Chapter 10

It was late afternoon by the time the three set out again. Link and Samus had needed to wash (in a rather big way), then they had needed to get food, as their supplies were starting to run low. By the time they had finally gotten back on the move, it was late afternoon. Shadow was not impressed.

Link, despite the constant company of his beloved, was beginning to get an uneasy feeling similar to that Samus had been feeling lately. Something DEFINITELY does not feel right, Link thought as they continued to trudge on in the direction Shadow was leading them, Even Dark Link isn't powerful enough to deceive every member of SSB into going after the Wire Frames and not to go after the one behind the break out. At this point, the Wire Frames are the least of my worries. Whoever or WHATever the real villain is, we're gonna have to be careful about. I have my suspects, but you never know.

Indeed, Link had several suspects. First and foremost among them? Tabuu. Reason? Simple. Vengeance. His wrath had been terrible when his plans had been fully thwarted. Why else would he want to pull something this complicated and contrived?

Second suspect. Gannondorf. Reason? Blindingly obvious. Link. What villain wouldn't want to take out their blood enemy and take down all his comrads as well, gaining the Ancient Hyrulean Power AND the power over the other worlds around it into the bargain?

Third suspect. Black Doom. Reason? A little more complicated. Black Doom hated the SSB with a burning passion. Shadow had betrayed Black Doom during the invasion of the Black Arms and had thwarted his plan to collect the Chaos Emeralds and dominate all life-forms. Sonic had been a powerful ally as well as his most constant companion during that crisis. Sonic had been backed by the whole of the SSB as well as his fellow South Islanders. Together, with Shadow at the head, they had defeated the Black Arms. Black Doom, in his thirst for vengeance as well as for destruction, would want Shadow and all his allies dead. Seeing as he had assisted in creating Shadow, Black Doom would know all of Shadow's inner hatreds, and what would cause them.

There were many others besides. But no conclusions could be drawn. there wasn't enough evidence. Hence the hunt for Dark Link.

It was not to say, however, that Link would expect Dark link to tell the truth flat-out. It wasn't in his nature. Knowing him, he'd attempt to...attempt...to...

Link's thoughts were broken by a thudding beat coming from a nearby apartment complex that was growing steadily louder. Even as he listened, he heard words:

Just like the pied piper/Led rats through the streets/We dance like marrionettes/swaying to the Symphony of Destruction!

Link listened for a moment and realized Shadow had stopped. "This is it."

Link was confused. "This is what?"

Shadow grinned. "This is where Dark Link lives."

Link was thoroughly confused. "Where?"

"Here!"

"Where around here?"

"In the apartments, who else would have music that loud?"

Smashing through the boundries/Lunacy has found me/Cannot stop the Battery!/Pounding out aggression/Turns into obssession/Cannot stop the Battery/Cannot kill the family, Battery is found in me!

"So you're saying," Link said slowly, "That Dark Link lives in a complex of High-quality apartments, and listens to loud thrash music?"

"Yup."

"That...that's just...," Link couldn't even finish sentence. Samus finished it for him.

"That's just the most fucking rediculous thing I've ever heard. This can't be wear he lives, there must be somewhere else, like Hell, or, fuck, even a furnace or something, he CAN'T live here!"

Shadow's eyebrow went up so far it nearly blended with his widow's peak. "Why so shocked? What, did you think he lived in a wearhouse full of dead bodies or something?"

"Well, yes!" Samus said, "Where else would he live?"

Shadow shook his head. "You SSB twats have no goddamned imagination! You think that because YOU have first class accomidations that all the so-called 'bad-guys' live in bloody pits?"

Link felt a bit awkward. "Well...it's not exactly what we imagined for him..."

"Imagined for who?" came a voice behind them. Link stiffened and slowly turned before realizing the pounding music had stopped. Turning around, he saw the Dark Deciever himself standing a few feet behind him.

"So...decided to track me, eh?" Dark Link asked, amused. "Thought I'd tell you who employed me?"

Link immediately tensed, drawing his sword in on smooth motion and setting his shield in place, ready for action, even as Samus donned her helmet and readied her arm cannon just as quickly and smoothly. Dark Link simply looked at them skeptically.

"Why the sudden tension? Yeesh, such hostility and we haven't even exchanged more than a few sentences..."

Wha-BAM!

Shadow flew out of nowhere and slammed his hard skull into Dark Link's cranium, knocking him several feet in the air and several metres away. Before he had time to recover, Shadow was raining down a series of hard blows from his fire-wreathed fists. All this transpired within a few seconds. Link and Samus immediately charged forward and yanked Shadow off Dark Link.

"Control yourself, Shadow! We need him concious!" Link growled.

"I DON'T FUCKING CARE! I'M GOING TO KILL THIS DOUBLE-CROSSING, BACKSTABBING BASTARD!" Shadow roared.

Dark Link slowly got to his feet, the glowing of his blood red eyes displaying his mock-admiration for Shadow's quick move. "Impressive, Shadow. Never would have thought a low being such as yourself would have been so quick to the get-go."

Several veins popped in Shadow's head. He's provoking him, Link realized. He's using Shadow's pride to provoke him into attacking him as though to kill, thus giving Dark Link an excuse to permanently dispose of him.

Shadow's fangs were bared as he continued to seeth with rage. Samus intervened before Shadow had the chance to lash out at Dark Link in retaliation for his insult.

"We want to know who hired you to gain infiltration into SSB and what he's planning."

Dark Link actually laughed out loud. "You still haven't figured it out? Guess SSB twats really are slow on the uptake as they say."

Link's expression hardened. "Who. Is. It."

Dark Link shrugged. "You're all going to die anyway, so I might as well. It's Black Doom."

"WHAT?!" Three voices yelled in unison.

YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYES!

Chapter 10 is up! I'm sorry it took so long, I've had a lotta shit going on lately. Hope you enjoy! Plz Review!

3/13/13 Update: I apologize for the delay on Chapter 11. I've been studying a lot in scool, several personal problems had to be sorted out, and this past weekend I was studying for an Anatomy exam so I haven't given it my full attention. Regardless, thank you all for your continued support and thank you for more than 4,000 reads! You all rock! Please continue to do so and please continue reviewing! I will have Chapter 11 in ASAP!

3/22/13 Update: OMGOMGOMGOMG I'm so sorry for the further delay. I really am, guys. Turns out it's proving difficult to find time to write the full chapter. I barely have time to type this, even! Seriously, everyone, I'm sorry it's taking so, I'm trying to find all the time I can, but lately, I've been very tired and stressed out, as well as a little depressed, so I haven't exactly been giving it my full attention, and I am very sorry about that. I promise, I will get to it as soon as I can. Thank you all for your continued support. Please keep reading and reviewing!

4/8/13 Update: Chapter 11 is being written right now! I promise I will have it up by the end of this week! I am so sorry for the long delay!