Super Smash Brothers: Reckoning

Chapter ten: Altair's Reckoning, part one.

A/N: *happy dance* YAY! The big one! The conclusion of story arc one! And also – my story's chapter numbers are in the double digits! WOOOT! Oh wait...it's only part one of three. Ooops. Forgot to mention that.
I don't own anything. Masyaf is owned by Ubisoft...I think. It might be a real place. I dunno, I've only played Assassin's Creed.

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Altair strode calmly down the hill, his smasher allies behind him. Robert De Sable was yelling some nonsence at the Master – Former master, he reminded himself bitterly – about surrendering. Grinning, Altair yelled above the noise at the group of Templars.

"Hold, Templars! You are not the only ones with business here today!" He proclaimed, putting his hand on his sword. Snake looked at him like he was mad.

"Are you insane?!? We're going to loose the element of surprise!" He hissed.

"Doesn't matter" Altair said "You have enough explosives to blow up the entire canyon." Snake lauged, embarrased, and rubbed the back of his head.

"What can I say? No such thing as overkill..."

Altair raised his head just as De Sable laughed.

"HAHAHA! Look what we have here, men! A talking Dog!" He looked at the group, smirking. "And what's this? A bunch of people dressed like idiots? Is this what you call a rescue, Assassin?"

"Former Assassin" Altair replied bitterly "Current Smash Brother"
De Sable waved his hand "No matter. You die the same."
"Everyone, ready projectile attacks." Altair said calmly.

Link drew his bow, while Snake pulled out his grenade launcher. Dante levelled Ebony&Ivory, while Nero cocked the Blue Rose. An ominous humming noise rose from Samus' cannon, just as Shiida hoisted a spare javelin onto her shoulder. A small amount of fire gathered around Zelda's fist.

"What is this? Do the fools want to play?" De Sable taunted. He waved his sword towards them. "TEMPLARS OF FRANCE! PREPARE TO KILL THE FOOLS WHO CHALLENGE US!" He screamed.

Altair, calm as ever, pointed his sword at the approaching mass of Templar infantry.

He spoke one word in a voice so cold Captain Falcon shivered.

"Fire."

**********************

Chaos erupted in the Templar lines as Samus unleashed a fully-charged laser blast, vaporising one of the leading foes. Soon, a grenade fell in the middle of the first ranks, and exploded, causing mass panic. Link shot arrow after arrow into the enemy lines, and Dante, guns crossed over each other, fired repeatedly until the magazines were empty. Then, he released the empty magazines, threw fresh ones into the air, spun, and the two landed perfectly in the recently vacated ammo spot. He spun again and resumed fire. Snake's grenades were the most destructive, shattering morale and killing almost a dozen with each shot from the launcher.

Nero was terrifying. He selected what looked like a leader, and shot him between the eyes calmly. He still had three shots left in the Blue Rose.

Is this what love does to someone? Altair wondered Does he want to save her so badly he would do anything to do so?

Altair shook his head and turned back to the battleline. He raised his sword to his shoulder, and cut down once.

"Charge" He said without emotion. Then, as an afterthought, added "Good Luck." in the same tone.

The smashers did so.

And all the time, De Sable stood there, paler than should be physically possible, whispering one word over and over again.

"How...?"

*****************************

Ike led the charge, grinning. He'd forgotten just how exhilarating a real battle could be. He brought Ragnell crashing down on a foe's head, giving his a view of his brains, teeth and other head-based materials that he really could have lived without, before kicking another in the gut. Before he could finish him off, a burst of fire from Roy's Sword of Seals enveloped him. Ike's eye twitched.

"ROY!" He yelled "THAT WAS MY KILL!"

Marth suddenly appeared at his side, dueling three foes at once.

"You can have one of mine" Marth suggested, parrying one blow while dodging another. The third's chest erupted in a spray of blood as Shiida's only javelin pierced his chest.

"Mental note" Ike muttered "Shiida has good aim"

"Speak for yourself" Captain Falcon said "She almost hit me!"

"As I said – she has good aim"

"Falcon!" Altair yelled. Ike jumped.

"For the love of Yune, don't sneak up on us like that" Ike yelled at the assassin.
"Sorry. Falcon, we need reinforcements. Punch away."
Captain Falcon, cracking his knuckles, turned to the nearest foe.

"FALCON...................."

Al Mualim was yelling at Wallik.

He was a black-robed old man with a spiky white beard. His right eye was milky and marked with a long vertical scar that ran down his entire face.

"What sort of signal is 'an eagle-shaped bit of fire!" He ranted on. Ever since Wallik had given Al Mualim the plan, the master had been going on about how it wasn't possible.
The two then heard Captain Falcon's yell.

"Falcon............"

Wallik immediately turned "You'll see right now. I was on the receiving end of one of these." He said, shuddering at the memory of one of the most painful events of his life.
"PUUUUUUUUUUUNCH!"
Sure enough, an eagle-shaped bit of fire slammed into a poor sap of a templar, sending him flying into the walls of Masyaf. If this was anime, Al Mualim would have sweatdropped.

"Oookay..." He muttered. Then he raised his voice. "MEN! We charge now! Open the gates!"

******************

Altair ducked the slash of another templar, before cutting him across the throat. Nimbly dodging the spray of blood, he walked forwards calmly. Although the Smash Bros were kicking butt, as usual, and the Assassins were doing a good job too, there were just too many templars. The cost to this battle would be too great. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Link and Ike fighting desperatly to keep the foe away from a collapsed Zelda, who had overused her magical powers to heal and damage under the fight and lost consciousness. Snake and Captain Falcon were nearly overrun, and Marth and Shiida were fighting back to back. Cursing, he realized he'd lost sight of Samus, until he saw Roy protecting her as she fired blast after blast into the enemy ranks. Taking a breath, he turned to De Sable, taking some satisfaction in the fact that he seemed to be in complete denial. Smirking, Altair prepared to issue a challenge to his greatest foe.

"Robert!"

The yell fell across the battlefield. Everyone stopped fighting and turned to the source of the noise. Altair stood proudly, his bloody saber in hand, glaring at his mortal foe.

"I challenge you to an honor duel!"

There was stunned silence. All the assassins felt the coulor drain from their faces. De Sable turned to Altair, his confident smirk back on his face.

"I accept."
He dismounted and drew his broadsword. All the assassins and templars formed a circle around the two combatants.

"What's going on?" Samus said out loud to herself, confused. Wallik answered her.

"An honor duel is a fight between two champions that resolves the result of the battle. The side whose champion loses, surrenders."
Samus looked shocked.

"What...but that's insane!" Samus muttered. Wallik nodded in agreement.

"Altair's fought De Sable before, and lost. I sincerely doubt he will win this time." He sighed "But we must remain – once an honor duel has begun none can retreat."
"He'll win" Samus said determinedly "I know he will"

Al Mualim appeared as well.

"Let's hope so, my child. Lets hope so."

********************************

Altair did a few practice cuts with his sword. Last time, he had gotten cocky and let his emotions overrule his sense. That action ended with ten other assassins dead because of him. That would not happen again.

The consequences were much worse this time.

"What's the matter, Assassin? Scared?" De Sable taunted. Altair looked up, locking De Sable's eyes with his own.

"You should be" He said "For I shall hold nothing back."

The intensity of the glare forced De Sable back a step. Regaining his composure, De Sable spat and shook his head.

"We shall see." He said "Come then, Assassin."

De Sable raised his sword and pointed it at Altair

"Come and Die" He growled, before diving towards his foe. Altair parried his clumsy thrust easily.

With that clash of steel, a battle had begun. A battle of cold calculations and great swordsmanship. A battle which would decide the fate of not only Altair, or Nero and Kyrie, but could decide the fate of all the smashers and Assassins.

A battle that left no room for mistakes, lest all be lost...

A/N: *Ducks behind a pillar, gun drawn* I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm Sorry!

Wait, was that a tank?

This is why I call myself the true king of evil. This is the first of four really evil cliffhangers that you'll be put through.

Please don't hurt me, and read and review as always.

Oh, and the next chapter may be late, as I'm going to a survival course with the Air Cadets. In the north of Canada. In Autum.

When it's cold.

….

Did that tank just open fire? Seriously, which one of you people is driving that thing? Are you not even going to wish me luck, or are you mad that I can't update earlier?