* * * *CHAPTER 4* * * *

In a dark, deserted alleyway at the furthest edge of Toad Town, Wario was brooding.

He'd just wasted a lot of money gambling with a couple of friends back home. They'd been watching a kart racing tournament on television and betting on which drivers they thought would win. Wario turned out to be less than successful, and after losing a tidy sum of gold he threw his friends out, spent ten minutes pacing up and down the house, and then stomped off into town.

Waluigi probably didn't know where he was. He hadn't told a soul where he was going, having had no destination in mind himself. His wondered if his brother would be worrying about him by now. Most likely not, considering how many arguments and fights they got into on an almost daily basis.

Miserably, he rattled a few loose coins in his pocket and wandered further along the alleyway. His temper had cooled, but he didn't have any urge to head home just yet. He'd hang around outside for a while longer... maybe see if the Café was still open... then, and only if he really wanted to, he'd go back.

He probably should have told Waluigi before he stormed out, though. This place was darker than he'd originally thought. If he got brutally murdered by some criminal then his brother would never know what happened to him. Or worse, what if he ended up getting attacked and all his money stolen? He couldn't afford to lose anything else!

Criminal activity was quite rare in the Mushroom Kingdom, but it was certainly not unheard of. Masked bandits occasionally roamed the back alleys of town, fighting and stealing and living off scraps. The fact that he didn't live in Rogueport didn't necessarily make him entirely safe. If Waluigi had been here, they could have fought off any opponent together without losing a hair on their heads, but now he was alone. He might technically be a criminal himself, but did that mean he'd be able to fight off another one?

With these uneasy feelings swirling about in his mind, Wario spun on his heels with surprising swiftness and set off towards the exit. He'd had enough and was more than ready to go home.

The attack came out of nowhere. One minute he was walking, the next minute he was lying in a sprawled heap at the side of the alleyway, his clothes slightly blackened and smoking. His cap fell off and rolled gently away. He groaned, started to sit up, and swung out a fist randomly in clumsy retaliation. A second lightning bolt knocked him into full unconsciousness.

A tall figure dropped from the roof above him and landed lightly in the alleyway, falling into a half-crouch and habitually observing the area for signs of more life. When nothing made a sound, he grinned and straightened up, casually adjusted his mask, and turned bright-white eyes on the motionless body.

Like a curious child, he stretched out a foot and prodded it, inspecting his handiwork. It didn't move, but was clearly still alive and breathing. He hesitated, half-considering finishing the guy off, but turned aside at the last moment and jumped back up onto the roof instead.

Piercing moonlight threw the figure into silhouette as he stole one last glance at his fallen victim before disappearing into the night.

He'd sown the seeds of chaos, ensuring his rival knew what he was capable of. Soon, his rival would answer his challenge and come for him, and then they'd find out exactly who was the strongest. Luigi the weakling, the coward, the pacifist... or Mr L, the Green Thunder, the one with the true powers.


During breakfast the next day, both Mario and Luigi were half-asleep and yawning over their food. Neither had slept well after their conversation in the early hours of the morning, and the prospect of attending the tennis game was not a happy one.

'We have to go,' Mario mumbled, practically clawing his way through an enormous plateful of eggs and bacon. Being tired didn't affect his monstrous appetite, it seemed. 'Peach'll be upset if we miss it and we'll end up being disqualified from the tournament.'

'Oh, can't upset Peach, can we?' replied Luigi in a sarcastic tone as he leaned against a kitchen counter and drank black coffee. He'd been too sleepy to even eat, unlike his brother, and his exhaustion was putting him in a decidedly unreasonable mood.

As expected, Mario glanced up from his meal and shot him a bewildered look. 'What's up with you?' he asked through a mouthful of something. Luigi sighed deeply and didn't bother answering. Perhaps the silence between them would have escalated into a full-blown argument if it wasn't for the morning newspaper getting shoved through their front door at that exact moment, making them both jump.

Mario hurriedly finished his breakfast and got up to retrieve the paper. Luigi remained where he was, gulping his coffee in an effort to stop his eyes sinking shut as he stood there. Maybe he actually needed to go to that tennis game. Something to keep him awake might be a good idea...

Then Mario's eyebrows shot up and he let out a startled exclamation. 'Luigi, you gotta hear about this!' he cried, spreading the newspaper out flat on the dining table. 'Wario's in hospital! Somebody found him lying in an alleyway behind the Post Office last night. Apparently he'd been burned and knocked out by something.'

'Shame it wasn't Waluigi,' his brother muttered. He hadn't made any effort to come over and examine the article himself.

Mario started reading aloud quite fast, not paying any attention to Luigi's grumpiness. 'Listen to this. 'Toad Town Police believe that this attack was caused by a very dangerous criminal who should not be approached at any cost. They say Mr Wario is very fortunate to have escaped alive. In fact, the situation is so serious that Princess Peach has started looking into the matter personally.'' The red-capped plumber dramatically threw the newspaper aside and looked up at his brother. 'I'm sure you know what this means.'

'What?' Luigi groaned.

'It means that your evil shadow is nearby!' Mario declared. 'Don't you get it, Luigi? It all adds up! He must be the one who attacked Wario. Maybe he did it to get your attention or something.'

The younger brother gave a massive sigh, but inwardly he was rather impressed by Mario's logic. It did make sense, but he couldn't help wondering why the shadow had made the decision to attack Wario, someone he barely cared about, instead of targeting Mario or Peach or someone else he actually liked.

But before he could respond, Mario released a sudden gasp of shock. When he'd dropped the newspaper, a little scrap of paper had fallen out from somewhere inside it and landed on the table. He scooped it up and read quickly.

''To my rival,'' he said. ''I'm sure after reading this, you'll realise just what I'm capable of. Let's put an end to this like gentlemen, shall we? Come to Shooting Star Summit today at sundown. Then we'll find out exactly who's got the power here.''

Beneath this was the sender's name. Mr L, the Green Thunder, signed in curly handwriting with green ink.

Mario slowly put the message down and turned his gaze onto his brother.

Luigi hadn't moved from where he'd been standing before, but his posture had grown strangely stiff and his face was devoid of any expression. The hand that clutched his coffee mug was trembling. He placed it on the kitchen counter with a slow, deliberate movement and looked up to meet Mario's eyes. 'I'd better get ready, then,' he said in an emotionless voice.

The older plumber stood up so fast he knocked his chair flying. 'No! No way, Luigi! I told you before, we're in this together!'

'He'll kill you!' Luigi shot back. 'And anyway, this is a personal challenge.'

'So what?! I'm not gonna let you go alone. You know that.'

They sized each other up, both shaking with anger. Mario had drawn his fist back, fully prepared to knock his brother unconscious if it was necessary to prevent him running off alone. Then Luigi seemed to deflate. All the violent emotion drained out of his body in an instant.

'Fine,' he said quietly. 'You know best. We'll go together, tonight.' Mario exhaled slowly and let his fist drop, relief washing over him.

'Good thinking, bro,' he said, sauntering over to give his younger sibling a firm pat on the shoulder. 'Nobody will die, don't worry.' Luigi didn't answer, causing him to clear his throat a little awkwardly. 'So, what do you say about visiting the Café for lunch today? I don't feel up to cooking.'

'You never cook,' mumbled Luigi, though a faint smile was curving up one side of his mouth. 'All right. Grab your scarf and we'll head out.'


The day seemed to pass with agonising slowness for the two brothers. Mario was worried and failing to hide it. Luigi was brooding silently. Anyone who didn't know him well enough would have thought he was in a sulk, but Mario knew he was probably thinking up battle tactics or something of the sort. Luigi liked to prepare for every eventuality so that nothing would catch him off-guard, and he organised things with meticulous precision. He wouldn't go charging into danger without a well-considered plan – not like his brother.

When the sun finally began its sorrowful descent towards the western horizon, they both stopped right outside the gates that led into Peach's Castle grounds. They looked at each other and, as their eyes met, a feeling of electrical power surged between them as if they were about to head into the worst fight of their lives.

Mario could see the determination clear as day in his brother's eyes, but it was tempered with something akin to fear.

'Watch my back, will you?' Luigi broke the silence.

They grasped hands briefly. 'Course I will, bro,' replied Mario.

There was no reason to stand there talking any longer, so they both turned right and began walking up the purple rocky path that would lead them to Shooting Star Summit. It was time to confront the shadow before it could do any more harm.