Round 2: Toon Link vs. Wolf

On the screen in the Smashers' Box, Toon Link populated one side of the screen, conducting the winds. On the other, Wolf crossed his arms, glaring daggers at those watching.

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to fighting Wolf," Toon Link explained, "He and I fought side by side in the Subspace War, so to be able to finally test myself against him will be a great measure of my skills."

"Yeah, I technically owe him a life debt," Wolf shrugged as his interview was edited in, "But I'd skin my grandmother alive for that kind of dough."

As the interview proceeded on, Link and Villager exchanged worried glances from across the room. The Villager had reported Wolf's outburst in training, and Link had been sleepless ever since. On one hand, these younger children, Toon and Young Link were his wards, and he felt obligated to protect them as wielders of different versions of the Triforce of Courage.

But on the other hand, Toon Link was a warrior in his own right, having faced down goliaths beyond a normal Hylian's comprehension with a grin. During their conversation, Villager had asserted that Toon Link was much like himself, a calculating sort hidden behind a facade of aloofness. Even though The Villager made salient points, as the debate-seasoned mayor often did, The Hero of Time could not stow his brotherly concern.

As if the universe found his worry humorous, Futaba voted against Toon Link in the upcoming match, making some crack about how Toon has no "KO moves" and the pessimism from his inner voice grew cockier and louder.

If Toon Link shared such worries, even the pressure of the midnight hour didn't betray that, the seafarer making his usual swashbuckling entrance as if nothing was amiss. Brass instruments heralded the quick arrival of Wolf, who simply dropped from his Wolfen.

As Mills Frames made his usual dramatic introductions, Link covered his mouth to hide a smile at the overwhelmingly negative response Wolf got. He made no effort to hide his glee at the stage selected, Gerudo Valley. Perhaps the tricks and traps of the desolate desert territory would tip the favor in Young Link's favor? Both commentators surmised as much to the viewing audience, Cranky making sure to throw in a dig about Z-Targeting. Link made a mental note to quiz the old ape over the meaning of that nonsense, at sword point if the barbs continued.

Meanwhile, on the field of battle, Toon Link appeared in a puff of colored smoke as the soft strings of Gerudo Valley's anthem began to play. Meanwhile, Wolf dropped from his Wolfen, much as he had in Smash Stadium.
In the time it took Link to bat away the errant thought of how one survives such a landing, let alone pilot a ship like that, the countdown had ceased and the fight had begun!

"You may have gotten one over on that bucket of bolts ROB," Wolf snarled, extending his claws as he lurched across the stage, "But you won't sur-"

Wolf's rant was cut short by getting snagged under the shirt collar by Toon Link's Hookshot. Quicker than Wolf could even fathom his new predicament, Toon Link pulled him close, sweeping his legs and dropping the point of the elbow on his chest. Toon took to the air, flipping behind Wolf as he scrambled up. But the lupine was quicker on his feet, wheeling around and indignantly slashing the boy across the face.

"That was yer problem little man," Wolf sneered, "Too much pizzaz, not enough bite."

Wolf whipped out his laser pistol, Toon Link jumping to avoid the incoming blast just as he fired, and dropped a bomb on his head.

"Who's problem is it now," mocked Toon Link, jabbing at Wolf with his sword several times.

Through the flurry of stabs and a hacking cough, Wolf clawed Toon Link's face, spreading them apart as he dug in. Toon Link yelped as he jumped back. Still coughing, Wolf flipped him the middle claw.

"I thought you of all people would be used to the smoke from my bombs, considering all that nasty stuff you put in your mouth.

"THE NEXT THING I PUT IN MY MOUTH WILL BE YOUR CLAWED UP FLESH YA LITTLE BASTARD," roared the space pirate captain.

A second bomb didn't deter Wolf from firing his pistol blindly into the smoke. The first laser blast grazed Toon Link, but the adventurer was wise enough to avoid the second with a jump. Toon Link charged into the dissipating smoke, but Wolf charged, slashing him several times. Toon Link backed away, throwing another bomb, but another laser blast made sure the mixture of gunpowder and fire flopped lazily in the wind.

"Come at me with barbarian weapons," Wolf seethed, licking his lips, "And you get treated like one,"

A simple palm strike was enough to send Toon Link to the Blast Zone.

Toon Link: 2

Wolf: 3

"Oooh and a quick stock loss for Toon Link," 9-Volt surmised.

"I blame the special snowflake Gamecube generation," Cranky growled, "Doesn't surprise me that a kid from an era that couldn't handle all of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 on more than one disk couldn't handle a little love tap,"

A cry of anger followed by a barrage of bombs and arrows shook Wolf out of his swagger. Wolf seemed to react on instinct, charging forward, taking a mounting number of arrows on the way. A missed sliding kick caused Wolf to turn right into a jumping Toon Link's Hookshot the blunt end conking him on the head. Wolf seethed and growled between heavy breaths, but another volley of arrows snapped him out of his berserk rage, and the criminal was forced to peddle backward as the onslaught continued.

Once the center bridge separated them, Wolf fired, scowling as he drew back the weapon with each pull of the trigger. Of the three blasts fired, only one hit, the final one, and even so, Toon Link bolted forward, a bomb in hand.

Wolf snarled.

If you wanna get carved up more kid, be my guest, Wolf thought.

And so, he reciprocated the charge. A simultaneous kick from both fighters occurred in the dead center of the bridge, the force of which was so great that the bridge split in half. Both scrambled up the right half of the chasm, Wolf once again scuttling backward to grab an Assist Trophy.

"NOW IT'S YOUR TURN!" shouted Toon Link.

Wolf barely had time to process the odd warbles of Pacman's ghost nemeses before Toon Link was on top of him, picking up a Fire Flower and leaping into the air for a downward stab in the same motion. As Wolf reeled from the sudden blow, Toon Link gripped the Fire Flower by the stem, causing its base to spin, belching out the fire onto the one-eyed menace. A few bursts of flame later, Wolf gathered himself, activating his reflector. In the process, the pink ghost (Wolf couldn't care to remember its name) got caught in the crossfire, eliminating the hive-minded poltergeists in short order.

"What were you saying, kid?" Wolf teased, "Couldn't hear ya over all that hubris,"

A Smash Ball appeared. In a panic, Wolf fired, a total of five laser blasts being absorbed by Toon Link's shield,

"What about hubris?" Toon Link winked, jumping for the Smash Ball.

What the young boy did not expect was Wolf to jump through the platform on which he stood. His eyes could only widen, as he hung in midair for what felt like an eternity, Wolf's evil fanged smile and the neon of the Smash Ball his only company.

Wolf stood on his hands, kicking him further into the air, and squeezing his legs together for the final insult to injury before the Hylian's trip to the top Blast Zone.

Toon Link: 1

Wolf: 3

"What about hubris?" mocked Wolf, the words snapped in as nasally a voice as he could muster

Wolf flicked the Smash Ball, its power enveloping him with its power. Toon Link descended upon him from the Revival Platform at that moment, Wolf commanding his fleet to move. However, Toon Link rolled out of the crosshairs at the last second causing the rest of Star Wolf to fly idly by. As he had already done so many times before, Wolf jumped over Toon Link and trotted backward, picking up a smoke bomb. As Toon Link met him on the bridge, he tossed the stealth weapon, enveloping the blond swordsman in a blast of smoke. To this, Wolf chuckled, stepping off the bridge.

"Where's that crack about my habit now kiddo?" laughed the space pirate, "You know what they say, those in glass houses…"

Wolf collapsed the bridge with a swift kick.

"...shouldn't throw bombs, boomerangs, or any of that horse crap," he hissed.

Wolf's ears twitched as Toon Link jumped up the stone footholds to his side of the chasm. Was that…buzzing he heard?

It suddenly became clear as he caught Toon Link's expression as the boy edged himself over the edge of the cliff. A sly smile, backed by an army of bees.

Wolf cursed with such frequency as the cloud of angry bees swarmed him that all other sounds had to be silenced to accommodate the bleeping. Toon Link laughed, charging into the fray, sword pointed outward. Toon Link was caught off guard by a swollen, drooling Wolf glaring at him as he grabbed his chainmail undershirt.

"If you think a couple of bee stings'll hurt me," came Wolf's muffled warning, "Then you ain't even know me."

With an effortless heave, Wolf tossed Toon Link into the Blast Zone.

GAME!

Wolf sank to his knees, flipping off whatever deity existed above as the splash screen cemented who would advance to Round 3 next.

WOLF WINS!

Toon Link sat cross-armed, unable to look at the camera as Mister Zero interviewed him, "An unexpected 3-stock loss send you packing. What happened out there."

"Well…the grab," Toon Link groaned, "And I froze up when I shouldn't have. Lucario, do me a favor and kick that blowhard's butt. Looks like we won't be getting our rematch after all Lucas."

Toon Link stood up, walking up the tunnel as the camera was now focused on a smiling Wolf, with Rita shakily holding the microphone, "Congratulations on your victory,"

Wolf laughed, "You're starting to sound like that Mister Zero twerp now. What, you two bumping uglies now?"

Rita couldn't look Wolf in the eye. He laughed.

"Thought so," Wolf proclaimed victoriously, "Toon Link's got some spunk on him, but he should learn to shut his mouth once in a blue moon. He learned what everyone else will learn in round three, that bombs nor bees, and certainly not the power of Aura will be able to stop me from hitting the biggest score of my life,"

With that, he gave Rita the middle claw, walking up the tunnel to silence.

"Whatever, you losers wouldn't know greatness if was a blinking neon sign," Wolf huffed.

"Mac and Megaman, you're next," Mario announced.

Megaman, who had been sitting idly for the entirety of the round, snapped awake.

"Acknowledged," he chirped, marching down Tunnel A.

Meanwhile, Doc Louis was already shouting as Mac began his journey down Tunnel B in just as stoic a manner.

"YOU'VE BEEN TRAINING FOR THIS! YOU CAME OUTTA RETIREMENT FOR THIS! IT'S LITTLE MAC TIME! IT'S LITTLE MAC TIME!"

The deep descent down Tunnel B did little to halter Doc's volume. His chanting could even be heard as the video package for the fight to come began to play.