Here goes. The first few paragraphs are the calm before the storm, so enjoy the peace while it lasts. Although I suppose that brawling isn't neccessarily 'peaceful' in any sense of the word.

The next day, during brawls, everyone was so busy with fighting, that Toon Link didn't even think about telling Ike.

Marth defeated Ike once and defeated Peach once. He defeated Mario and Samus defeated him. She gave him a haughty look. For that brawl she hadn't been wearing her robot suit, but had used other weapons, like a plasma whip, to deal punishing blows to the prince.

Marth, eyes even, gave a small smile and a nod. "You deserved that."

"You bet I did," she answered, tossing her blonde ponytail.

Marth raised an eyebrow and made no comment.

Next he fought Zelda and defeated her in 'Sudden Death'. She smiled when he turned to acknowledge her, showing she wasn't angry, and he smiled back, his blue eyes suddenly twinkling. "It's nice to meet a good sport," he said kindly.

"And a nice winner," she added, adjusting her new crown.

Marth raised both eyebrows in quick succession and refrained from winking before he dissolved.

After a lunch where Ike said he had lost four times and won once, Marth went on to lose three times in a row, but win his final two rounds.

"I like playing where you have a chance to re spawn twice at the top of the screen," said Pit. "It's a lot more fun to stay out of the way than engage in fighting the whole time."

"I agree," answered Marth. He glanced at Ike and opened his mouth to ask how his friend's brawls went, when Captain Falcon walked by with Fox and Wario and all called out, "You fight for your friends? You don't have any friends!"

"Didn't go well?" Guessed Marth.

"It went great," answered Ike in his monotone. "I won four times and lost once in a 'Sudden Death'."

Marth raised his eyebrows and then grinned. "I'm guessing those are three of those that you beat."

"Correct." Ike gave a sly smile. "It was a little fun, I have to admit. That one I lost I was fighting Snake, so I didn't mind that so much."

Toon Link suddenly dashed up. "Ike. I've got something to tell you."

Ike turned to look at Toon and raised an eyebrow. This was peculiar. "Whatcha need?"

"It has to be in private," answered Toon earnestly.

Samus, tired, but pleased after her long day of brawling, actually felt happy her suit had been damaged during the first brawl. She had beaten that punk prince, Marth, and had proven herself just as strong out of her suit as inside her suit. She'd showed them just like she'd promised her trainer she would.

She flash backed to the strange look in his eyes when he had placed a hand on her shoulder and said calmly, but with a fierce intensity as well, "Samus, you can show them that you are just as good as they are. Show them for my sake. Show them for your sake."

She smiled.

The door to her and Rashida's room gave a splintering crash as it was flung open, hitting the wall as it swung back on its hinges and causing the room to shake.

She glanced up to see Ike, face red, eyes blazing hatred, stomp up to her, each collision of his boots with the ground causing her bed to shake. Oh, he was mad. And that wasn't good.

"Get out of our room!" She snapped, working to keep fear out of her voice.

"Drive you to distraction do I?" He said. But his voice wasn't a roar, as she'd expected it would be by the look on his face. Instead it was deep and frighteningly even. "Can't wait to be pitted against me, huh? Wanna see me grovel and whine at your feet? Wimp, huh?"

Both his hands were on either side of her head now, crushing the pillows around her. She squished back in the bed as far as she could. His face was inches from her and his words were filled with hatred and disgust. And ruthlessness. She knew she'd get no sympathy from him. Not that she wanted it.

Samus slipped between his arms and flipped to the middle of the room, Ike whirling to face her. His hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. "What are you waiting for, Samus?" He spat her name. "You wanna fight me? I'm ready."

Samus tried to jerk her wrist away and failed. "I'll fight you, Ike," she snapped. She narrowed her eyes, staring at his grim mouth to avoid meeting his furious gaze. "I'll fight and you'll grovel and whine and prove to everyone you are exactly what I know you are. I'll fight you with the anti-pain simulators off!"

Both stomped, side by side, out of the room and right into Snake.

His eyes were brighter than usual. "Anti-pain simulators on the lowest damage on the lowest they can go, brawlers," he said. "Weapons allowed."

Samus glanced at Ike. He was staring straight ahead and when she glanced down she saw his hands were clenched.

It was one minute later that Snake had hacked the controls and gotten them in a portal. He materialized between the two. "Back down, either of you?"

"Not a chance," said Samus confidently. Inside her stomach was twisting. What would no anti-pain mean?

"You'll get no sympathy from me," said Ike, his voice choked with anger.

"It's show time," said Snake. His voice wasn't as calm as it normally was. Both Ike and Samus had decided to do this with highest pain damage, even when he had insisted he wouldn't think them wimps or something and no one else would think less of them for putting it on medium, at least. "Good bye." He bent, put a cupped hand to his ear, and disappeared from view.

Ike charged up a dash and shot forward with a cry of anger that chilled Samus to the bone, even as she jumped over him and gave him a kick to his head that sent him tumbling to the edge. He dashed forward again and she jumped back and drew out her plasma whip. Just as he aimed a punch she gave her wrist a flick and the whip snapped down. She spun quickly, her head turning sharply just in time to see the line of glowing electricity smack Ike across the face and down his front.

It tore his cape and left a scary red and black mark across his face. And it froze her for a moment as she stared.

Ike gave an agonized cry of pain, but his punch followed through and knocked Samus back. She caught her balance and looked into his eyes, desperately hoping he would do what she was sure he was supposed to do; grovel and give up. Somehow she knew there was no way that was happening.

Ike's eyes seemed red as he charged her. She jumped over him, flipped in the air, and landed as she readied her whip again. This time she hesitated for a moment. One look in his eyes and she smashed the whip down.

It coiled around his bare arm, leaving another wicked looking burn and the smell of singed flesh. Ike gave another cry of pain that was half gasp.

Samus jumped up and dashed to the other side of the stage, waiting, trying to bring up images of Ike that would spur her anger and help her win. She had a bruise, but that was it, so far.

Ike dashed toward her and she leapt up again, flipping in the air, and again jumped over him. This time the angered Ike was ready. He gave a hoarse roar of anger, pulled back the heavy sword, and she had time to blink and take a terrified step backwards before the great golden blade swung out, slitting through her blue suit and her stomach.

As Samus stumbled back and then crumpled on the floor she saw red beads cloud her vision. What was wrong? How had he hit her? She was sure he had missed? Hadn't he?

Then the sharp pain shot through her body, foremost beside the throbbing that suddenly enveloped her whole being and she gave a gasp of pain and laid back on the stones, knowing any moment Ike's sword would crash down on her again and she would be dead. She closed her eyes as two tears ran down her cheeks.

Ike stared for several moments in silence, his breathing a loud background noise. It was like slow motion as he suddenly remembered that time, long ago, where he had hurt another human and made him bleed. And here was blood now, seeping between her hands which clutched her stomach.

"Samus," he gasped.

Ike threw his sword away and crashed to his knees, grabbing her hands and moving them to stare at the blood that covered her suit. She had a slit in her stomach that he knew he had inflicted.

Ike tore off his thick leather armor and slid it under Samus' back and wrapped it around her stomach, tightening it with his two small belts to stop the bleeding. To try to quell the bleeding at least.

Snake dissolved in front of them and dashed forward, his face chalk white. "What did you do?"

Ike stared into Snake's terrified eyes and Snake saw there a horror he had never seen in Ike's face before.

"I killed her," gasped Ike, his voice gravelly.

Snake cupped around his ear. "Bring her out," he ordered, as he disappeared.

Ike scooped Samus up in his arms and placed his feet in his stance. He dissolved with her and then they were right outside the portal.

Snake dashed into the room, Peach and Marth behind him.

Ike went through the motions dully. He held Samus in his burned arm until the ambulance came.

The smashers had all gathered under the stars as Samus was placed on a stretcher and the ambulance doors were closed. The white and red car sped off in a whirl of sirens and Ike, his arm bloody with her blood, turned to look at the smashers.

If the eyes weren't filled with fear and horror, they were filled with hatred.

Even Marth's eyes held no sympathy. Only shock and horror.

Ike fled.

"Ike," said Marth, stepping out onto the balcony and trying to scan the roof. "Ike, I just want to talk. I'm not going to yell."

There was no answer. Rashida walked out beside him. "Go up after him," she said in a low voice.

Marth gritted his teeth and shook his head. "Rashida, to be honest, I'm scared to."

"Marth, seriously. Samus and Ike both deserved what they got. He overreacted, she asked for it. But Ike's not a monster, no matter how much he's changed. You know that."

"Of course," agreed Marth. But he turned and walked back inside.

Rashida sighed and followed.

The smash mansion was on high alert for the rest of the week, the last of security clearing out by Sunday morning. Ike and Snake were both banned from brawls until further notice.

"You're lucky they voted to keep both of you!" Snapped the chief security man, shaking his finger at the two. "But a second occurrence like this and you'll be kicked out and worse!"

The anti-pain simulators were destroyed and replaced with permanent anti-pain/damage simulators. These couldn't be hacked or the damage turned up. Portals were given new security so that only by requesting a key at the lobby desk could one enter the portals for practice. And then five other brawlers not participating had to be present in the stands.

Samus was reported to be recovering well, although her position had been critical for the first day.

Ike, after being scolded by the security man, locked himself in his and Marth's bathroom and stayed there, lying on the tile for the rest of the day.

"Ike, please open the door!" Pleaded Marth, knocking. "I don't want to have to walk down the hall again to the public bathrooms."

The lock turned and Ike's silhouette filled the doorway. He stepped out and sat on his bed and Marth entered the restroom. When he came out, dressed for bed, he turned on the light to look for his other boot, and gave Ike a brief glance before looking away. Then he froze and whirled back to stare at the horrific burns on his friend's face. "Ike!"

"What?"

"You haven't taken care of those burns! They look terrible!"

Ike shrugged and lay back in the pillow. "You know I deserve the pain."

Marth sighed and sat down on Ike's bed, crossing his legs and staring at Ike's face. "Ike, only take as much responsibility for this as you need to. Don't let guilt eat away your soul. You'll be ruined. Please. I highly doubt Samus holds this against you. I can speak for the other smashers and safely say that we have really gotten over it as well after thinking it over tonight at dinner. Since Samus is recovering I will say that, if you learn self control and she learns humility from this, the episode was worth it."

"I don't think so," answered Ike. "But thank you for staying my friend, Marth."

Marth leaned forward and hugged him. "Forever, Ike."

Ike nodded and closed his eyes, eyebrows knit tightly.

Ike refused to let his burns be treated and as they slowly healed they left angry burns scars, the skin a puckered, deep red across his face and on his arm. The Wednesday following the departure of the security agents, Samus was returned to Smash mansion with orders to 'take it easy'. Which would be simple, since she was grounded from future brawls until further notice as well.

All the smashers leapt from their tables where they sat eating lunch, and ran towards her, surrounding her and hurling questions right and left.

She laughed. "Slow down, guys, please. I just got released. I'm not like my old self yet."

"Obviously," said Wario. "You're being pleasant." He laughed his hoarse laugh and everyone shot him murderous looks.

"How do you feel now?" Asked Zelda.

"I'm okay, I guess..."

Snake was tearing through the crowd and actually hurled Yoshi across the room. He reached Samus and stopped short, running his eyes over her, head to feet and then gave a curt nod. "Glad you're doin' better, babe. And I'm real sorry."

Samus gave a small smile and looked like she might cry briefly. "Thanks, Snake. And I'm sorry too."

Although she didn't say it, Samus was wondering where Ike was. Suddenly she spotted him across the room, leaning against the wall, arms crossed, eyes on the ground.

She took a deep breath. She would do it. She would apologize.

Faking confident steps, Samus strode towards the burly man, stopping right in front of him. Slowly she reached out a hand and put her fingers under his chin to raise his head.

The eyes were still stormy, though at least they weren't red, but she didn't notice anything except the burn line that streaked across his face like a someone had painted a stripe from above his temple, across one eye and his nose to his lower jaw. She briefly wondered in shock where he had gotten it until her eyes flicked to his biceps, saw a similar burn there, and she realized she had done it with her whip.

"Did I do that?" She asked, trying to keep her voice from faltering, but on the word 'that' she couldn't completely finish the sentence.

"I'm sorry I chopped your stomach," he said, his voice deep and rough. "I really am."

Samus, who had cried only once before in her whole life, buried her face in her hands and fled the room. Ike hesitated and then raced after her.

He found her crouched in a corner, her back shaking with sobs. Quietly he approached her and hesitated briefly before putting his hand on her heaving back.

"Please say you forgive me," he said, his voice almost a whisper.

Samus flinched at his touch and shivered at the sound of his voice. She didn't respond.

"I... I guess that's too much to ask, huh?" The voice had returned to its usual deepness with a rough edge to it. The hand was removed from her back and she turned suddenly, her face red.

"No, Ike. I just... I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to really hurt you. That is, I was, I just didn't know it would really hurt you that bad, you know?"

She gulped and pushed herself up to face him as best she could. "If that burn mark doesn't disappear it'll be a reminder to me forever of how stupid I am."

Ike was embarrassed at this and colored slightly. "Just say you accept my apology," he grunted.

"Ike, that was a big deal!" Snapped Samus. "It doesn't just go away because apologies are accepted all around! That's not the way things work. I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't know what I was talking about. I'm sorry I didn't back down and save us all this trouble."

Ike turned a deeper shade of red. "You shouldn't be sorry. I let my anger get the best of me and it almost cost your life! I deserve what I get."

"Do you feel bad for me at all?"

"Of course I do!" He said, his voice raised an octave and slightly grating.

Samus bit her lip. "Than say you forgive me."

"Not until you do."

"Ugh! You're so proud!"

"Ladies first."

Samus glared at him. "I'm not a lady. I'm a woman. And don't you forget that, Mister! I forgive you."

No emotion showed on his face as he turned. "I forgive you, too." Then he walked away.

Samus stayed leaning against the wall until the sounds of his heavy footsteps on the hallway's tile floor died away.

I decided to include the intense fight, recovery, and their making up in the same chapter. No suspense here. I hope it was riveting. And not too violent.