Level 12

Bowser awoke the next morning with stiff joints. Well he woke every morning since he set out with stiff joints. The addition of a bed this time around made them seem less stiff. And... well... It was more like afternoon when he got up as well. The wounds had apparently taken more out of the koopa than he realized. He got up and stretched. Wincing at the popping that he could hear. He let out a sigh of relief when nothing hurt, except his chest of course.

He made his way down the stairs and there was the diligent barkeep, Podley, at work. Does he ever sleep? Bowser asked himself when he seen him.

"Ah Bowser, good to see you up. I was afraid I was gonna have to call the funeral home." Podley's face didn't show much of any change in emotion. It was the glasses Bowser supposed. Made the face damn near unreadable.

"Why is that? Did I make an awful racket in my sleep? I would think that the kind of people that live in this town would make noise much worse than I." Bowser started to say, but Podley cut him off.

"It wasn't how much noise you were or weren't making. It was the hours. It's almost evening. Was afraid you weren't going to be up in time to pay tonight's room fee. I'd hate to displace a dying patron."

"uh huh." Bowser much doubted that. The king remembered what he had heard tomorrow and changed the subject to something that would benefit himself. "Tell me about the train. I won't have any trouble getting a ride will I?

"Oh ho ho ho ho ho ho, going up to the heights hmm? I would suggest you mind your manners and try not to cause a scene till after you get on the train and it's moving. The piantas don't take well to troublemakers." Bowser rolled his eyes at Podley's words. The barkeep either didn't see or let it pass as he continued. "You'll need a train pass to ride. You'll have to get a pass from the piantas. You'll have to be in the Boss's good favor to get said pass. They don't like outsiders. I can only remember one outsider getting one in the last several years. Nice man that Mario."

"WHAAAAAAAAAAT!?" Bowser roared. "That damned plumber got one from this boss?"

"Oh yes, didn't even have to wait too long."

"There's a waiting period?"

"Oh yes, it can be as long as a year."

"Can I bypass that somehow?

"Oh yes, just jingle some coins in front of them. Makes the world turn easier afterall.

"And if I don't want to let go on my coins?"

At that Podley just continued to clean a glass. As if though deep in thought, each swipe of cloth on glass was slow and deliberate. He put the glass down before he put a rag sized hole in it. He cleared his throat. "Go to the west side of town. You'll see a very clear difference between it and the rest of the town. They do that through sheer muscle and manpower. I can offer you no more than what I've given you. Good luck, hopefully you'll come back to stay in my inn again in one piece." And like that the conversation was finished. Podley grabbed another glass and got to cleaning.

Bowser harrumphed but let it go. Gave the inn one last look and went on his way towards his next destination. He hadn't taken a single step through the archway when he seen what Podley had meant. Flowers, clean streets, no shady characters around, a tasteful fountain. But he noticed the supposed "muscle" walking around. Big tough looking piantas. Nothing he couldn't handle, but where there were a few henchmen there were at least a hundred more. Bowser wrote the book on henchman placement. So instead of confronting the 2 directly he made his way to the train.

There was only one other exit out of the west side so he thought that must be where the train was. Before him, through the exit, was fields of green as far as the eye could see and a very fancy looking train. Somewhat ornate, if a little small Bowser made his way up to what he thought was the boarding platform. Before he got too close he was stopped by a lakitu.

"Whoa, hold on sir. I'm gonna have to see your pass before you can ride I'm afraid." The attendant extended his hand waiting.

"Pass? I have to have a pass to ride this thing?" Bowser asked, already disliking where this is going.

"Yes sir, nobody gets on this train without a pass. If you don't have one I'm afraid you're out of luck."

"How do I get one?"

"That I'm afraid, is something I can't tell you."

Bowser didn't like the sound of that. "why not," He asked already hating the answer

"Because I can't. Please leave sir, you are holding up the line." The attendant pointed beyond Bowser.

Bowser turned his head to look at this supposed line. No one. When he turned back the attendant was gone accompanied by a slam of a train door. "Should have known." He decided it best to find one of the piantas and "persuade" them to tell him where he could find a pass. Or the person holding the pass. Made no difference to him.

As Bowser walked back through he noticed one of the gang members at a door to some parlor. He strolled up and asked him how his day was going.

"HEY YOU! Tell me where I can get a train pass," He yelled at the doorman.

"Yoos talkin' ta me?" The doorman said trying to stare the great lizard down.

"I don't see anyone else around here, so if you're done being deaf, blind, and dumb I would tell me where I can get a train pass. I'm running behind schedule as it and I'm very upset."

"I'd watch my mouth if I's was yoos. This here be Frankies turf, he don't take kindly to loud mouths." The doorman started walking towards bowser, fists balled.

Bowser threw out a hand and grabbed the pianta by the nose. He squeezed real hard and pulled the guy down to the ground. The pianta was looking up slightly with all four limbs on the ground, making a discomforted noise.

"Now listen, buddy, pal, friend... all I want is a train pass." Bowser gave the nose another tight squeeze. "You can do that can't you."

The Pianta howled in pain. "Alright, alright. I'll tells ya. Just let go o' my nose." Bowser let go and the doorman backed up a bit tenderly touching his nose.

"I'm waiting." Bowser said tapping one of his feet.

"Ow ow ow ow. Alright looks. Yous goes to the item shop and tells the dame in there that Big Joe said to let you through." He pointed in the general direction of the item shop. "She'll let yous through, but I'll be seeing you again real soon. Boss don't like people who try to strong arm in on his territory."

"Your boss?" Bowser asked. "Well if he's as tough as you it won't be a problem" He chuckled a little. "besides, I'm only looking for a pass." Stars above I sound like a train obsessed maniac. Bowser thought to himself. "Well thanks for the directions, I'll be on my way."

However, rogueport isn't very big so he really wasn't on his way for long. He stepped inside the shop and the attendant started towards him. She had just started into the sales pitch when Bowser held up a hand.

"Not here for that. Ugh what was it... I just spoke to him. Aha. Big Joe said to let me through." Bowser waited for a response but the attendant just stood there. About a minute went by. Then two. They just stared at eat other, it was really awkward. "Um... so.. you're gonna let me through?"

"Oh uh, yeah, I mean, I suppose I could, you know, let you through or something. Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmm." She just keep going, like something froze. Bowser snapped his fingers a few times to get her attention. "Oh, what was I saying?"

"Letting me through to see the boss, urgent business and whatnot"

"Oh right," She went to the counter and hit a button. "All right, just go to the back wall and you can go through."

Bowser heard a click and his eyes centered in on the middle of the back wall. He put his hands up against it and pushed. It popped out just like a regular door. Only that door was a bit smaller than himself. The piantas had to be able to fit through here, and they were almost as big as him. He turned and slung an apologetic look back at the attendant and the threw himself through the doorway as fast and as hard as he could. He only dislodged a few bricks.

Quite happy with himself Bowser continued on undaunted. Seeing as how there was only one way to go, unless there were more hidden/secret/trap doors around, he went up the stairs and into the building. Without knocking first because well, he's the koopa king, he's above that sorta thing.

The room was nice and clean looking also mostly empty. Toward the back wall stood a desk. A henchman on either side and a chair facing him. It's occupant obviously not very excited about someone just barging in on him. He was the boss of the gang around here and he demanded respect, no one is above that sorta thing to him.

"I take it from you sitting," Bowser started. "that you're the boss around here." More of a statement than a question.

"That's right. You got a lotta guts to just barge into my place." Franky answered. A slight vein popped on his forehead.

"What can I say, I'm more for the direct route. When I want something I work to get it. No sidequests for me I'm afraid."

"So," Franky pushed the chair back as he stood up. He started walking around the desk. "What could I possibly help you with?" He asked as he stood right in front of Bowser.

Now Bowser noted one thing. This guy was confident. Not the same confidence the guard outside had. That was just a group thug mentality. This was a different kind of confidence. The kind that came from repeatedly putting down those around you that sought your share in the world. Someone who was tough, someone who ate nails for breakfast and crapped out barbed wire.

"Well I'm glad that yo-" Bowser started to say. Until he felt a very large fist connect with his face. Time slowed down for him. He felt himself fall back. He felt his spikes bounce off the floor. He landed in a heap on the floor. He didn't move for a second.

"Where are the people with respect? Where are the people who work their way up?" Franky knew his boys wouldn't answer, they didn't think much. He let out a sigh, "all I get is the punks who thinks theys can get whatever they want with some physical strength."

"What a hypocritical thing to say," Bowser said from his heap on the ground. "You rule these streets with an iron fist and you don't expect people to react with the same?" Bowser made a tsk tsk noise. "For shame, maybe you should just give up."

"You want a 'nother helpin' of pain koopa breath." Less a question and more of just foretelling. He started towards Bowser.

Bowser swung himself up fast enough to cushion another fast swing from the crimelord. Feels like the plumbers' hammers he thought to himself after blocking a few. He was backing up when finally his walls hit sheet rock. No where to go and the incoming blows would not stop. He grabbed one of franky's hands to slow the blows and let loose with an up close and personal stream of fire.

Franky recoiled and kicked and jerked to get away. Bowser held on for a while until some feet kicked off his wound on his chest. Bowser let go of franky's hand and let out a sharp exhale of breath resulting in a fireball. It hit one of the henchmen on the way out of the building.

Now with both combatants rubbing various parts of their bodies, either for the burning or the pain, time was taken to notice that the building was on fire. Franky yelled for his remaining minion to get in gear and put out the fire

"Oh, I'm gonna enjoy put'n you in da ground you big sticking sack of sh-" Franky said.

"WHAT IS GOING ON!?" Yelled a woman from the doorway. Pink and pianta looking and from how franky coiled at the sound of her voice, the pants wearer in the relationship. (which Bowser noted that piantas wore no pants only those hula skirt things)

"Uh, honey, uh, sugar pop. I wasn't expecting you to be back so early. Well you see my bubbly frou-frou, this jerk here," He points at bowser. "he thinks he can get himself a train pass without my useless side quests. I can't be having that and so I-"

"LET HIM DESTROY THE HOUSE!?" She walked over to franky and started whacking him on his noggin. "Now you are gonna clean this up, right this instant."

Bowser smiled. Thinking this has a familiar ring to back home. "Reminds me of mario and peach." He said. Not very loudly but loud enough.

"Whoas there, did yous say Mario? Do you knows mario? Franky asked. Bowser's word temporarily stopping his ladies attacks.

"Stars above, does he meddle in everything? Yes I know him. I've known him since he was a baby unfortunately."

"Well why didn't you say so in the first place." The lady spoke up finally. "Me and franky here owe him for a lot. You should have just said you were a friend of his. Would have made this house destroying a bit quicker, or not at all. Now franky, you get this guy a train pass for all the trouble you've put me through. Then we can start on cleaning this place up... and finding Maurice, if he landed somewhere in rogueport.

"Yes dimply bear, whateva you say." Franky got up and went to his desk. Pulled out a few drawers in search for the train pass and found it after the third time. "Heres yous goes. Now get outta heres.

"And send Mario our regards" The lady spoke up.

Bowser made some noncommital uh-huhs and yeah sures as he left as quickly as possible. He passed back through the storefront without a word or a glance to the shopkeep. He looked at the sun in the sky. Not much time left in the day. It was nearly evening and Bowser just felt spent. Never, NEVER had he felt like he was being held back for some reason. Like fate was conspiring against him. In less than a week he's been blown up, stabbed, thrown around, thrown around some more, and been hit by fists like sledgehammers. Now all he needs is to be poisoned, shot, and drowned a few times. Bowser chuckled at his dark humor.

But with pass in hand and some resolve in his backbone he set off towards the train. Lets see that spineless worker turn me away now, he thought.

Level 12 END