Chapter 2: Pursuing the Sewage
The sewers were dark and wet. The Mario bros. waded through the muck in their overalls, in search of the noisy pipe.
"I never liked the sewers," Luigi shivered. "Something down here always gives me the creeps."
"Something always gives you the creeps, Luigi," Mario sighed, rolling his eyes. "When are you gonna get a backbone – Wait! Listen!"
Luigi cocked an ear, and he heard it too – an echoing thud from somewhere down the tunnel.
"Follow that noise!" declared Mario. They sped up, heading in the direction of the thud. They heard another, then another. "Geez," said Luigi, "those tenants were right about the noise."
As they turned a corner, the noise got very loud.
"What could make such a racket?" shouted Mario over the echoing.
Finally, they went through an archway, and found a large chamber, at least two stories high. Platforms made of wire netting hung from the walls, leading to two pipes at the top. One of them clanged.
"That's the one!" exclaimed Luigi. As best they could, they climbed up the platforms to the pipe. It was small, only half their size. They peered in. Suddenly, a deafening boom erupted from the pipe, knocking both brothers backwards, followed by a strange noise.
Bwap-bwap-bwap!
"Um, Mario…?" stammered Luigi, looking nervously at the pipe. "I don't like this…" But before Mario could respond, there was a definite sound of claws scraping from the pipe. Luigi yelped and dove behind Mario, who looked nervous too.
Finally, from out of the pipe, came…
A turtle.
Mario stared for a minute, then burst out laughing. "HA ha ha… Luigi, you just got scared out of your wits by a TURTLE! Mamma mia! Ha!"
Luigi, who was now feeling very foolish, grumbled, "Hrmph. It's not funny, Mario."
They turned again to look at the turtle, which eyed them both. Mario realized that this turtle was actually pretty large, being about a foot high.
"I wonder how this thing made all that noise?" wondered Luigi.
"Well, however it did it, it's over now!" said Mario. "We found it, and now we can – OW!"
Luigi gasped. The turtle had just shot its head out and bit Mario's hand!
"What the...!?" he yelled, waving his injured hand. "That's it! This turtle's going down!"
The turtle seemed to understand his words, as it gave Mario a murderous look – and let out an earsplitting screech. Mario and Luigi covered their ears as the sound reverberated around the room. A rumbling sound came out of both pipes, as the turtle began walking towards the brothers.
"Uh, Mario?" Luigi stammered. "I think we're about to have company."
As he said it, a horde of turtles poured out of the pipes.