A dull boom shook the cockpit, flinging Luigi hard against the webbing as he struggled to resume control of the vessel now that the lines connecting the autonomous hand and feet sections had been severed.
"Damn it! I got missile lock and now it's jammed!"
Gagging on the stink of burning plastic and hot metal, he could barely heard his own voice over the shrill screams of various alarms and failing infrastructure.
This left one last option. He cut the power to the missile launcher. Amidst the sea of red lights on the control panel one turned green. He gave a grimace of triumph as he saw Bowser come into range.
"HA HA LET IT RIP!" He screamed as he disabled the safeties on the main Laser.
A brilliant flash of light filled the cabin followed by another shock, causing food wrappers and urine bags to be hurled onto the console. However, this was eclipsed by the fact that all the lights, warning or otherwise were out and that thick smoke was leaking into the cockpit.
Luigi's face slackened with horror. He didn't need to smell the acrid stench of burning hydrualic fluid to tell him that he was down to his final option. He reached down to the handle he had installed with the hope he'd never have to use it, while he clamped an oxygen mask to his face.
The jolting from the failing mechanical systems made it harder for him to move in his seat and locate the handle. Strange visions of crawling on carpet intercut the sickening jolts he felt as he fought to keep the craft stable enough so he could reach the handle.
His fingers closed around the red ABORT handle and he pulled. Despite himself, he felt a fey shiver that no-one could survive Brobot L-Type's final blow within a 10 meter radius.
He felt the acceleration pin him to the chair as he shot out of Brobot's burning corpse as the rocket under his ejection seat threw him clear. He felt his vision blur and was deaf to his own screams as he accelerated upwards into the featureless white void. He opened his mouth but only a grunt came out. He felt his pulse bound in his ears then a hard CRACK as debris from the ejection hit his head, making his vision explode with stars.
The void seemed to fill his vision as he struggled to breathe, feeling the acceleration on him and a feeling of tightness around his chest like an iron band. He heard the distant sounds of shouting and clawed at the oxygen mask he still had on his face. Then again the sense of movement - white void then glimpses of people rushing around him, touching him, carrying him then finally a disturblingly familar voice crying out his name as his vision vanished to a point. And then blackness.
He awoke in a brightly lit room smelling of disinfectant. He saw something yellow with cables attached to one side and realised it was his arm. Next to that was someone more familiar.
"Mario!"
"Luigi! I came as soon as I heard. Here's Fleur. She found you when you didn't answer the door. I...we thought we'd lost you bro!
"Wha...Oh Bro! I was in that ship! It was on fire and I thought I was going to die! Oh no..."
Luigi started to sob. Mario held him as Fleur sat some distance away in an awkward silence.
"Looks like you had a heart attack bro. They're going to keep you in for a few more days."
"But it seemed so real! That's the worst I ever remembered it! Oh no."
"It's OK. Fleur found you when she went to check on you. She had a hunch there was something wrong as she hadn't seen you the day before.
"I hit your head with the door. Sorry. We summoned an ambulance as soon as we could." Fleur added.
"Fleur called me on the emergency number and told me to come here. She could wave me through with her clearence as I am your next of kin."
"Thanks, guys but what's going to happen now? The trial is in a week!"
"Ah, this is not the time to discuss this. I will need to remain as I have to ensure that details of the case are not discussed outside of court without legal representation."
"Oh. I understand. But how long have we got?"
"From the rules on illness and kinship visits you have one hour a day, starting from now."
Fleur walked away from the bed and sat on the chair at the far side of the room.
Luigi looked at Mario. Mario took his good hand.
"Bro, that was close. They had to get the paddles out on you to stop your heart, after the Toad EMTs were jumping on your chest. Literally. They said it was fibrillation from an erratic heartbeat."
That would explain why his chest hurt like sunburn in addition to anything else.
"Mario?"
"Yeah?"
"What's going to happen? They'll say I'm not fit for sure-"
"Uh Bro. You know the rules. We can't talk about the case. You need to get some rest-".
There was a knock at the door. Mario opened it to reveal the consultant, a Toad of middle years.
"Mr Mario sir? I am Dr Blewit and I am taking care of you today. I have some good news."
"What?"
"It appears that your heart problem is stress-induced transient fibrillation - your heartbeat speeding up until it becomes unstable. It can be treated with short term medication. It should not recur providing you avoid stress and have at least two days of rest. No heavy exercise for a week. You will need to be up and walking by tomorrow though."
"Hah! Avoiding stress!"
The doctor looked affronted until he remembered who he was speaking to.
"Ah. I see. I hope you accept my apologies. What I meant to say is given the trial date this...sickness should not compromise the trial. This is what you wanted to hear?"
Luigi sighed hard.
"Yes. Sorry I've snapped but I just want this over. I'd better stop. I'm not supposed to talk about the trial outside of the court setting."
The truth be told, Luigi wanted an end to this almost more than being cleared. How many weeks had it been? It was as if he was a prisoner already in terms of being able to be free to act. He was surprised at how much he missed simple things like making a sandwich or doing the washing up. How mad is that!? Missing chasing after Mario's rogue socks on laundry day.
"I understand. Now I will visit you again in a couple of hours." Dr Blewit left the room, leaving Mario and Luigi together with Fleur in the background.
"So, Bro how are you doing? And how's Peach?"
"Keeping on, keeping on. I'm missing doing simple stuff like fixing the meals. Or fiddling the housework rota."
That made Luigi smile.
"And Peach, well she is giving her evidence tomorrow as she wants to return to the Mushroom Kingdom ASAP. She is worried about Regent Toadsworth. She says it reminds of the time he had that nervous breakdown after the Shroob crisis."
"But the Shroob crisis WAS horrible. There were plenty who did."
"But you remember it wasn't the Shroobs - it was the thought of having to deal with Princess Peach teething. Again."
Both men laughed as Fleur looked on with polite amusement.
There was something that Luigi did want to ask, even though it seemed strange to him. But it was like an itch.
"Bro, this is going to sound kinda wierd but how's Nastasia?"
"Nastasia? I've only seen her in court from the public gallery"
Mario glanced nervously at Fleur, who nodded to continue.
"It's hard to say, but something about her seems different but I'm not sure what. It's like she looks- well she looks really good. Um. She's no doubt stressed, and she looks, well she looks so sad and resigned. But her hair and skin looks great. Uh..." He lowered his voice. "Her boobs have got bigger - it was kinda hard to miss with those shirts of hers!
Mario looked a little shifty but Luigi sat up straight.
"You thinking what I'm thinking, bro? Just there's something else. I wouldn't have noticed on anyone else but she's wearing skirts, too. She always wore trousers - guess that's why I noticed.
"Hmmm, but we better not be seen whispering to each other, eh Fleur? Mind you, one of these things might not mean much."
Luigi said thoughtfully. "But put them all together and, well I'm thinking how? and uh, why? You think she's pregnant?!"
Mario and Fleur sat up straight.
"Yes!"
"WHAT!?" They cried simultaneously. Fleur was moved to interject.
"Whoa, I have no opinion on this but you had better keep that under your hat! The last thing we need is more bait for the media circus. It was bad enough with those ambulance chasers!"
"Oh Crap!"
Mario looked furious. Luigi made a low growl but stopped when he saw the spike on his monitor. No point in tempting fate.
"Yeah, we understand - like we want to have more delays."
"Anyway brothers, it won't be long until visiting time is over and Luigi needs his rest. Your next visiting slot will be 11.00 tomorrow."
"Good bye bro"
"Good bye"
Luigi shut his eyes and leant into the pillow. He was exhausted but that was hardly surprising. He soon fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
He was awoken by knocking by Dr Blewit a few hours later.
"Mr Mario, you have some more visitors.
"Uh? Who are they?"
Luigi scratched around his mind. It couldn't be Peach if she was firefighting Mushroom Kingdom politics, nor Mario. There had been radio silence from Daisy except for the jewelled broach but that was to be expected as she didn't want to chance anything. This left...Bowser?!
What he did see was two men and a koopa of middle years file into the room. Neither of the men were anyone he knew but they looked sort of familiar. Ah yes! He'd seen them in the public gallery next to...next to...
He made a gasp of dismay. They were standing next to none other than the man who had played him in the highly popular Chronicals of Super Luigi - the dramatized adaption of his quest to rescue Princess Eclair of the Waffle Kingdom - which as it transpired had all been a hoax perpertrated by one Mr Crepe as an attempt to sabotage her engagement to the nobleman of her choosing.
"Hello Mr Mario, I hope you are feeling better now? We heard of your illness and we hope you have a swift recovery."
"Um, thanks but I don't think I know you? How did you get in here?"
"That is not important, we can hardly expect you to know us personally. My name is Porson and this is my colleague Bornagh."
The man nodded at Luigi. He gestured to the koopa standing next to him.
"This is Karson, our legal representative." The koopa also nodded in return.
"We come here from Sarasaland as representatives of one Chett Cutler who has been following this case very closely."
There it was like a bolt from the blue! Chett Cutler was none other than the famous Sarasaland actor who played the titular role (his role!) in the Chronicals. He was famous before then as a sports personality as well as an actor and had a wide fanbase both with humans and other races outside of Sarasaland. Perhaps watching those dammned Chronicals wasn't such a bad idea after all, which he had done so reluctantly on Princess Peach's advice.
"Uh OK but I must ask, how did you get to see me. There has to be security since they cannot just let anyone in. Even my brother gets a timed slot during visiting hours?"
A brief flash of irritation moved across Porson's face before he answered the question.
"Ah yes, well we did say we are representatives of Sarasaland. We said that we had come to give you support for the time ahead, that is the trial next week. We have no intention of disrupting anything - we have Karson here as our legal representative."
Luigi's plumbers senses smelt something rather off with this man's demenor. Not to mention the evasiveness.
"So why do you want to come and see me? The doctor says I need rest and not have too many visitors. Not even my own brother can see me again until tomorrow morning."
"We want to help you. It is true. And all because Chett wanted to do this - we are acting on his behalf."
This was the point when the whiff of discord became a wave of raw sewage.
Chett had been linked with Daisy in the past and many had thought (according to back issues of Glint! and old MK Times sunday supplements) that he was the natural choice of husband material.
This was further confirmed when he saw the koopa place ear muffs over his ear membranes.
"What we want to do is help you. It is no accident you are here as it seems you have had it bad even without those charges against you."
Now the man named Bornagh spoke:
"We are offering a way out. You don't have to put yourself through the ordeal of the trial and you can clear your name if you do as we advise."
Luigi kept a neutral expression. Just keep on talking.
"What do I need to do then if I can clear my name and put and end to this?"
Bornagh resumed.
"We know you have been through hardships that we cannot imagine. And that they have not yet ceased. We are concerned that this trial might be the end for you in a literal term, even if you are found innocent."
Luigi felt a sharp rush of blood to his chest. But this was no heart attack, more cold fury. Steady now - don't let them know you're onto them.
"Thank you for your concern but what is it you are getting at?"
Porson took over.
"What my colleague is saying is that for all the horror you have faced you should feel no shame if you are to plead diminished responsibility as you were not of sound mind then and this takes time to recover."
Luigi gasped. He leant back, shamming it as exhaustion. He took some deep breaths as he also felt it would not be wise to insult these people.
"What would happen if I were to plead to be unfit for trial?"
Porson blinked, his face assumed a softer look.
"If you were to plead diminshed responsibility, then you can leave the court a free man in law but you would have to live at a known address with a person assigned as a guardian. This person could be a next of kin. There would also be another person assigned to you as an independant guardian - an adviser who is sufficiently separate such that personal factors wouldn't be an issue. You would still be able to work and travel, providing the appropriate authorities were made aware and suitable permits were arranged."
"So I could still say, drive my car, visit friends, get married for instance."
Porson looked uncomfortable.
"Well, we would have to evaluate fitness to drive of course. Relationships is a rather different matter and would have to be evauluated on a case-by-case basis."
Yes, that was what I suspected, Luigi thought. Diminshed responsibility. There is no way Daisy could marry me then, whatever King Richard had said. They want me out of the running!
Luigi took a deep breath. He felt the anger turn into a little hard ball. The two men looked at him expectantly. Karson removed his ear defenders.
"No. I'm sorry. I will take to the stand when I am called. I have been signed off as fit and will do what I must. To be honest, I'd rather go down as a legal person than sign it off and have my brother be my keeper!"
"Are you sure this is what you want?" Anger crept into Porson's voice.
"Yes, I know you meant well (bullshit) but I need to do this myself. I know I can."
"You are making a grave mistake young man, mark my words. If you lose, although it will be Princess Peach's responsibility to imprison you it will not be a bed of roses as there are standards set out by the World Court. Don't say we didn't warn you!"
Finally Karson spoke out.
"Gentlemen - you are flying close to the wind. You know you cannot say anything predjudicial here. Come, let us take our leave."
The two men and Karson walked out of the room in a thick, sullen silence.
Luigi leaned back into the pillows. He was exhausted but wide awake. There would not be much sleep tonight but perhaps that was just as well.