Mario was seated on a rather large, red couch in Bowser's lobby. The koopa had developed his sense of taste with his liking to technology, evidenced by the various paintings and statues in the wood-floored room, not all of which centered around him.

"Let me be blunt," Bowser began, "I know about the Koopa Shell."

Mario felt a surge of adrenaline course through him. He knew about the koopa shell, too – he had helped work on it. The fort had once been a tall hill a few miles away from Peach's castle. It kind of still was, but now the entire hill had been hollowed and steel-reinforced. If Bowser (Or any other villain) was to threaten Princess Peach, the princess would be moved through warp pipe to the Shell, which had enough supplies to provide for her for up to a year.

"Donovan, the video, please," Bowser requested. A tall man stepped through a sliding door. Donovan Gadd looked old, with grey hair and a few wrinkles, but a powerful stride spoke that age had not slowed the man down. Donovan had a large, though not long, nose, and his gelled hair went to his hips.

Donovan pulled a remote from his pocket, and pressed a large button. One of the suspended spherical lamps turned black, and displayed Peach's castle, the Koopa Shell, and the warp pipe connecting them in a hologram. Donovan then grabbed a pair of sizzors, and snipped at the holographic pipe at two locations. A portion of the image dropped down, and the image of a joint for the pipe appeared. Donovan grabbed the joint, and placed it on the caste end of pipe. A section of pipe extended from the joint a little ways. Where it stopped, a square portion of the lobby's wood floor opened up, and a black pipe with Bowser's face came up.

"That's right, Mario. I send my ships from Toad Town to Peach, and the princess hops in her pipe. Right into my castle," Bowser remarked, "And that is my plan. Simple, but elegant. But now that I've finished my reveal..."

The Koopa developed a fireball in the mouth horned, bull-doggish head.

"...Time to fight," Bowser finished, through the flames. He blasted Mario, more worried about his nemesis than his couch. Mario, with his famed jumping ability, was able to leap up, dodging the attack. On his way back down, Mario leapt toward Bowser, and swung around to kick him in the face.

"Impressive," Donovan clapped, "Now, let me show you my new trick."

Donovan Gadd pressed a small, blue button on his remote. Mario looked around, and seeing no change, went to attack Bowser again.

He rammed into an invisible wall.

"Like it?" Donovan asked, "I figured that the 'final battle' terrains have usually aided you, Mario. I thought I could make a terrain that aided lord Bowser. So I made invisible walls to get in your way. They'll shift around, so you have to constantly look out for your surroundings. And there was something else... what am I forgetting?.."

Bowser launched another fire ball.

"Oh yes! Bowser can phase through the walls!" Donovan laughed, as Mario ran around, trying to extinguish his mustache.

That Mario quickly accomplished, and returned to offense. He immediately noticed that the walls carried a bit of a sheen, giving him something to look out for. Using this information, Mario wall-jumped around, using this hindrance as another advantage.

He had nearly come close enough to Bowser, when the walls changed. Mario lost his balance, and collided with another wall. As he got back up, he saw Bowser, ducked in his shell, sliding toward him. Bowser poked his foot out of the shell, kicking Mario back to the wall. As Mario bounced back, Bowser, now standing upright, hit him back again. This continued a while, Bowser using several attacks to bounce his opponent off the wall. Then Bowser caught Mario in his hand, held him to his mouth, and generated another fireball.

"So long, Mario. See ya in hell," Bowser grinned, his fireball nearly large enough to finish his opponent off. Mario struggled furiously...

...and broke free of Bowser's grasp! He dropped to the floor, and then punched Bowser in the shell. Bowser bounced backwards, and stayed there, his limbs lying down. Mario was surprised. He knew the attack would be powerful, but he didn't expect it to defeat the spike-shelled brute.

"Gah...what...somethin-something's wrong..." Bowser groaned, "My... my strength... I can't move..."

Mario hopped on Bowser's plastron, and checked his neck for a pulse. Sure enough, it was weak, and irregular. Either Bowser had learned some amazing control of his own heart... or he was in trouble. As the turtle grew more and more lethargic, Mario sided with the latter. Donovan deactivated the invisible walls in the room, and rushed to his liege's side. He grabbed a hand-held radio.

"Medical team, we have an emergency!" Donovan shouted