not getting Peach.
Diddy: I have to do what I think is right. (He pulls out his gun, pointing it at Peppy) Drive. Please.
(Cut to the Bennet house. Peach runs in, frantic.)
Peach: Mom? Dad?
(She runs into Peppy's office. She sees the painting of his death on the screen. She looks at it in wonder. A furry hand falls on her shoulder.
Peach screams and whirls around. But it's just Vivian.)
Vivian: Peach? What are you doing here?
Peach: There was some guy, he showed up at my school! We have to go! (She looks back at the computer) What is this all about?
Vivian: That's what's gotten your father acting so strange. He thinks this is going to happen.
Voice: Douglas Mendez.
(They both whip around to see Ash walking in, a gun pointed at them.)
Ash: He was a very talented artist – and extremely accurate too. (with a nod) Good to see you again, Vivian.
Peach: (confused) You know this guy?
Vivian: He was the regional manager of Compositech Paper.
(Cut to an alley behind Peach's school. Diddy and Peppy get out of the car, Diddy still with the gun trained on Peppy.)
Peppy: So, who's your partner?
Diddy: What?
Peppy: Company policy. One of us, one of them. Who's yours?
(They look down the alley to see the large black van. Pichu comes out from behind it.)
Peppy: (knowingly) Pichu.
Diddy: You know her?
Peppy: Oh, yeah.
Pichu: Hey you!
(She starts walking toward him, sparks forming in her paws. Peppy looks at her, smiling, then gives the smallest of glances upwards. Pichu looks confused. She quickly turns around, only for Doug to fly out of the sky and grab her. They fly into the hood of Peppy's car and tumble to the ground.
Pichu is knocked out as the other two look on in surprise. Diddy quickly turns and points his gun at Peppy. He flashes back to the painting of Diddy with the smoking gun.
He pushes Diddy's hand to the side and the gun goes off. Peppy then punches Diddy right in his broken nose. He yells in pain and drops the gun. Peppy grabs up the gun as Diddy drops to his knees.)
Peppy: (furious) You lie to me? Betray me? Come after my daughter?
(He cocks the gun as Diddy holds his hands over his nose. He looks right at the gun in fear.)
Peppy: How'd you think it was gonna end?!
(There's a long pause.)
Doug: Mr. Butler, what are you doing?
(Peppy looks up to see Doug regarding him with disbelief. Peppy uncocks the gun, and Diddy breathes a sigh of relief. Peppy just kicks him in the stomach.)
Peppy: Nobody's taking my little girl!
(Cut back to the Bennet house. Peppy runs through the open door.)
Peppy: Peach!?
(He runs into the living room to find Vivian taped to a chair, tape over her mouth. Peppy runs over and rips it off.)
Vivian: Your old boss, Ash. He took Peach!
Peppy: It's OK. We're getting her back.
Vivian: How!?
Peppy: I've got collateral.
Vivian: (confused) What do you mean, collateral?
(Doug walks in through the front door, an unconscious Pichu over his shoulder.)
Doug: Hi, Mrs. Butler! It's good to...uh...see you again!
(He leaves the room as Peppy turns to his wife, serious.)
Peppy: Did you pack Yoshi's bath already?
(Some time later, in the kitchen. Pichu is chained down to a chair, her feet in a Yoshi bath filled with water. Peppy goes to the sink and picks up the sprayer. He sprays water on her, waking her up. Peppy replaces the sprayer and folds his arms.)
Peppy: I need to speak with your father.
Pichu: (angry) What, do you think this is my first day?
(She starts to channel some electricity. However, the electricity runs over the water in her body right down to her feet. It electrifies the water and Pichu screams in pain. She finally stops, gasping for breath.)
Peppy: Stings like a bitch, doesn't it? (He smirks) I know all about your ability. I was there when your father brought you in. You were a normal girl, rainbows and unicorns. Then they started the testing. The brain isn't built to take that much electricity. You poor girl.
Pichu: (angry) My father would never let that happen to me.
Peppy: Your father was leading the charge.
Pichu: I don't remember any of that.
Peppy: Isn't that interesting? Almost like…someone took them away.
(He walks around Pichu as she considers this. He leans in close to her.)
Peppy: Why do you think I never let The Company get their hands on Peach? I didn't want her to become you. (He pulls back) I want to arrange an exchange with your father. You for Peach.
Pichu: What happens if he doesn't want to make a trade?
Peppy: You'd be surprised what a father will do for his daughter.
(Cut to a hotel room. Ash has Peach tied to a chair. His phone rings, and he answers.)
Ash: Pichu?
Peppy: (through phone) You touch my daughter and I'll kill yours. And then I'll kill you. (Ash looks stunned that it's him) We'll be at the South Beach parking lot in two hours. See you there.
(Ash hangs up. Then he sighs and turns back to Peach.)
Ash: Looks like you and I are going to the beach.
(He gets out surgical gloves, putting them on.)
Peach: (desperate) Please, I'll do whatever you want. Just leave my dad alone.
Ash: I'm not doing anything as long as he has my daughter.
Peach: Well let me talk to him, reason with him.
Ash: He's not real big on the listening. Once he sets his mind to something, he sees it through. That's why we gave you to him in the first place. We thought he'd be loyal until the end. He was, only…not to us.
(He ties a rubber tube around her arm.)
Ash: It's unfortunate. You'd be a real asset to the team, with your regenerative blood.
Peach: Take all the blood you want. Just leave my dad out of this.
(Ash just comes up to her and sticks a needle in her arm. He begins to fill a bag with her blood.
Cut to Tokyo, many years ago. There's a funereal going on as Marth and Ike appear in the distance.)
Ike (translated): (turning on him) What have you done!? Where are we?
Marth (translated): It is seventeen years ago. Mother has just died. Now you can understand my pain.
Ike (translated): (very sad) It was the saddest time in my life. (He looks resolute) But this doesn't change anything.
Marth (translated): No! You cannot die!
Ike (translated): You foolish boy. Take me back immediately.
Marth (translated): No!
(He turns to run when he bumps into a small child, also with short blue hair. He also has glasses and is wielding a toy sword.)
Young Marth (translated): (brandishing the sword) I am Takezo Anri!
Marth (translated): (smiling) Yes you are.
Young Marth (translated): My mother died. Why does father paint the grave?
(They look over to see the Ike of seventeen years ago painting the names red. He's clearly broken, barely able to keep from crying as he does so.)
Marth (translated): The names of husband and wife are carved in stone. The husband paints his name red as a promise to join his wife later. The stone will stay that way until he dies.
Young Marth (translated): So my father is going to die too!?
Marth (translated): Yes.
Young Marth (translated): (waving the sword) No! I won't allow it! I am a hero!
Marth (translated): (finally realizing) No. You must listen to your father. Learn from his lessons.
Past Ike (translated): (calling out) Marth! Come here!
(The younger Marth runs over to join him. Marth walks back up to his father.)
Marth (translated): You were right, father. I was being childish. I am sorry. (He bows, Ike returning it) I will return you now.
Ike (translated): First, let us pay our respects to your mother.
(They both turn and bow toward the grave.
Cut to the Bennet house in the present. Peppy comes into the living room and finds Doug.)
Peppy: Thanks for all your help, Doug. You should head back to your family.
Doug: No way! I want to help.
Peppy: I don't think that's a good idea.
Doug: But I can help you. I'm the fastest way to get Peach out of there.
(Peppy considers this. He looks over at Vivian, coming in the room.)
Peppy: All right. Go ahead and wait in the car.
(Doug leaves. Vivian comes up, smiling.)
Vivian: They say girls tend to find boys just like their dads.
Peppy: Because he can fly?
Vivian: No, her real dad – you. All he cares about is protecting her.
(They smile at each other. Peppy takes a small gun out of his jacket pocket.)
Peppy: (handing her the gun) If anything happens –
Vivian: Nothing is going to happen. Except you bringing our daughter home.
(She puts a hand on his chest. He takes her hand, smiling.
Cut to the Deveaux rooftop, one week ago. Marth and Ike reappear.)
Ike (translated): I've never…time-travelled before. Thank you, Marth. I am proud of you.
Marth (translated): (tearing up) Goodbye, father. Give my love to mother.
(He closes his eyes and disappears. Ike is also tearing up as he goes to the rooftop edge, somber. He hears something behind him and composes himself.)
Ike: Roy?
(The hooded figure walks out from behind the pigeon cages. The hood is obscuring the figure's face as it slowly walks toward Ike. But we push in to see a goatee around a set of lips.)
Ike: Of all of them, I never expected it would be you.
Roy: (coming through the door, carrying a sword) Sir! I have it!!
(The hooded figure bursts into a run, right at Ike.)
Roy: No!
(The figure tackles Ike and they both go over the edge of the building. But before they fall, they freeze in mid-air. Roy also freezes in his run forward, arm out.
Marth walks forward, past Roy. He regards his friend sadly.)
Marth (translated): You were right, Roy. I can't save him. But I can learn who killed him.
(He walks forward to see Ike facing the killer. Marth looks at his face too. It's his former friend...now David Monroe.)
Marth (translated): (shocked) Takezo Anri!?
(Cut to an interrogation room in the present. Samus sits at a table as D.K. comes into the room.)
Samus: If you visit me one more time, Detective Parkman, I'll expect you to make an honest woman of me.
D.K.: (sitting opposite her) That is the plan. To make an honest woman of you. (He concentrates on her thoughts)
Samus: Trying to read my mind again? (She lets out a laugh and speaks to him) I knew your father when he could do it, and I'm even less impressed with you.
D.K.: Those marks on your face. My father made you do that to yourself, didn't he? Did you know him when his mind became something more? When pull became push and he realized he could put a thought into anyone else's head?
(Samus's smirk vanishes from her face.)
Samus: (warning) Don't do this.
D.K.: (thinking at her) You are going to answer every question I have, truthfully.
(He sits back as Samus breathes heavily several times.)
D.K.: Who really killed Ike Nakamura?
Samus: (trying to resist, but eventually failing) David. It was David.
D.K.: David Monroe? You locked him up. Why?
Samus: He was dangerous.
D.K.: Dangerous how? Like a bomb?
Samus: No. He was regenerative. Got to a point where his cells were regenerating as fast as they were dying. He basically stopped growing old. And he wants revenge for locking him up. He won't stop until we're all dead.
D.K.: (taking out the picture of the founders) All of you are except you, Ash, my dad, and this man. (He points at the short man without a label) Who is this man?
Samus: Please, don't do this.
D.K.: I need the truth!
Samus: The truth? The truth is that our generation mortgaged our souls to protect yours. Show a little respect for that! Get over your daddy issues and leave us be!
D.K.: I want to, believe me. But this man is out there, and David wants him dead. So I'm going to do what I can to help him.
(Samus grabs the arms of the chair, trying to resist speaking. D.K. leans forward, pushing against her mind.)
Samus: All he wants is to be left alone. (A drop of blood drips down from her nose) I made him a promise. If you take this secret from me, you're not just like your father. (She touches the blood and looks at it) You are him.
(Cut to a parking lot by the beach. Doug, Peppy, and Pichu all stand in front of Bennet's car. Pichu has her arms taped behind her back.)
Peppy: So what kind of car do you drive?
Doug: My car?
Peppy: I know you don't need one. But you can't fly all the time. So what do you drive then?
Doug: It's a piece of crap SUV.
Peppy: Mmm. I drove a '67 Mustang (A/N: My dad did!) back in the day.
Doug: Oh, those things are awesome.
(Pichu rolls her eyes. A black van pulls into the parking lot across from them. Diddy and Ash get out. Ash goes and opens the back door, pulling Peach out.)
Peppy: All right, here's the plan. Once you get Peach, get out of here, no matter what happens.
Doug: All right.
Ash: (calling out) It doesn't have to be like this, Peppy.
(Peppy doesn't answer. Ash sighs and unlocks Peach's handcuffs. He motions forward as Peppy gives a nudge to Pichu.
The girls walk toward each other, passing each other. They size each other up but keep walking. Peach then runs into Peppy's arms.)
Peach: (while they hug) I'm sorry.
(Peppy pushes her over to Doug, nodding. Doug starts to fly up into the sky.)
Peach: Wait, dad!
(Cut over to Pichu. She uses her lightning to fry the tape holding her arms behind her back. She turns and charges up a bolt, firing it at the kids.
Cut up to them. The bolt hits them, Doug crying in pain. They start to fall toward the ground. Peach turns them so she is beneath Doug as they hit the ground. They hit hard.
Cut back to Peppy. He watches them, distraught.)
Peppy: Peach!!
(Cut back to Pichu. She charges more lightning in her paws. Peppy turns, furious again. He quickly draws and shoots Pichu in the arm. She screams and falls to the ground.)
Ash: Pichu!!
(He runs forward, cradling her. Peppy starts to walk toward them.)
Peppy: No matter what I do, I'll always be running. (He raises the gun) But if you die, Ash? The Company dies with you.
(Far behind him, Peach and Doug slowly stand up.)
Diddy: Please, don't do this.
Peppy: He has to die.
(There's a long pause. A shot rings out. Everything moves in slow motion.
We pan around to see Diddy aiming a gun at Peppy, having fired the bullet. It flies forward, shattering Peppy's left glasses lens as it hits him.)
Peach: (seeing) Dad!
(She begins to run forward, Doug chasing after her.
Peppy's gun slips from his hand as he arms fling to the side. He slowly falls to the ground.
Peach tries to run up to him, but Doug gets in front of her. Peach screams as Doug embraces her. We see her standing close to Doug, eyes closed as she screams, Peppy dead on the ground in front of them.
Cut over to see Pichu and Ash also looking shattered. Diddy's hand shakes as he lowers the gun. He watches the kids as they fly off into the sky. Then he sadly looks down at Peppy.
Cut to the Bennet house, some time later. Doug and Peach land on the back porch.)
Peach: (starting to cry) The last thing I said to my father was "I hate you."
Doug: You didn't mean it.
Peach: But I did. At the time. Now I'll never be able to tell him how much I loved him.
Doug: I'm sorry.
(He watches as Peach goes inside. Vivian runs up to her. They talk for a second, then Vivian drops to her knees in shock and sorrow. She begins to cry as Peach holds her.
Cut to Ike's funereal, back in the present. Marth walks back up to the podium to give his speech.)
Marth (translated): I refuse to eulogize my father. To eulogize him is to admit he is dead. My father is not dead.
(Cut to a van. Diddy sits in the back, looking down at his gun. Pichu is driving with her right arm in a sling.)
Marth (translated): Ike Nakamura taught me right from wrong. What it means to be a hero.
(Ash leans over to gently touch her arm, but Pichu shrugs him off. Ash looks hurt.)
Marth (translated): So long as the lessons live on though me, he will never die.
(Cut to Diddy's apartment. D.K. sits at the kitchen table, looking at the picture of the Company founders.)
Marth (translated): My father taught me to understand that certain things are in God's hands.
(We push in to see that there's a new note attached under the mysterious man, reading "Olimar Pratt.")
Marth (translated): But for everything else, God has given us the gift of choice.
(Cut back to the funereal. Marth steps forward and begins to wipe the red paint from his father's name.)
Marth (translated): My father gave me the tools to fight the battles ahead. Every hand I extend in kindness is his hand, and every blow I strike for justice is his fist.
(Cut to the kitchen in the Bennet house. Vivian is sitting against the fridge. Her eyes are dry of tears and she looks lost.)
Marth (translated): So long as the lessons he taught stay with me and so long as he lives on in my heart...
(Yoshi runs up and jumps into her lap. Vivian pets him absently.)
Marth (translated): …then my father is never truly dead.
(Cut to an IV somewhere. It's dripping blood. We follow the line to a furry arm, and go up the arm to see…Peppy. His left eye is an empty hole, and his right is glazed over.
As the blood continues to drip into his body, Peppy's left eye slowly grows back. The film clears from his other eye and, suddenly, he's alive again. He sits up with a gasp and looks frantically around. He's in some hospital room.)
Peppy: Holy –
(Slam to black.)
New characters:
Kimiko Nakamura – Ellis Nakamura
Victoria Pratt – Olimar Pratt (last Smasher)
A/N: Yes, the last mysterious Smasher. Everybody forgets Olimar! Anyway, sorry this one took me a little longer to get out. I got bogged down at work. I can say with a good amount of certainty, Volume 2 (which is 2 more chapters after this one) will be done by Thanksgiving. Then it's on to Volume 3. Anyway, R/R if you want to, and I'll catch you again soon!