Hey, guys! Joseph here! This story was primarily written by Shana Hager, famous for her Luigi stories. The Year of Luigi is over, yes... But the Era of Luigi has only just began. L̟̀̑̈ͧ̚͡U̧͛I̙̞̻ͣ̌͒̚G̢̗͇͈͉̭̑̂I͕͉̗̙̜̱̾̌ ͙͙̮̙ͥF͙̖̳͉̠͉͊ͭ̐̀Ó̜̘͍͕̺͎̈̃ͥ̀ͅR̺͇̺̱͓̤ͤ͟E̶͈̻͎̖̳ͯ̏ͫV͖̩̘̪ͣ̍ͮ̄͆͗̀E̞̪̜͖̩̹R͙̜̭̖̱͛ͦ̒̉̈́͆͂!̷̫̩̬̫̳͔͖́̽͂̓
L is for Lethal
"Is he crazy?"
"They'll devour him!"
"Is he asking for a death wish?"
"He's no match for them!"
"He needs to think about what he's doing!"
Pessimism. Negativity. That was the immediate reaction upon learning of the challenge Luigi accepted earlier that morning. He was to be involved in a three-on-one against three heavyweight opponents later that afternoon. And those three didn't particularly care for him, either.
"Poor guy-"
"They're gonna rip him apart!"
"He's throwing his life away!"
"What's he got to prove?"
All morning long, they'd confronted Luigi, presenting all sorts of reasons why he shouldn't go through with the bout. But the man in green just tuned them out. Oh, ye of little faith, he thought. But then again, he was used to this. Very used to this. Nobody really thought he'd be capable of anything, being the second player and all. Much of his life had revolved around proving them wrong. These masses were the reason why he was so good at sports and kart racing. They laughed, snickered, sneered and taunted, and it only resulted in him working harder than ever. It was almost ironic. Calling him weak, which in turn started making him stronger. Heh.
Now, the mustachioed man in green was hours away from a challenge. Yes, he'd taken on challenges and event matches in prior tournaments, but never like this one. Call him stubborn, call him foolhardy or call him tenacious, but he wasn't about to turn his back on this!
Bowser, Ganondorf, and Wario. Three enemies that Luigi made during the Smash Bros. tournaments, three enemies with attacks and specials that hurt like heck. And he was gonna face ten minutes straight with them, with unlimited stock but no items. At least Luigi got the say in the choice stage. That might help.
What also didn't help was the fact Master Hand nerfed his down throw. Even after over a year, Luigi had never forgiven the Hand of Creation for doing that. All of those cherished combos, forever lost to the wind...this was all around a bad day for L.
But would win this. He would strike like lightning and show them all the true master here. He could win without the choice in stage.
He would strike them down without mercy. And nothing would stand in his way.
Bring it on.
Motivational music blasted over the Training Room's sound system, echoes bouncing off the walls. Survivor was belting out "Eye of the Tiger", giving the scene the appearance of coming directly from the Rocky franchise. And indeed, the sounds of punches mingled with the famous 80s rock anthem, along with deep, whistling breaths and emphatic grunts. The sole occupant of the studio was training-and training hard.
Piles of tattered Sandbags were heaped in a corner of the room, yet Luigi didn't let up from his relentless assault. This was do-or-die. In one hour, he'd be face-to-face with three people he loathed more than anyone in the world. And they minced no words about how they were looking forward to it. With each slam at the Sandbag came memories of the words they'd spoken to him during lunch.
"Wah! We're gonna eat you up and spit you out, beanpole!" Punch.
"GWA-HA-HA! I hope you brought you brother with you!" Punch. Punch.
"By the time we're done with you, there won't be enough of you to be considered a person!" Punch-Punch-Punch-Punch-PUNCH!
Luigi hadn't even made eye contact with them. He'd merely sat there calmly, eating his lunch, saving the fire for the upcoming bout. He would've liked to shove the remainder of his meal into one of their faces, or bring up the fact that they weren't particularly top tier material. But c'mon-that would make him no better than them. Besides, he was bottom tier in the first tournament and subjected to that crap-at least, until he zipped their lips with no-holds-barred displays of what he could do!
Back to the present, Luigi also looked forward to this afternoon's matchup, but he didn't say that to those three. No, no-he was gonna let his fists, feet and fireballs do the talking. Man, the appointed hour couldn't come soon enough.
"Eye of the Tiger" faded out, the silence quickly replaced with "Lose Yourself" by Eminem. Eminem was a frequent artist on Luigi's playlist, and this was one of the songs which got him in the zone. He took a deep breath and whaled away at Sandbag after Sandbag, his mind blocking out everything but the music and his attacks. He imagined one of his three opponents in the place of the training tool, faltering, his scare tactics falling to pieces in the face of Luigi's offensive strategy. And the anger came, sizzling and quick, anger which Luigi had to swallow back again and again. He had to stay focused. He couldn't let his personal feelings overpower him on the battlefield. Pausing, controlling his breathing, until the fury dulled to a manageable level. What would getting angry do, anyway?
Look...
If you had
One shot...
Or one opportunity...
To seize everything you ever wanted
In one moment...
Would you capture it
Or just let it slip?
He gave the Sandbag before him one of his signature jumping uppercuts and glanced at his watch. Only forty minutes left. Luigi crossed the room and took a swig of Gatorade, still allowing the music to fill him. He closed his eyes for a moment to savor the sweat running down his face, his neck, his back and underneath his shirt. Dripping from his earlobes and nose, running over his eyelids and threading through his eyelashes. He let out a series of slow breaths in a breathing exercise, and then opened his blue obs. Surveying the pile of Sandbags he'd trashed and locking his gaze on three of them in particular, sprawled haphazardly on the floor. Envisioning those three in heaps on the stage, moaning and groaning and writhing and covered in bruises and blood, forced to acknowledge his presence. Asking him for mercy, for forgiveness for what they'd done to him. Being the kind person he was, he'd eventually forgive them. Probably. Maybe.
"You might want to save some of that energy, L," said a voice.
Luigi turned. James stood there, leaning casually against the wall, gazing at the man in green with pure reverence. He'd watched Luigi from a hiding spot from the moment the plumber walked in and cranked up his tunes; he'd taken in the sight of his arms pumping, of his fists and feet flying, of his body as it bobbed and weaved and of the sweat droplets flying every which way. He'd listened to the impact of each blow on sand-filled canvas, to each breath whistling and whooshing from Luigi's mouth and to his low, soft grunts of effort. No Sandbag had been spared. His three foes had better start to pray.
"Hi, James," Luigi said with a small blush, slightly turning down his music. "How much of that did you see?"
"Plenty," replied the original Mii Fighter, a look in his eyes that was...fear maybe? Worry? For his foes, perhaps? Probably meant nothing.
Again, Luigi drank deeply from his Gatorade. "So," he said, "have you come to rag on me about my rash decision to take on three merciless heavyweights?"
"No," James said honestly. "I just want to say-I believe in you, L."
Luigi and James locked eyes. "Really?"
"L, I don't care what those pessimists say about you. You can do this. You can. You're Luigi, the one and only mustachioed man in green. You fight ghosts. You're a speed demon in kart racing. You're a master at every sport under the sun. You even win by doing absolutely nothing sometimes-meanwhile if I do nothing I destroy stages. You put your fears aside when someone you love is in danger. You're truly a powerhouse in this tournament, too. If you can take on Master Hand, then you can take on those three fools. I know you can, L. I know you can."
"James…" breathed Luigi.
"So, the next time someone comes up to you and says you can't win against them, ignore them. Because they're wrong. You have people out there rooting for you, L. And I'm one of them. Truly, you're one of the best Smashers I've ever known, and I have faith that you'll smoke those turkeys! Just like how I smoked Final Destination… Heh. You can do this."
Tears misted in Luigi's eyes. "Thank you, James," he whispered. "Thank you. Thank you. I can't tell you how much this means to me. All morning long, I've had fleeting moments of doubt. But you just drove away the last of them. I swear to you, James, I'm gonna give it my all." He made a determined fist, his facial expression leaving little to James's imagination. The Original Mii almost felt sorry for the heavyweights. Almost.
"After hearing so many try to talk you down, I knew I had to step in," nodded James. "Don't train for too long, all right?"
"All right. Thanks again, James."
As James departed, Luigi unclasped his overalls, pulled off his shirt, and then re-clasped the overalls. Fifteen or so more minutes of training would do him more good than harm. Turning the volume back up, he set upon the Sandbags once more, chanting, "Yes, I can. Yes, I can. Yes, I can…"
You better lose yourself in the music, the moment
You own it, you better never let it go!
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime!
The match was 20 minutes away. Luigi stood, looking at the array of stages, wondering which one would best suit him. It would have to be a huge stage, so he could isolate his three opponents before having at them.. His mansion, where he could level the structure and cause some damage in the process? Nah, that was too anticlimactic. The Temple, or the Stage of Broken Friendship, where he could have his fun with them on the lower platform? Nope, that brought back too many memories of someone doing unto him in that fashion. Gaur Plain, with the multiple levels? Negative; Metal Face would be a distracting presence. Great Cave Offensive, with the lava pools he could lure them into? All right-Great Cave Offensive it was!
A Mii named Grace, clad in a Luigi cap, approached him. "Ready?" she asked.
"Let's-a go," Luigi stated confidently.
Grace led the man in green to the Warm-Up area. "Your opponents are still getting ready," she said. "You'll be automatically transported to the stage when they're finished." With that, she disappeared.
They're probably gloating about how they're gonna destroy me, thought Luigi as he used the Sandbag to burn off the last of the tension. Oh, how very wrong they are…
James sat in the first row of the stands, smiling as spectators filed in and made themselves comfortable. A large tub of buttered popcorn sat in his lap, piping hot, and the Mii Fighter popped a kernel into his mouth every so often. He'd traded his usual getup for an emerald green V-neck shirt, a pair of Levi's, some comfy Jordans and a personalized green cap with a "J" on it in Comic Sans. The majority of the incoming spectators were also clad in green, and they also came armed with colorful signs supporting Luigi. James was happy to be among this flock, to watch as Luigi showed these three pushovers that he was nobody to shove around.
As a green-and-white clad pep squad swanned past him, James saw a red-shelled Koopa Troopa headed his way.
"Excuse me, may I sit here?" asked the Koopa Troopa, indicating the seat beside James.
"I'm sorry," said James, "but I'm saving this seat for a friend."
The Koopa Troopa nodded. "I understand," he said before continuing on his way.
The middle seat of the first row was Mario's spot whenever his little bro was engaged in a heated fight. This was because it was where he knew Luigi could see and hear him. It was the red-clad hero's cheers and presence which girded L from the word "Go" to the word "Game". And today-he needed Mario's support more than ever.
Speaking of which, here he came now!
Mario practically bounded down the steps to his favorite seat, Peach gliding behind him. "Thanks for saving my spot, James," he said as he plunked himself down.
"No problem," smiled James. "After all, I hand out the tickets." He winked.
"And thanks for going down there to talk to him," Mario went on. "I was afraid that these naysayers would shake his confidence."
"Trust me, M," the Mii assured him. "Your baby bro's gonna take those three, because he's set his mind to it."
"That's my bro," Mario stated proudly.
"Would you like some popcorn while we wait for the battle to begin?" asked James, proffering the tub of popcorn to his seatmates.
"Don't mind if I do," said Mario, taking a handful.
"Thanks, James," Peach chimed in, also helping herself.
As Mario, Peach and James crunched on popcorn, the Mii Fighter glanced at his watch. The big event was minutes away…
Standing on the Great Cave Offensive, Luigi was a handsome sight. He'd traded his normal getup for his Fire Flower ensemble...crisp white shirt, dark green overalls, a white cap with a green "L" on it and black (or dark brown), freshly polished shoes. The outfit matched the internal blaze within him as he stared down his three antagonistic opponents, their menacing expressions not affecting him in the slightest. His blue eyes sliced into their very souls. Then, they closed, his chest gently pulsing in and out as he took slow, deep breaths. Before a fight like this one, he'd always imagine a ball of energy, starting at his strong and stout heart and then slowly moving down to the center of his abdomen, directly at his navel. The energy ball grew as he breathed, and he welcomed the warm tingle spreading out in his core. He appeared to be glowing slightly as he cleared his mind, chasing away that pesky anger associated with the three bullies before him. They did and said things to him which would make your stomach turn, things which would make you shake your head and question your faith in humanity. But as soon as he heard the word "Go", Luigi was gonna make them pay...for everything.
Master Hand, the announcer, started speaking. "Luigi… Vs… Bowser, Ganondorf, and Wario!" The match was due to begin in ten seconds. No items, except for the Smash Ball - not that anyone knew about the hidden item. Not even the contenders. The floating hand chuckled… However that worked.
Luigi allowed himself one long, last deep breath, his eyes sparkling and promising Hell on Earth to his opponents as they opened. "Sono un sopravvissuto. Ho intenzione di fare questo. Non perderò," he whispered.
It was time. "Three. Two. One! GO!"
Luigi smiled, running up to Bowser first, who tried to grab him and suicide off stage. Cheap tactic, really. The L saw it coming from a mile away and fluidly sidestepped. The Flying Slam missed him by such a narrow margin that Luigi felt the wind whipping across his body. Exhaling, he noticed Ganondorf ambling toward him and threw a spin kick, striking the larger man in the torso. As Ganon reeled, Luigi flipped and buzzed around him, mercilessly pelting him with jump kicks, flip kicks and karate chops. Ganon tried to evade the fierce strikes, but his strength had cost him much-needed speed. Unsatisfied with the damage he was doing, Luigi moved in closer, unleashing frightful body blows and devastating Smash attacks, mainly the open hand stab he had for his forward smash. Ganon's vision blurred, and he saw stars, yet Luigi kept going, breathing in controlled beats, grunting emphatically with each attack he landed.
Heavy footfalls sounded behind him, and Luigi knew it was Koopa attempting a cheap shot. Time to teach him a little lesson. Luigi seized Ganon in a firm grip and pulled him close to his slightly flushed face. By now, his respirations were brisk, but he was still able to breathe through his nose. Ganon had no choice but to look into the eyes of a very determined plumber, praying to Din that he wouldn't be the victim of a down throw combo. Oh, yes, Luigi could still pull off wicked combos; the nerf last year had only inspired him to make up new combos to replace the old ones. Luigi relished the sweat drop he saw on Ganondorf's temple. He'd love to eat Ganon alive with one of his combos, but he had an overgrown turtle to deal with. He tightened his grip on Ganon, swung him three times and then casually tossed him into Bowser's path as the King of Koopas attempted another Flying Slam. It was too late to stop the move, and Bowser wound up slamming his friend hard into the ground. The Gerudo King nearly punched Bowser, challenging him to a One Vs. One later.
Luigi tsk-tsked. "That's what you get for turning Team Attack on," he admonished.
Ganondorf and Wario tried, in sync, to crush the Green Thunder between two attacks. Luigi short-hopped before hitting both of them with a Cyclone. Before they could regroup, he set upon them with fireballs, swiftly pondering over which one to chew up and spit out first. The King of Evil was the weakest of the three, but Mr. Ravioli-he deserved a green beatdown the most, as he was a source of annoyance in both the tournaments and in his home world. A dark look came across his face as he made his selection. By now, Bowser had recovered enough to try and rescue the pair, but Luigi continued to keep him and Ganon pinned while cutting Wario from the group like a slice of rich chocolate cake. Dancing lightly on the balls of his feet, the man in green lured the Paragon of Greed a significant distance away from Ganon and Bowser and toward one of the dangerous lava pools. And then-he let him have it.
Wario had been so sure of himself that he'd neglected to practice, and now he was paying dearly for it. Luigi's strong, steady fists thudded into him, but his girth acted as a cushion for his nerves and ribcage. Noticing this, Luigi opted to knock the wind from his opponent with several strategic forward smashes to the stomach. As Wario doubled over, Luigi whaled away at his mug, his grunts increasing to exhilarated hollers as he gave Mr. Ravioli more and more of what he deserved. Whenever his knuckles and feet started aching from punching and kicking, he'd simply grab Wario and repeatedly toss him into the air, watching as he ricocheted into the lava pool, blisters and burns appearing on his bruised skin. Then, Luigi would pluck him away from the dangerous area, and it began once again, the green fighting machine even styling a down throw combo or two on Wario when there was enough space to do so. Whenever Wario's two allies attempted to jump in, Luigi calmly flicked out his searing hot fireballs. The two kings were helpless and could only watch as Luigi showed them, showed Wario and showed the spectators that last year's nerf didn't cripple him in the slightest!
However, just like before the nerf, those combos took a hefty amount of breath from the man in green. The spectators, especially Mario, James and Peach, could hear Luigi's breathing turn into those characteristic aggressive, staccato, sharp and dare they say angry whistles. But a slight ache in the lungs meant nothing to Luigi. It only made him pull off more creative combos! But, as always, Bowser wanted every excuse on God's earth to play dirty. One excuse was currently knocking him upside his horned head.
Grinning, Bowser crept over to Luigi, still working Wario over, and assailed him with claw strikes, allowing Wario to escape the combo he was trapped in, unleash a powerful fart and make good his escape, laughing as he fled. Once Wario was in the clear, Bowser released his full wrath on the green-clad plumber before him, slicing his claws relentlessly. After about a minute or so, Luigi reoriented himself and looked at his longtime foe with unbridled hatred. After blocking the incoming claw, Luigi let loose with overhead punches, and with a battle cry leaving little to the imagination, cannoned a Super Jump Punch straight into Koopa's jaw. And a critical hit at that! Bowser rubbed his jaw, which was rapidly swelling from the powerful blow. Now he was really mad!
Growling, Bowser ran over to Luigi, jumped above him, and before the man in green could react, he used his down special, the infamous Bowser Bomb. Luigi got hit, eliciting boos from the audience. In spite of the heavy blow, Luigi got back up, flashing the audience a quick, reassuring smile before turning back to his opponents, fists up, slashed and bruised from Bowser's earlier blows but by no means broken. He began to bring his breath back, lips rounded, twinkling eyes locked on his foes, awaiting their next move. The Koopa King shot a breath of fire, but the "blast lines" protected the spectators. As Luigi backflipped to safety, James impulsively threw a handful of popcorn at the Koopa King. Luckily for the Mii, the force field was one sided, which undoubtedly annoyed Bowser.
"James, when I get my hands on you, I'm gonna disassemble your mol-"
Bowser was oblivious to Luigi charging a Smash attack behind him. With a mighty shout of effort, the plumber speared his hand hard into the reptilian monarch. The pain was indescribable!
"GRAHHHHH!" The Koopa King screamed as he catapulted through the air. Seconds before he hit the blast line, he came to his senses and recovered to the stage.
Frustrated, Bowser positively pounced on Luigi, drilling into him shell first and then further slicing into him with his Whirling Fortress before viciously propelling massive, leathery fists into him! But Luigi was no bug about to be squashed. He read Koopa's incoming dropkick and immediately took the offensive with a forward throw, a dash attack and a dazzling display of aerials. Respirations kicking right back up to those whistles and whooshes, Luigi snatched Bowser by his spiked collar. And the turtle knew exactly what was gonna happen.
No! No! Oh, God, please, no! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Bowser screamed internally.
Luigi read his mind and completely ignored him, throwing him down and butt-slamming him with godlike force, quickly following up with a f-air string and a smattering of airdodge reads. From there, it was on! Luigi ached all over from Koopa's assault, and he knew he was bruised, bloodied and swollen in several areas, but he was gonna make this reptilian bully feel the same thing, perhaps worse! He expertly evaded the lava pools and negotiated the stage's many platforms as he set about punishing Bower for his impulsive charge. His white shirt and slightly tanned, sweat-slicked skin contrasted against the relatively dark background of the stage as he leaped, danced, dodged, flipped and cartwheeled about, still taking some wicked attacks from Bowser yet continuing to go to town on him with combo after combo. Occasionally, he glanced over his shoulder to see what Ganondorf and Wario were up to and spammed his fireballs to keep them separated from Bowser. Whenever the big, bad turtle tried to escape, Luigi stunned him with a few swift tilts and re-grabbed him for an ever harsher combo. Over the sound of his breaths, of Bowser's body slamming into the stage again and again and the wince-inducing impact of his blows, Luigi heard the cheers. So many voices, chanting his name, rooting for him. The cheering was to him as ointment was to a cut and as air conditioning was to a hot, hot day. There was once a time when the audience wanted his opponents to crush him. But Luigi didn't let the encouragement distract him for long. He needed to stay focused. For the time being, he held a good, strong, lead, but one simple mistake could turn it into a devastating loss.
Wario, tired of watching helplessly from the sidelines, mounted his bike and rode at top speed toward Luigi, hoping to ram him, but the green-clad hero heard the motorcycle's engine. He purposely allowed Bowser to DI away from his combo and then dropped to the ground, executing an impressive breakdance sweep. The down smash attack destroyed the Wario Bike, sending its rider spinning through the air and crashing into Bowser. Agitated, the Koopa King grabbed Wario and kicked him offstage.
"Wow," Luigi said flatly. "You just saved me a lot of work."
"Player Four… DEFEATED!" Master Hand announced.
Ganondorf looked at Bowser in pure exasperation before attacking Luigi with his Flame Choke. This move brought on the disrespect because it could either combo into a down tilt or chain into itself. Ganon tried both tactics on his opponent, sprinkling in some Warlock Punches for grins and giggles. Luigi didn't know which pain to focus on; the death grip on his windpipe, the bursts of dark magic accompanying the down special which slammed him into the floor or that Godforsaken Warlock Punch colliding with key areas on his body. But the so-called Eternal Understudy was not going to lose! He dodged a Flame Choke, pulled his fist back, and shot it with maximum power into Ganondorf's face, blood spritzing out on impact and knocking quite a few teeth away. The Gerudo King was unhappy, to say the least.
Ganon and Bowser raced at Luigi together. The plumber put up his dukes, shoulders thrust back, chin held high, waiting...waiting...waiting. Holding in the adrenaline and aggression till he could barely take anymore, keeping his breathing slow and steady. Just as the two heavyweights came eyeball close, Luigi struck. He sucked in a deep breath, crouched down, let his energy build, and literally let himself fly. He relished in the sensation of his head slamming into two bodies with the force of a Hyundai Elantra and in the sound and feeling of a few already-bruised ribs giving way beneath the green-capped cranium. He'd gotten a misfire, too, which was a 1 in 12 chance these days. The dull ache in his head was so worth it.
The two were sent flying and landed on the other end of the stage. As they struggled to their feet, Luigi set about the usual process of pinning them down and singling one of them out for close-range combat. He opened his attack with a handful of fireballs, and then decided to try something else. Nimbly, he hopped onto an upper platform, and as Ganon attempted to pursue him, he executed a down aerial, timing the attack so that the top of Ganondorf's head was right at his hipbone. The painstaking precision paid off with a meteor smash, slamming Ganon down, back up and then back down. Bowser took another swipe at the man in green, but he cartwheeled away, dropped back down and took a risk by leaping between them, mashing into them both with a Cyclone and slightly rising off the ground as he did. The two were hurled away in different directions.
Wasting no time, Luigi decided to go after Ganondorf, paying him back for the agony he'd subjected him to with the repeated Flame Chokes and Warlock Punches. He approached the Gerudo King as he picked himself back up and greeted him with a shy kick to a particular sensitive region. Ganon doubled over with a grunt, and then Luigi was upon him, sending serious and vicious punches into his face, pivoting and shooting hooks into the rest of his body. Bowser tried to rush in, only for the heel of Luigi's boot to collide with his shin. There was a faint yet discernible crack, and Bowser was hopping about, clutching his shin and screaming like a girl.
Meanwhile, Ganondorf managed to get some mighty attacks of his own in, followed by a massive axe kick. Yet Luigi still got up. Before the Gerudo could give him enough distance, Luigi grasped him roughly. The look on Ganon's face as he realized what was about to happen was priceless. Unfortunately, he couldn't savor that facial expression for long…
Smiling, Luigi butt-slammed Ganon, executed a double f-air, read the airdodge, re-grabbed, slammed and hammered at the King of Evil with greater vehemence. The Triforce of Power couldn't save its keeper from flurries of rapid, crushing strikes or brutal, bruising, heavy blows! The spectators heard more crunching and cracking, and they ate it up! James, especially, was having a party, helping Mario cheer loud and strong for the man in green. The green-clad pep squad the Original Mii had noticed earlier was a synchronized symphony of bouncing bodies, swishing pom-poms, boinging, glossy ponytails and perky voices. Their leader, tall and petite, shouted into a green-and-white megaphone, while the other girls and select audience members followed her lead. James was further stoked to observe Luigi actively responding to the pep squad's efforts, throwing more might and passion into his attacks.
When Bowser once again lit up the stage with his fire breath, Luigi calmly snatched Ganon by his cape and used him as a Gerudo shield. Ganon howled in agony as the flames hit him, and the audience laughed. The cheerleaders blew raspberries, and the pep squad leader took the opportunity to fling her megaphone at Ganondorf, hitting him in the shoulder. Bowser glared in her direction and roared, but she and the others were unafraid. Next thing he knew, his tail was seized in a vice-like grip.
The spectators were on their feet as Luigi spun Bowser right round, baby, right round like a record in that familiar way, a huge smile on his face. Faster and faster and faster they whirled, until Luigi heaved Bowser forward with a grunt, catapulting him into the just-recovered Ganondorf. Mario gave a loud whoop from his place in the stands as the two crashed-landed in a pile on their backs.
The proverbial smoke poured from Ganon's and Bowser's ears as they untangled themselves, hate-mad eyes burning into Luigi. The man in green met their spiteful glares with a cool smile, streamed out a breath and raised his fists, practically begging them to charge. Which they did. And again, Luigi was ready for them. Dodging and ducking, and then letting loose with fireballs, fists, feet, open hands and down throw combos, making sure to hit already bruised areas at least twice. His white shirt was nearly translucent with sweat, several bruises slightly visible on the skin beneath, much to James's and Mario's concern. Peach was also biting her lip, drawing small pearls of crimson blood. They weren't petty bruises, either-they were big, dark and ugly bruises splattered on that limber, agile body. But they didn't seem to bother Luigi, who was now styling an impressive combo on Bowser while using his fireballs to force Ganon to watch. In fact, he'd taken Warlock Punches, Flame Chokes, axe kicks, claw strikes, body slams, even a Wizard's Foot or two-and got right back on his feet. Both eyes swollen and blackened, both jaws blue and purple messes, blood fountaining from his nose, mouth and from where Bowser's claws had slashed him. Yet he was still on his feet. Still fighting.
And he was gonna be the last one standing.
Master Hand was watching from the observation booth. He was in charge of this now, ever since James annihilated his home stage. The Hand of Creation was still trying to design a new one.
Nonetheless, Master Hand wanted to spice things up. He looked at his many options. He could summon a minecart on stage, on other stages he could do other things… But here? He didn't want minecarts, he wanted items. He looked at a glowing button with the Smash Bros. insignia. The Smash Ball!
He smiled, silently laughing. Or at least, it was silently laughing. It was only after nearly a minute he realized his mic was still on.
"My bad." He said to the mic, before switching it off. He looked at the button. He poked the button with his whole arm (because floating glove and all), and he smiled as the item appeared on stage, the audience gasping in unison.
Master Hand couldn't have intervened at a better time. Somehow, Bowser and Ganondorf had gotten the drop on Luigi and disrupted his rhythm, and they were now double-teaming the man in green! Ganondorf held Luigi by his arms, pinning them behind his back, while Bowser used him as a punching bag, inviting the audience's wrath. They fulminated, cursed and made dirty hand gestures at him. Peach tipped her chinaware cup over the railing, spilling hot tea onto both her kidnapper and the Gerudo. Some of the pep squad even flashed the Koopa King until the ushers politely asked them to stop. Then, Ganon shoved Luigi towards Koopa, who grabbed the plumber and whipped him around, allowing his pal to take his turn.
Luigi didn't even react to the blows. Didn't cry out or beg for mercy.
Glancing up at the audience's sudden gasp, Luigi saw the Smash Ball floating lazily through the air. His body gave a sharp twist, freeing himself from Bowser's hold, and he took off after the mysterious object, leaving his slower foes in the dust. He attacked the Smash Ball enthusiastically, and it took only a few blows and kicks for it to give.
Instantly, a multi-colored aura surrounded Luigi, his blue eyes glowing a golden yellow. The audience fell silent, waiting for his next move. Ganon and Koopa caught sight of him and stopped in their tracks. It was all over for them, and they knew it. Slowly, they began to back away, but it was no use. There was no escape. The yellow eyes burned malevolently into them. They saw bloodlust and glee. He had them right where he wanted them.
Ganondorf muttered a prayer to Din. Bowser crossed himself. Luigi just looked at them, smiling a smile which neither of them wanted to see again.
"End of the line, you two," Luigi said ominously. "Game over!"
Dramatically, he brandished his beloved Poltergust 5000 and turned the suction on full blast. Bowser and Ganondorf screamed piteously as they were swept into the ghost-sucking contraption. Then, Luigi aimed the nozzle at the sky, ejecting the duo high into the air and beyond the blast zone.
"GAME!" boomed Master Hand.
Everyone cheered louder than a crowd at the Super Bowl. James pulled out a bottle of champagne, popped the cork, and sprayed the beverage all over himself, Mario, Peach and the rest of the spectators. They quickly followed suit with their own bottles of champagne. Drenched, whooping and hollering, the spectators followed James, Mario and Peach out of the seating area and to the Reception Hall, where they'd help Luigi celebrate a hard-earned victory.
"This game's winner is...Luigi!"
The Reception Hall erupted into a splendid cacophony at Master Hand's announcement. The victor absorbed the cheers, a light flush animating his cheeks, as he struck a comical pose. The occupants of the hall ate it up, especially when he did his "Bang-bang!" pose. That was the most popular of his poses, as well as his favorite. And it was the pose he decided to strike now, doing a flashy spin before clicking his fingers into gun motions and adding the "Bang-bang!" and a wink for emphasis. Everyone went wild.
Wario, Ganondorf and Bowser stood off to one side, glowering at Luigi. Nobody paid attention to them, though they'd tell you that they most certainly got what was coming to them. They weren't so high and mighty now, weren't they?
As the ladies tossed Luigi flowers and Mario swept Peach into a passionate kiss, James regarded Luigi with a look of pride. Prior to the reception, the most serious of his wounds had been treated, though he was still sweaty and rumpled. A few curly-Qs of dark brown hair stuck to his forehead, and trails of perspiration were drying on his face and neck. His blue eyes sparkled with both humility and accomplishment. A broad smile extended from ear to ear, and not even the reproachful looks from the three he'd defeated could knock it off. As far as he was concerned, he'd knocked them clear from their high-horses and showed God and everyone that they were tough to beat, yet defeatable.
James's eyes met Luigi's, and the Mii Fighter tossed him a quirky wink. But the Mii also saw something else in the plumber's eyes-gratitude. If he hadn't talked to him in the Training Room, then he probably wouldn't have kept his appointment on the battlefield. It took one Mii to make the words of many of a dissenter mean nothing to him. He'd done a good job ignoring them beforehand, but some of their comments had started to get to him, causing doubts to swim in his mind. The fact that this whimsical Mii, who tended to imbibe and wreck stages (albeit accidentally), believed in him, along with his big bro, the Princess and his other friends, was enough. So Luigi had kept his appointment. And he'd stuck it out to the very end.
Softly, James mouthed, You're welcome.
After the ceremony, Mario grabbed Luigi in a bear hug and swung him round. Peach, James, the pep squad and the others joined him in hoisting the victorious man in green onto their shoulders and parading him out of the room as the three defeated heavyweights stomped away, taking the anger over their defeat on one another and each trying to use the other as a scapegoat.
Despite what others had said, Luigi had freaking done it. He had won. He had struck like lightning and showed them all the true master here. He'd struck those three down without mercy.
And nothing had stood in his way.
That's Luigi for you.