The Mario Saga
Chapter 1: A Tall Order
"Luigi! Get off gaming, for crying out loud! You're wasting too much time!"
Luigi looked up from the TV, his hands still working the controller.
"Come on, Mario! It's Sunday! No one ever has any plumbing problems today, so I say, on the seventh day, rest." Luigi quoted. "Besides, I don't see you laying off the lasagna, bro."
Mario looked down at his rather portly belly. "I just happen to have a big appetite… Oh, that isn't the point! We need to be at the ready if any calls come in!" He pointed a finger at the sign outside their door:
MARIO BROS. PLUMBING
YOU BREAK IT, WE FIX IT
OPEN 24/7
"Mario, you're taking this job too seriously! This is our easy day – " Luigi stopped as the phone rang. Mario smirked. "What'd I tell ya?" he said. He ran over to pick up the phone.
"Mario Brothers' plumbing! Mario speaking," he said cheerfully into the phone. But suddenly, his smile turned to surprise. "The mayor!? Mama mia, hello, sir! What seems to be the problem, sir?" Luigi strained to listen as Mario's eyes grew wide. "Absolutely, sir! We're on our way!" Mario hung up.
"Luigi!" Mario cried. "Suit up."
In five minutes flat, the Mario bros. raced across town in their battered old van. Mario filled Luigi in on the mayor's dilemma. "Apparently, there's some strange noises coming from the manholes in one area of town," he said. "People everywhere are complaining, and that's why they need us to fix the noise. I say it's a leaky pipe. What do you think?"
"Sounds like an animal to me," said Luigi, shuddering. "I hope there's no alligators."
"Alligators? Ha ha, Luigi, don't be so paranoid! The sewers are just sewers, and we rule the sewers! And that's why I love my work!"
"Yeah, at least it's better than cousin J.M.'s carpenting!" Luigi joked. "Can you believe that tall tale he told about the ape stealing his girlfriend?"
"Ha ha, yeah! What a load of bologna."
The van pulled to a stop by the manhole in the exact center of town. This manhole, they knew, led to every other in the city.
"Ready to go?" asked Mario.
"Ready as I'll ever be." shrugged Luigi, grinning.
They opened the manhole and headed down.
Let's-a go! The first few chapters will be short, but expect longer ones later!