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The next day, Tatanga's main ship was spotted flying toward Sarasaland. A small transport ship landed between Peach's castle and Luigi's mansion. Mario and Peach slowly approached form one side while Luigi and Daisy approached form the other. Tatanga himself stepped out with nine clones.
He looked around and said "this is not where I told you to land! Run!"
Tatanga began running away with the clones close behind. Mario and Luigi opened fire, killing seven of the clones.
"Let's go after him!" Mario yelled as he ran after them.
"Wait" Luigi called.
Mario stopped and asked "what?"
"I like your enthusiasm" Luigi said "but running in guns blazing isn't always the best idea. Let's just follow them, keep at a distance until we see an opportunity."
"Ok" Mario said.
They began following them when Peach noticed Luigi was carrying the M98 and had his M-14 over his shoulder.
"Why do you have two rifles?" She asked.
"Well" Luigi said "the M98 is more advanced, but the ol' reliable M-14 has saved my life more times than I can count. It saved all of your lives once or twice too."
"I guess that makes sense" Peach said.
They were mostly quiet as they followed Tatanga. Soon they came to a path with several tall rock piles. Luigi stopped and looked around.
"What's wrong?" Mario asked.
"I don't like this" Luigi said "with all of these big rock piles, it's perfect sniper country."
"It will be ok Weegie" Mario said "just keep your eyes open."
"I don't know" Luigi said "I've just got a bad feeling."
Mario sighed and said "then I'll go first."
He started walking down the path. Luigi shook his head and followed. Peach and Daisy looked at each other and followed Luigi.
A few minutes later, Mario looked at Luigi and said "see I told you everything would be fine."
"I guess so" Luigi said "I just keep thinking-"
They heard a gunshot then Daisy yelled in pain. Luigi turned and saw her holding her side as blood began appearing on her shirt.
"Find cover!" He yelled.
He helped Daisy behind a rock. Mario and Peach dove behind rocks nearby. Luigi put the M98 over his shoulder and cocked his M-14.
"Why aren't you using the new one?" Mario asked.
"This is a job for ol' reliable" Luigi said.
He peeked over the rock and began to look for the sniper. Soon he spotted the clone. He set the barrel of the rifle on the top of the rock to steady it and took aim. The clone saw him and fired. It missed Luigi, but the bullet hit the barrel of the M-14. Luigi ducked back behind the rock with the rifle. He looked at the barrel and saw that there was a hole in the top and a deep dent almost sealing the barrel shut.
He threw the rifle to the side and said "well, that one is useless now."
He took the M98 off of his shoulder and got ready. He stuck his head up for a second and immediately ducked back down. The clone fired at him again. As soon as it did, Luigi rolled out from behind the rock, took aim and fired. The clone dropped its rifle and fell off of the rocks. Luigi immediately turned his attention to Daisy. The bullet had gone straight through her side. Daisy had pushed her shirt into both wounds slightly and was keeping pressure on them.
"We need to get you out of here" Luigi said.
Daisy nodded and said "you're right. Help me get this flamethrower off."
"Mario I need your help" Luigi said.
Mario ran over and asked "what can I do?"
"I'm gonna keep pressure on the wounds so she can move her hands" Luigi said "you help her get the flamethrower off."
"Alright" Mario said as he set his M-60 down.
Luigi put his hands over Daisy's and said "on three."
Daisy nodded.
"One, two, three" Luigi said.
Daisy pulled her hands away and Luigi immediately began putting pressure on the wounds. Mario helped Daisy get her flamethrower off. Then he set it down. Peach strapped the flamethrower on her back and put the gun on top of the fuel tank.
"What are you doing?" Mario asked.
"I'm carrying her flamethrower for her" Peach replied.
"Thanks" Daisy said.
Luigi moved his hands and Daisy put her hands back on the wounds.
"Let's get you to the hospital" Luigi said.
"No" Daisy said "Peach can take me. You and Mario keep following Tatanga, we're this close, don't let him get away."
"Are you sure?" Luigi asked.
"Yes" Daisy said "go, I'll be ok."
"Alright" Luigi said "be careful."
Peach began helping Daisy back toward the kingdom while Mario and Luigi kept going.
Luigi looked around and said "stay low behind the rocks."
"Ok" Mario said.
After fifteen minutes of ducking and crawling, they were out of the rocks and facing a forest.
"It's risky" Luigi said "there are a lot of ambush points in there."
"Then let's split up" Mario said "keep in earshot, that way we can ambush any ambushers."
"That's not a great plan" Luigi said.
Mario was already walking into the forest. Luigi sighed and began making his way into the forest. Soon Luigi saw Tatanga walking away from him.
"That must be the real one" Luigi thought to himself "running away while the others fight."
Tatanga pulled out a radio and said "report…what do you mean he shot Princess Daisy?..I'll kill him…he's already dead?..don't worry, I can make more."
He put the radio away.
"That's him alright" Luigi thought to himself.
He raised his rifle, but Tatanga walked into a thick clump of trees; making it impossible to get a clear shot. Luigi began following him. Meanwhile, Mario was still walking through the forest looking for any sign of Tatanga. A clone stepped out from behind a tree with a silenced pistol and shot Mario in the shoulder. Mario groaned and turned toward the clone to shoot it, but he wasn't quick enough.
The clone ran over, grabbed the M-60 and put its pistol to Mario's head and said "drop it." Mario let go of his gun.
"Good" the clone said "now move."
The clone pushed him into a clearing and said "on your knees."
Mario just stood there.
The clone pushed the barrel into the back of Mario's head and said "get on your knees or I will kill you."
Mario slowly got on his knees. Tatanga stepped into the clearing. He looked at the clone and Mario.
"Good work" Tatanga said "capturing him was no easy task, many have failed. You will be rewarded."
"Thank you sir" the clone said.
Mario heard the bushes start to rustle.
Then Luigi stepped into the clearing. He walked over to Tatanga with his M98 pointed at his head.
"Any last words?" Luigi asked.
"You have a difficult choice to make" Tatanga said smiling.
"You mean where to shoot you?" Luigi asked.
"No" Tatanga said "whether to kill me or save your brother."
"What?" Luigi asked.
Tatanga just pointed to the right. Luigi kept his rifle pointed at him as he turned his head. He saw Mario on his knees. He was shocked to see that his brother had been shot in the right shoulder and a clone holding a pistol to his head. The clone had Mario's M-60 in its other hand.
"Here are your options" Tatanga said "if you shoot me, my clone will kill your brother. If you shoot the clone, you will leave yourself open to attack."
"Luigi" Mario said "just finish it."
Luigi looked at him and said "but Mario, I-"
"No buts Luigi" Mario said "just kill him."
Luigi turned back toward Tatanga . He put his finger on the trigger and got ready to shoot, but he couldn't make himself pull the trigger. He closed his eyes for a few seconds . He opened them, spun toward Mario and shot the clone. Tatanga pulled out a knife and stabbed Luigi in the ribs, twice. Luigi dropped his rifle, grabbed his left side and fell to his knees.
"NO!" Mario yelled.
Tatanga stepped toward Luigi and raised the knife smiling. Mario grabbed the pistol from the dead clone and fired at Tatanga. Two bullets hit Tatanga's left shoulder, three more hit his arm. Tatanga dropped the knife, grabbed his shoulder and began running away. Mario ran over and dropped to his knees beside Luigi.
"We have to get out of here" Mario said.
"No" Luigi said "go get Tatanga. Take my rifle if you have to."
"No Luigi" Mario said "we're both hurt. We need medical attention."
"Ok" Luigi said.
"Can you walk?" Mario asked.
"I think so" Luigi said.
Mario helped him to his feet. Luigi picked up his rifle and began walking towards the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario grabbed his M-60 and walked beside him. Back at the Mushroom Kingdom hospital, Daisy was getting dressed.
Peach walked into her room and asked "what are you doing?"
"I'm leaving" Daisy said as she buttoned her jeans "I'm fine."
"Daisy" Peach said "you've been shot. You are not fine."
Daisy sighed and said "the bullet hit my left side and went straight through. The doctor said it's a clean wound. It just went through the meat, it didn't hit and organs or bones or anything. The doc bandaged it, I'm fine. The boys need us. Grab your shotgun and get my flamethrower."
"Mario and Luigi can take care of themselves" Peach said "You need to rest."
"I told you" Daisy said "I'm fine. Now, I'm going to get my flamethrower and then I'm going to find Mario and Luigi. You can get your shotgun and come with me, or you can stay here."
Peach sighed and said "well, I can see I'm not going to change your mind. Let's go."
They began walking out.
"We have to go to the front desk to get our guns" Peach said "they made me leave them there."
"Alright" Daisy said.
As they approached the front desk, they saw a few doctors running outside.
Peach walked over to the toad behind the desk and asked "what's going on?"
"Oh Princess" the toad said "thank goodness you're here. We just received word that the Mario Brothers are both injured and headed this way."
"What?" Daisy asked.
"Princess Daisy" the toad said "what are you doing out of bed?"
"I'm fine" Daisy said "I don't need to be in bed."
The door opened and Mario and Luigi slowly made their way in, with help from the doctors.
"What happened?" Peach asked.
"It's a long story" Mario said "I'll tell you once we get Luigi's side taken care of."
"And your shoulder" Peach said.
"Luigi first" Mario said.
"We will take you both back now" the doctor said "please leave your weapons here."
Peach took their guns and put them behind the desk. The doctors took Mario and Luigi back. Peach and Daisy followed them. Once they got into a treatment room, one of the doctors began cleaning Luigi's wounds while another began trying to get the bullet out of Mario's shoulder.
"What happened?" Peach asked.
"I was shot first" Mario said "then a clone ran over and put a gun to my head and told me to walk. It lead me to a clearing and forced me onto my knees. I saw Tatanga standing there, Luigi walked out and pointed his rifle at Tatanga's head. Tatanga told Luigi he had to choose between killing him or saving me. You can see which one he chose."
"I couldn't let them kill you" Luigi said "I love you bro."
Mario put his hand on Luigi's shoulder and said "I love you too Weegie."
"So what do we do now?" Peach asked "the clones are obviously much better trained than before. There are more of them. I think they have a chance to beat us this time. They already wounded you three, I'm afraid the fight might end with our deaths."
Luigi looked at her and said "I know you're scared Peach. We are all scared, but we can't give up. We have to keep up the fight. If they knock us down three times, we stand back up four times. We've already proven that together we can do things none of us could even think of doing on our own."
"But what if they manage to kill one of us?" Peach asked.
"You guys are my family" Luigi said "if I have to die to keep you three alive and safe, I will do it. Who's with me?"
"I'm in" Mario said.
Daisy put her hand on his shoulder said "you've got a way with words Sweetie, I'm in too"
"Ok" Peach said "we keep fighting, but how can we beat them?"
"We'll think of something" Mario said "right Luigi?"
"Yeah" Luigi said "we just can't attack them again. Like I said before, we need to dig in and play the defensive side. It might take a little time, but we can fortify a position to hold off any assault they make."
"What if we don't have enough time?" Peach asked.
"Tatanga is badly injured" Mario said "I shot him five times. Hopefully he will focus his efforts on that first."
"Let's hope so" Peach said.
The doctors had just finished bandaging Mario and Luigi.
"Let's go find a good spot" Luigi said.
He stood up and immediately groaned in pain and grabbed his side.
"Take it easy" Daisy said "just stay here and rest tonight, please."
"But, we need to get ready" Luigi said.
Daisy sighed and said "Luigi, you are in no condition to fight. Mario isn't either and as much as I hate to admit it, neither am I. Let's just rest here for one night and see how we feel in the morning."
"Alright" Luigi said "one night."
"Thank you" Daisy said.
Peach sighed and said "you three will have terrible scars from this."
"There's nothing wrong with battle scars" Daisy said "they show what you've been through and how strong you are for coming out of it."
Peach gave her a slight smile and said "I guess that's true. Now, you three need to rest. We have a lot of work ahead of us."