CHAPTER 8: The Perfect Storm

After eyeing each other for a brief moment, the user rushed towards me with his blades drawn ready to strike, but I noticed that he left himself unguarded from a counterattack. He unleashed a furious rain of sword strikes at me with a very quick and fluid motion, but I dodged them all with ease. I was surprised at how fast he was moving, but he couldn’t quite match my agile dodging. When I saw an opening, I jammed the hilt of one of my daggers into his stomach and, with the help of some dark magic, threw him through the rotted wooden walls of this shed and outside into the rain, which was now falling at a steady rate. I jumped through the gaping hole in the wall and looked at his pitiful body lying on the ground. I expected him to be grimacing in pain or trying to stand up with difficulty, but instead he started to get up with little or no injury.

“Very good,” he said, now on his feet and brushing the dust off his uniform, “You are very skilled…I’m somewhat impressed…but how good are you?” It was amazing how my attack, which could normally knock out an untrained opponent, barely even scratched this guy. “I might have to break out some out some of my real moves…” He said as he took a step towards me, readying another attack. I decided to stay on the defensive as he leapt towards me with his blades spinning wildly in the air. I dodged the attack again and prepared another counterattack but he already started pummeling me again with his swords. I was surprised at just how fast he could maneuver those rather large weapons and heavy weapons. Now with much difficulty, I managed to elude the sharp blades, which were coming at me from every angle, having to use my dagger several times to block an incoming blow. He then pulled one of his swords back and thrust it so fast and furiously that it broke through my defenses and ripped my robe near my left arm. I was slightly distracted by the ripping noise, which my guard was lowered for a second. That was all the time my opponent needed to kick me in the face, punch me in the ribs and kick me down to the ground.

I was in a bit of pain, but I didn’t want to show any sign of weakness in front of my opponent. That is one of an assassin’s flaws in battle; there isn’t much room for bulky body armor, so every strike against me did some significant damage. He approached me while I was still on the cold ground with the rain falling on my face and muttered, “How does it feel? How does it feel to be without the element of surprise? You’re all useless without it.” When he finished his sentence, he swung one of his swords over his head and then down at the ground towards me. I rolled to the left to evade the attack and quickly sprang up to my feet. “At least you have the will to fight,” he said, looking confident in his skill. Before I let him continue his speech, I switched to more of an offensive mindset, and tried to stab him right in the gut. I swiftly jabbed my right dagger forward, only to have it meet the steel of the user’s blade. Expecting that my strike would be blocked, I tried to surprise him by swinging my other dagger towards the side of his head, but he ducked down and performed a sweeping kick in an attempt to trip me. Noticing this, I leapt up and shot a deep purple blast of energy towards him from the tip of one of my blades, which made contact with his chest and knocked him down to the ground again. I raced over to his body and attempted to impale his stomach with a dagger, but he performed a rather fancy backflip to get out of the way and swung his blade towards my head mid-flip. I ducked under the swing and threw a dagger at his left foot, which made contact and stuck with the blade sticking into the user’s boot.

I thought I had won with that swift attack, but that feeling was quickly put to rest as the user just smiled and removed his boot. To my dismay, there was so much padding in the boot that the blade of the dagger was not long enough the reach the user’s flesh. Sensing my frustration, he pulled the dagger out of his boot and mockingly tossed it in a puddle at my feet. “Did you really think you could beat me so easily? A true fighter is always prepared, not that a pathetic rogue like you could know anything about that…” He said as I picked up my dagger, although I think he may have been under the misconception that I was fighting at my maximum capacity. “I will admit… you do have some skill…” He remarked as I remained silent, “but can you handle this?” Upon saying this, my opponent held one of his swords high over his head and a mass of blue energy began to form towards the tip. He swung the sword down while shouting some phrase that I couldn’t hear and the powerful aura traveled quickly across the ground towards me. It was not too difficult to dodge, but he continued to fire them in rapid succession. I imagine that these blasts would be nearly lethal, but I was more than able to continue avoiding his attacks while simultaneously trying to move closer towards my foe so I could possibly stop this assault. Towards the end of the barrage, he sent one particular wave of energy at me that was faster and larger than the others and had a green color instead of blue. I leapt up in the air and cast a dark magic spell that sent a ball of dark energy towards him, which collided with his attack and diverted it away from me. When he realized that this tactic was ineffective, he looked at me and said, “Not bad…” He paused for a moment, contemplating his next move. Then he continued on with confidence, “Let’s try this now.” The user assumed a new fighter’s stance and I knew that he was going to rush in at me and attack from close range.

We both charged forward simultaneously and became locked in an exchange of strikes and parries. I think that, during this series of attacks, my adversary was fighting at his full potential as he was almost able to keep pace with my movements. His slight drop in speed was made up for with his power, as I now felt that each of his blows struck my dagger with a little more force than I could return. After a while of continuing this tactic, I was beginning to tire, I did not want to show any signs of weakness and give my opponent an opening. However, I could also see beads of sweat dripping from my adversary’s forehead and it was as if we were evenly matched. I was constantly dodging attacks: high, low, left, right, and every other direction possible while delivering similar attack patterns, but to no avail. He and I could both tell that we were having a tough time maintaining this level of speed and strength for this extended period of time.

Finally, after a long exchange of parries and blocked attacks, my mind conceived a plan that would hopefully catch him off guard. I disengaged with the user, performing a backflip, and threw one of my daggers at his face in midair. The dagger whizzed towards his face and I could tell that he was unprepared for a projectile attack after this long exchange of direct combat. At the last possible moment, he ducked down and dagger zoomed past his head, slicing off a few strands of his brownish hair and landing on the ground nearby. Standing about ten feet from me, he looked back at me with a devious grin and said, “I have to hand it to you…that attack was unforeseen… but now you have only one weapon. That’s a foolish move, my friend.” “Don’t be so sure…” I exclaimed, holding out my hand. A purplish aura surrounded my hand and the dagger that I threw began to twitch on the ground. Then is disappeared in a flash and rematerialized in my vacant hand, much to the user’s dismay. I could tell that the other user was impressed with my tactics and smiled. “Hmm…You’re unlike any thief I’ve fought before.” He paused, waiting for a reaction, but I remained still. “All of the others seem to be out for money… you seem to have more… determination. I understand now…I know now exactly who you are…” I replied, “As I said before, don’t judge me by my appearance.” He smiled and said, with that once-cocky tone eliminated from his voice, “I’m glad that you are also a man of your word.”

Just then, a loud alarm pierced the night air, interrupting the battle, causing us to both look up at the gargantuan factory. NSider Industries’ alarm was triggered; whether it was by our actions or another incident was unknown. In any event, we both knew what this meant. Being the largest factory in the massive land of NSider, this facility was tightly guarded around the clock and, when the alarm went off, the whole island would be swarmed by police in a matter of minutes. We both glared at each other, eager to continue the battle, but knew that now was neither the time nor place to do so. He was the first to speak out, “Your battle skills have earned my respect. This is quite an accomplishment and you should be proud. I will tell you my name.” While this didn’t seem like much of an offer, I knew that a username was a very critical piece of information to have. I nodded and looked back at him, “My name is HoneySyrup. It was a pleasure to meet you and test your skills…ShadowMario41, I know that we will duel again.” I was startled when I heard him say my name. I never addressed him and never leaked any personal information. In the darkness of the night, it would have been impossible for him to see the insignia of my family engraved on my daggers. “H-How did you know my name?” I said with a startled tone of voice. He looked back at me with a smile on his face and said, “One’s fighting style reveals much about character.”

He turned around and started to walk away, disappearing into the darkness of the night. I was about to pursue him and demand more information when I heard the whirring of sirens approaching from all of the three bridges. All of the lights of the massive building turned on, brightly illuminating the island. I frantically looked around for a hiding spot, but it was too bright for me to hide anywhere. The sirens grew louder and louder and I was a bit frustrated that I let the other user escape. “How could he simply slip into the night like that?” I thought for a while, trying to devise an escape plan. Finally, it occurred to me that escaping would not be very difficult, assuming that I predicted the movements of the NSider Police correctly. I hastily made my way towards the bridge that I used to enter the island and hid in the bush that I dove in upon my arrival. Looking out, I saw a massive amount of police cars approaching on the horizon. This was only one-third of the forces en route, as this was just one of the three bridges, but this alone would be enough to overwhelm just about anyone. All of the police cars were now mere feet from my location and I held my breath, hoping this plan would work. Sure enough, all of the cars zoomed past my location towards NSider Industries, creating waves of water as they drove through puddles, and leaving the bridges completely unguarded. I ran out quickly and onto the bridge, stretching my legs for a few seconds as they were a bit sore from the previous skirmish.

I dashed across the suspension bridge at breakneck speeds, heading back towards the Star Fox board to talk to Dr. Peppy again. As I ran towards the mainland of NSider, I reflected on the battle that was in progress just moments ago. “That was…actually fun…” I thought, as I tried to assess my feelings, “I haven’t faced anyone like that in a long time…” I somehow also knew that his final words were entirely true; we would be destined to duel again. My retreat was progressing smoothly until I found a police barricade at the end of the bridge. Luckily, there were only a few officers and cars on patrol and I was able to easily elude them by vaulting off of the hood of one of the vehicles and racing by, leaving the bewildered officers in the dust. Despite their efforts, no amount of orange cones or yellow “do not cross” tape could stop me, especially not during this adrenaline rush I was currently experiencing. I scurried behind a roadside statue and looked out towards NSider Industries, which now looked like a theme park with all of its flashing lights and loud noises. After staring for a minute or two with my robes dripping wet from the rain, I began my trek to Dr. Peppy’s lair, unsure of how he would react to the status of the mission.

CHAPTER 7: Meeting of Mystery

It was nearly 10:00 PM; the sky was dark and cloudy as I took my position behind a dumpster near the bridge that connected the Star Fox board to the lone isle where NSider Industries was located. While it was a good idea to position the massive industrial zone of NSider away from the main community to avoid pollution, it was rather inconvenient for criminals, rogues, assassins, and – for that matter – anyone who didn’t have a vehicle. There were tall, rocky cliffs around the perimeter of the island, so the bridge was the only viable option in my situation since I’ve never been one for swimming. It was a long distance between the two landmasses and sidewalks or any sort of walking lane was noticeably absent, but the one-minute time limit I had to race from one side to the other didn’t pose the slightest problem. With the speed of an assassin such as myself, it was definitely manageable, albeit somewhat tricky.

I reached into the pocket of my robes and pulled out the mysterious red cube. I gently pressed a blinking green light on the side of it and it opened rather dramatically to reveal a small blue pill with a white exclamation mark on the center of it. It didn’t look particularly appetizing, but I had no choice but to ingest it. After some slight hesitation, I reluctantly swallowed the oval shaped pill with no difficulty and noticed instantly that I couldn’t see my post-cranial self. I could feel my arms moving but they had turned invisible. My robes, tools, and even my weapons had also become see-through. Following this brief instant of shock at this technological marvel, I readied myself and started to run across the bridge. It was then that I realized that this wouldn’t be much of a challenge for me to make it across in sixty seconds. After about ten seconds, I was already about a third of the way there. There was no sidewalk, so I was forced to run down the center of the enormous suspension bridge, weaving in and out of cars when necessary. However, this was not very difficult, as traffic was mostly going back towards the mainland of NSider and not out towards the lone island at this time of night.

I dove into a bush on the island right next to the end of the bridge, one of the lone signs of vegetation on this desolate industrial land, and decided it would be a good time to scope out the landscape and pinpoint the most probable meeting place for these two rogues. It would be unwise to rush into a situation without familiarizing oneself with the surroundings, as my dad always told me. Even though the gargantuan factory closed at 9:30 PM, a half-hour before I arrived, there were always stragglers that took a while to leave. Additionally, there were still some guards present on the graveyard shift that had immediate access to NSider’s police force with the push of a button or a simple phone call. I wanted to make sure only a few people were around so I could explore freely without the risk of annoying encounters with employees. After all, NSider Industries is an enormous factory that is the primary site of industrial activity in NSider. Being situated on an island, it helps keep pollution away from the mainland and isolates the rusty buildings from some of the more glamorous structures of the forum. There are three bridges that connect this barren island to the mainland: one that can be accessed from the Star Fox board (the one that I crossed), one that conjoins the island with the NSider Courthouse and another that connects it to Port NSider, which is in close proximity to the Registration Building.

As with all things in this new technological age, NSider Industries is equipped with the latest machinery, resulting in highly efficient and effective operation. It is also highly secure, equipped with a state-of-the-art security system that is almost impossible to penetrate. However, as new factories were being built, the obsolete factories and warehouses remained on the outskirts of the industrial colossus and now serve as eyesores to the general population. As one might expect, they also currently serve as hotspots for thieves; I, myself, have made a few shady deals in the confines of these warehouses. One could say that security is virtually nonexistent on those parts of the island, though it has been a few months since my last visit. To be safe, I decided it would be best to scope out the area in case there were any lone guards roaming the premises.

I snuck past the skyscraper that serves as the main building for NSider Industries and made my way towards some of the antiqued warehouses, making sure to stay out of the range of the security cameras perched on every angle and crevice of the main edifice. Stepping into the outskirts of this island gave the illusion of being in a war zone. Buildings were dilapidated, all forms of vegetation were dried up, and graffiti covered any structures still standing. It was difficult to step anywhere without hearing the crunch of broken glass or feeling dry sand beneath the soles of one’s feet. There was a chilling wind in the air that caused one rusted iron door to continuously open and slam shut and spider webs glimmered and glistened in the moonlight. It was a shame that this once aesthetically pleasing island was transformed into this industrial wasteland, but these sights and others were common to me. The alleyways of NSider aren’t the most visually appealing places to be, either, so the thought didn’t bother me.

I made my way from building to building, trying to make an educated guess on where the criminals would rendezvous. The once bright moon started to cover up with clouds and I could begin to feel the pitter-patter of raindrops on my long black robes. I finally stepped into one last building to escape the rain before I realized the search was futile. There were too many ideal spots for thieves to meet up and it would be impossible for me to simply wait at one spot for my targets. I decided to constantly circulate around these industrial ruins, hoping that I would see one of the rogues or, at least, a sign of where they might meet up. Before I left, though, I caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye. Outside one of the murky windows, a mysterious figure was moving slowly and seemed to be constantly checking if anyone was outside. I ran over to the window, peered outside and, sure enough, there was a user cautiously walking away from me towards a small shed-like structure. I heard that pesky iron door slam shut again and the user’s pace quickened. Once the anonymous user entered the small shed, I stealthily followed, figuring that it was one of the users I was looking for.

When I arrived at the building, it seemed as if the only entrance was the way the user went through. Not wanting to risk an encounter with an adversary of great skill, it would be foolish of me to simply walk through the front door. However, after scanning the structure for another way in, I noticed a hole in the ceiling of the shed and a stack of boxes right next to the right wall that I could easily climb up. “Finally, a stroke of luck.” I thought as I climbed the boxes and quietly fell through the hole. It was only a slight drop until I landed quietly on top of a stack of steel crates. I leapt down to the ground, landing inaudibly, and looked around, trying to find this mysterious user. This building was much bigger on the inside than it seemed, perhaps due to the angle at which I initially viewed it. I maneuvered my way around the room slowly and carefully, as I didn’t know where the user would be hidden. Luckily, it was only a matter of seconds before I located the user standing in a corner of the shed, leaning against the wall. It was then I realized why this was the ideal and smart meeting spot. A light from NSider Industries angled perfectly through a broken glass window to provide a dim source of illumination to the room. The shed was large enough so that a group of rogues could fit inside, but small enough so that no one would suspect that anything was going on here. I remained in the back of the room, crouched behind a pile of boxes stacked up to the ceiling and continued to observe the user.

I could tell it was a guy slightly taller than myself, garbed in a dark red shirt lined with silver buttons, wearing brown suspenders that supported faded blue pants. He had boots and gloves that matched his shirt. His spiky brown hair moved slightly in the cold breeze and his brown eyes occasionally shifted around, making sure no one was nearby. Unlike before when I could only see his silhouette, he had an appearance of confidence and poise and it looked like he was patiently waiting for someone else to arrive. I also noticed twin swords resting in brown holsters tied around his waist. I surmised that he was either a highly skilled warrior or a foolish thief who only selected cool-looking weapons. Either way, I couldn’t attack yet, not before I saw who else was involved in this mysterious exchange. The small gold item that Doctor Peppy mentioned also perplexed me, as it could be a multitude of things. Unsure of what the item could be, I nervously glanced at my PM watch to check the time. It read 11:47 PM and both the user and I began to grow more and more anxious for very different reasons. For now, though, waiting was all that we could do. Little did this user know that an expert assassin was only a few feet away and was planning to put an end to his schemes.

After some time, the rain outside suddenly became heavier and the user started to pace in small circles around the room. I glanced down at my watch again, which read 11:59 PM… one minute more of this tense waiting game. At exactly 12:00 midnight, something finally happened. A purple vortex that emanated a bright light appeared in the middle of the room and another user stepped out of the portal, which closed up upon him emerging completely. He was small in stature, but had a frightening aura about him. He wore a purple cape with matching boots and a white mask, behind which the only thing visible was a pair of ominous red eyes. Both of his hands were covered with white gloves and one of which was grasping a strange glowing sword. His weapon seemed too large to be the item Doctor Peppy was mentioning, so I continued to lie in wait.

He glanced around to make sure no one was in the room. After confirming his incorrect assumption, he turned to the other user with a flick of his cape. “Sir,” the user leaned against the wall exclaimed, “I have obtained what you have requested.” “Very good,” the second user replied in a deep voice, “I am very impressed.” “Thank you, sir!” the user garbed in red replied, happy to have appeased the other’s desire. “Now… let’s see that little treasure…” The user reached into the pockets of his faded blue pants and pulled out a golden triangle attached to a silver chain. At first, the triangle appeared dull, but when he held it up in the air, a faint light and strange aura radiated from it. The golden triangle had some sort of inscription on it but I could not read it from my current location. It was obviously an item of high value since this whole fiasco would not be planned out for a petty little exchange. The more I stared at the item, the more I could tell that this meeting was for something serious; not anything to do with money, but something of far greater value to these users.

Wiping some sweat from my forehead with the sleeve of my robe, I slowly inched my way closer and closer to the two users, making sure to remain hidden behind the piles of boxes. “Excellent…” the stout user said menacingly, “Our plan is progressing quite well…” Interrupting the maniacal thoughts of the user with the purple cape, the other user spoke out with an inquiry. “Sir, I mean no disrespect when I ask this, but why this elaborate plan of meeting here? It is just a small little item that could have easily been…” The user instantly stopped talking when met by the piercing red eyes of the other user. “Surely, you do not know the value of this item,” he said with a stern tone, “this is our key to the future.” “I am glad to have been of service,” the user in red replied, showing great respect towards the other user who, from what I could surmise, appeared to be his superior.

I continued to creep closer and closer to the two users, readying myself to make my move when I took one fatal step. My foot rested upon an old plank of wood, which emanated a loud creaking noise that echoed throughout the area. I alarmingly looked up and realized the two users heard the noise as well. After a brief moment of silence and deep concentration by the user who had appeared from the portal moments ago, he spoke out with a deep voice, “It appears that this location is no longer safe. I will meet you back at our headquarters. We will discuss further plans there. Now we have a great thing on our side…” “What do you mean?” the user in red asked, puzzled by the other user’s vague hints. “…A bargaining chip…” With that, the short yet creepy user snatched the golden triangle, twirled his cape and instantly disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.

However, the other user was not about to leave without figuring out the source of that noise. He drew his twin blades from the holsters and assumed a fighter’s stance, from which I could tell that he was a competent swordsman. He then shouted into the darkness, “Oh ye of little honor, I will grant you one chance to reveal yourself to me before I search for you. Will you comply?” I don’t know what made me step out into the light and make myself fully visible to this user, but I reluctantly obliged. Perhaps it was that running would be futile since he knew someone was hiding or that the thought of a challenging battle was exhilarating to me. It could have also been because I was frustrated with myself for getting caught but, either way, I stepped forward into the light and found myself face-to-face with this user as I positioned my hands towards the hilts of my daggers so I could grab them quickly if need be.

“Ah!” he exclaimed upon laying eyes upon my appearance, “another petty thief pillaging NSider Industries for something of minimal material worth. Were you listening in on our conversation?” I sensed that this was a rhetorical question, so I remained silent. “No answer?” He said, slowly shifting towards a tone of voice that hinted towards an unfound sense of superiority, “Well it seems as if you’ve stumbled into quite a tough spot, my friend.” I asserted, hoping to quell the insults, “Do not judge me by my appearance alone.” He paused for a moment and then replied with, “Do you know who you are getting involved with?” I shook my head in disgust and he chuckled, “Well then perhaps, in this case, ignorance is bliss. Regardless, I find that I must kill you, as the information you overheard is top secret. It’s nothing personal really…it’s just that the confidentiality of this mission cannot be compromised, regardless of who the user is.” “That might be more difficult than you think,” I replied back with a hint of confidence in my voice, hoping that he would recognize that I wasn’t about to back down from the challenge. “Well then…” he said, “I am a man of my word… I hope you are too. Prepare yourself!”

CHAPTER 6: Mission Briefing

The PM (short for “private message”) belt is an accessory given to all NSiders upon registration that makes a beeping sound only audible to the wearer when he or she receives a new private message. There are used to send quick and secure messages between users and is a reliable source of communication for all NSiders to use. Once a message is received, a user can open the PM and the selected message will appear on a hologram screen in front of the user, again, only visible to him or her. There are upgrades for the PM belt too, the most popular being the PM watch, which fits nicely around a user’s wrist as opposed to the waist. The watch around my arm was signifying that I had received a new message. Still concealed, I rolled up the long black sleeve of my robes, and pressed a button on the side of the silver sleek metal gadget. The PM came up in front of me.

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FROM: DR_PEPPY Add User to Friends List – Add User to Ignore List

SENT: 08/14/07 – 7:47 P.M.

ShadowMario41, you have been selected. Meet me in the usual spot in one hour.

0494-2843-1919-5577

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While the PM did not explain much, it gave me just enough information to know what I had to do. Dr. Peppy was one of the top-ranked military officials in all of NSider and has a strong reputation for always handling his missions very professionally. He used to be the commanding officer of the Mushroom Kingdom Air Force, but has since stepped down from that role to deal with espionage and other secretive information. However, what separated him from the other faceless generals such as Maverick and Ganondorf8 was that he privately hired assassins and other users for serious missions to serve his purposes. He believed that the military and police force had too many rules, regulations and procedures to abide by whereas privately hired users willing to lend their skills could get the job done quickly, efficiently and secretly. This is something the law enforcement of NSider could never achieve, as they must abide by the forum’s extensive code of laws and limited by the lack of competent officers. While these types of missions are usually highly arduous and dangerous, the pay is very high so it would be foolish for someone of great skill not to accept it. This is Dr. Peppy’s opinion, anyway; I know because he told me before the first mission to which I was assigned.

Speaking of which, I am actually surprised that I landed any future missions after the way the first one turned out. It was about one year ago and I was assigned to intercept two criminals transporting stolen posts scheduled to meet at the NSider Airport. They were believed by all of Dr. Peppy’s sources to just be a couple of thugs, but they were actually highly trained cardinals of the Nicolai93 Organization. It was through this mission that I first learned of the existence of this band of criminals. While I failed to stop the transfer of posts, I did manage to capture one of the organization’s members, GamePlayer30, and turn him into Dr. Peppy for questioning. Interestingly, I clearly remember that the other user present at the scene of the crime didn’t even try to save GamePlayer30 but rather quickly fled the scene. GamePlayer30 didn’t have much of a sense of honor and secrecy, as he spilled the beans about the location of Nicolai93’s headquarters as well as their current and future plans in exchange for his freedom. This resulted in a huge blow to the organization and forced them to move to a location that has, thus far, remained off of the radar. Oddly enough, during the time that the Nicolai93 Organization was inactive, the crime rate of NSider actually rose. The NSider authorities had to be called off the search for Nicolai93 to deal with the steady stream of crimes occurring all over the forum. While the police still search for the new headquarters, their search is not as adamant as in the past and has become nearly nonexistent.

My second mission with Dr. Peppy progressed much more smoothly. I was designated to spy on a meeting between two thugs where supposedly vital information concerning a future crime scandal in NSider was to be discussed. Both muscular criminals spoke very bluntly about the issue and didn’t seem to be very intelligent, so it turned out to be quite a simple task. They talked about robbing a bank and driving off with the stolen posts, but nothing more than that. When I reported back to Dr. Peppy, he was displeased with the simplicity of the information but pleased that I told it to him fully and accurately. He said that I did well and to expect a call from him in the future. This PM, my third mission assigned to me by Dr. Peppy, was apparently what he was talking about.

I closed the PM and glanced over at the trio of X-Naut128, Invader8, and Falcon6 walking into the depths of the Gameplay Help for Newcomers board. It was the oddest combination of a lowly newcomer, and experienced NSiders that I’ve ever seen. Since it would be three days before the pathetic X-Naut and his merry men would be able to leave the newcomer boards, I figured I would easily be able to relocate them once my mission with Dr. Peppy was complete. Besides, I was getting tired of simply spying on my target and was itching for a challenging mission. Thus, I decided to take a break from hunting the X-Naut and venture off to the usual meeting place of Dr. Peppy’s – right behind the Star Fox Fan Art Directory in the Star Fox board. I turned around and prepared to depart when I saw something else of particular interest.

A user dressed in ragged black clothing was crouched behind a bush about twenty feet away, peering out occasionally but quickly retracting for some odd reason. For a brief instant, his eyes met mine and I could tell that it was me he was watching. I wasn’t sure how long he had been spying on me, but I definitely didn’t want someone following me to Dr. Peppy’s headquarters. I raced up behind him so quickly that he didn’t notice and even then it took him a little while before he realized someone was standing over him. “And you are…?” I asked. “Uhh… I was told to… umm…” He was trying to stall as his eyes stared straight at the ground away from mine. I grabbed the front of his robe and hoisted him up in the air, eyeing him sternly. “Who are you?” I asked sternly, which quickly caused the frantic user to speak up. “I’m LuigiTheDude5094. Don’t hurt me…” he responded nervously, with his feet waving frantically in the air. “Why are you following me?” I said, to which he was more hesitant to respond. “I…umm…was told not to say…” “Answer me!” I exclaimed impatiently, as I unsheathed one of my daggers and held it to his neck. “This is your last chance!” “I…can’t…” He said, mustering up the courage that remained inside of him, “I promised the boss that I wouldn’t…” Before he could finish his sentence, I impaled him between the eyeballs with one of my daggers, twisting it to expand the gash. A grunt of hatred was all he was able to mutter before I pulled out my dagger, the blood of the slain user sliding off the blade, and spilling onto the ground as he collapsed in a tangled heap. It was a strange sense of satisfaction for me, as I haven’t made a killing since the random OSider that ThePastaKing asked me to deal with. I twirled my daggers and slid them back into the holsters as I walked away from the murder, satisfied with my fatal strike.

Although it was odd that some lowlife was spying on me, I decided it would be best to pay it no mind for now and focus strictly on my mission with Dr. Peppy before I dealt with that. I continued towards the Star Fox board, wondering what assignment would be given to me. It was on the other side of NSider, so it was a long journey, especially since I had to keep to the shadows. Luckily, the trip progressed pretty smoothly, except for a minor annoyance where a user was showing off her brand new Spazier near the Metroid board and nearly destroyed all of the buildings around her. I arrived at the Star Fox Fan Art Directory just in time and easily snuck around to the back despite the high number of police officers present. My guess is that Dr. Peppy orders a group of officers to stand near his headquarters to help maintain secrecy, even though the lax force didn’t seem to be very active in their duties. Perhaps the mere presence of a policeman is enough to make inexperienced users stiffen up. The police have never intimidated me and I have no intentions of quivering in fear any time soon.

The rear of the sleek and modern building looked like a dump. In the alley behind the building, rusted dumpsters lined the dirty walls, which were covered in a mess of tangled ivy. There was a small keypad on the wall next to a rat chewing on a moldy piece of cheese in a dented aluminum trash barrel, so I punched in the code enclosed in the PM. A green light flashed from the white keypad and the brick wall in front of me slowly split apart in a cloud of dust, revealing a large silver door with all sorts of symbolic insignias on it from top to bottom. When I took a step forward, the doors opened automatically, revealing a large room lined wall-to-wall with computers, radars and other highly advanced pieces of technology.

The main attraction of the room was the extremely large chrome table in the center covered from corner to corner with an aged map of NSider and various hand-crafted figures placed around it, filling the map. The last time I’ve been to this room, about a year ago, the figures were all stationary and there weren’t nearly as many. However, with the exception of a few, the thousands of figures were in motion; some seemed to be navigating the alleys of NSider while others wandered aimlessly in the town square. Some were battling in the NSider Colosseum and others were conversing in houses and shops. I figured I would inquire about this after the briefing, as I didn’t want anything, not even insignificant ignorance, to come between this job offer and my potential payout.

I stepped inside on the white marble floor and the door slowly closed behind me. A man from across the room eyeing one of the computer monitors turned around to face me and slowly walked closer. He was a little shorter than the average user, but made up for it with his high intellect. He was average weight and wore a blue military uniform, complete with medals on the breast and insignias on the sleeves. His tan boots emanated intimidating thumps as he made his way towards me. Pushing up his oval-framed glasses that were inching towards the bottom of his nose, he spoke to me softly, “ShadowMario41… we meet once again. Thank you for responding in a timely manner.” An expression of satisfaction crossed his face, but I remained composed and simply replied, “Do not allow my appearance to taint my reliability.” “Of course,” he said, “You are one of NSider’s best after all.” While it was nice to be complimented by a user of such significance, this meeting was strictly about business.

Sensing that I wanted to get to work, Dr. Peppy then said, “An item of vital importance was stolen from the NSider Barracks this afternoon by an unidentified user. General Banzai guarded this item, so if someone could overwhelm him, I am afraid that his or her power would be too great to establish some sort of police scheme. I have received a report from another source that the user plans on transferring the item to the boss of the operation. The meeting of the two criminals will occur on the outskirts of NSider Industries in a few hours… at about midnight to be exact. Thus far, neither the public nor the media have any knowledge of this event. If you stop it, it will be as if it never happened.” While his monologue was vague, I knew that I would be battling a formidable foe tonight to retrieve some sort of item. “What exactly is the item?” I inquired, hoping to get some more specifics. Dr. Peppy looked at me, apparently not expecting me to ask a question. Running his hand through his short-length slicked back gray hair, he replied, “It’s small and gold. You’ll know when you see it.”

After a brief pause, he continued on, “The problem is, as you know, NSider Industries is on a lone island in the sea, connected by only three bridges, one of which is right near this board. On those bridges, there is no cover or anything for you to hide behind. It might seem strange if a skilled assassin was running across a bridge in the open. Even with your speed, odds are someone will notice you. Therefore, I have arranged an alternative means of transportation.” He reached into his pocket, pulled out a small red box and gave it to me. “To cross the bridge without being spotted by anyone, ingest the contents of this box when the time comes. You will be invisible for one minute, which, even though the bridge is quite massive, should give you enough time to sprint to the other side.” I nodded subtly and placed the cube inside one of the pockets of my black robe. “As always, this meeting must remain secret. Nothing I have said will leave this room, correct?” Again, I nodded and made a silent vow between the experienced military general. “Good… this plan will work out excellently. Give me the item and you’ll get your money. Now, off you go.” With a swift hand gesture, he motioned me to leave; a smirk crossing his face as he turned around. “Sir,” I spoke up unexpectedly and uncharacteristically, “what are those figurines f –” “Pay it no mind,” he said hastily. “But Doc...” I broke out again, demanding an answer in a passive-aggressive manner, but was only given the same “Pay it no mind,” in a much more serious tone this time. I was not in any position to complain, as I was just offered a very high-paying job, so I turned around and walked towards the exit.

When I reached the silver door, it opened automatically and I looked back, staring at the back of Dr. Peppy, who was busy studying computer monitors. My attention fixed once more upon the map with the moving figurines. I was interested in what exactly these moving characters were signifying, as Dr. Peppy would not waste his time with something of little importance. These thoughts were quickly interrupted, though, as Dr. Peppy cleared his throat loudly, signifying that I could not linger any longer. I let out a soft disgruntled sigh, focused on the map for another second, and took my leave.