A/N: Hello hello! Nothing much to say but that my mind is still BLOWN from Nintendo's E3 (oh my gosh Smash Bros...) and if you guys haven't checked it out yet, I'd highly recommend it! Story-wise, we have more Marx, Walky, and Kirby! Who won the race...?


If Marx's jaw could have hit the floor, it would have. His eyes were as big as saucers. Then:

"We're playing again, Bubbles!"

Kirby shifted a little uncomfortably. "Marx, we've played like twelve times."

"So?!" Marx was already navigating the menus with a look of vengeance in his eyes. Kirby stared at him blankly, scooting away gingerly as if his cousin had caught on fire, which was a growing possibility at this rate. "And how many times have I WON, huh? Huh?" he asked, and Kirby began to worry about the controller in the jester's hand. He swore he heard a few cracks.

"Uh..." Kirby bit his lip. "None?"

"Exactly!"

Walky laughed from behind them and Marx turned to glare at him. He shrugged nonchalantly, sipping his soda happily which probably just infuriated Marx further.

He turned back to the game. "That's it, Bubbles! We're doing...THIS!"

Kirby paled. "Uh, can we not-"

Marx laughed evilly. "What? Can't stand the heat, Bubble-Gum Boy?"

Kirby frowned. He didn't say anything.

"No objections?" he asked. Still silence. "Haha, then let's start!"

Kirby readied himself, but he still gulped. Marx had chosen Mirror Mode - possibly the most inane and asinine of modes where all of the courses were flipped, leading to many shouts of frustration and toil - and he had also chosen the worst level for it: Toad's Turnpike. This terrible level, which was at least bearable when it wasn't reversed was near impossible when set on Mirror Mode. At least in regular mode, the cars on the crazy Turnpike were going in your direction; in the evil Mirror Mode, they went against you, making the level about as easy as trying to go upstream while fish were repeatedly smacking you in the face.

That is, fish that were going as fast, if not faster than you and were about the size of a semi-truck and other annoying vehicles.

On the screen, the small Lakitu displayed a string of traffic lights and the two combatants hunkered down, prepared for the worst.

Yellow...yellow...GREEN!

They took off and Marx grinned as he managed to get the special, start-up boost. He powered forward in the crowd of racers. However, Kirby had gotten the boost as well, and was quickly catching up to him.

Marx swerved around a semi and just barely dodged an incoming, crazed taxi. He hopped, then turned, drifting his go-kart into a small area that had items. He hit all of them, preventing anyone else from getting them anytime soon, and eagerly waited as the roulette spun and spun, then stopped on a...

"Banana!" Marx cursed. "They're not good for anything!" But, he was still in first place, so he didn't complain too much as he passed the checkered line, ending the first lap, dropping the banana just a few feet behind from it. "Ha, eat that, suckers!"

Kirby easily drove around it and pulled out his own weapon - a green shell. Holding it for a couple moments as he angled himself behind Marx amid the swerving, hectic traffic, he finally let go and the shell flew, making a beeline towards Marx. Then, there was a turn and Marx followed it, leaving the shell to hit the wall and bounce back. Kirby yelped and hopped out of the way of the kamikaze shell and it hit a computer player behind him.

"Ha! Gonna have to try harder than that, Bubbles!" Marx laughed.

"Just you wait..." Kirby muttered, concentrating on the game.

They passed the checkered line again, signaling the second lap and with the help a very carefully timed mushroom and some mad swerving abilities, Kirby jumped into first with Marx falling behind, having been hit by what seemed like half a dozen different vehicles.

That was the other thing about Mirror Mode Toad's Turnpike - the car's kept on coming, so while you could manage to get out of the way (usually) in the regular mode, you just got to keep on watching the car's coming in Mirror Mode and hope that the video game gods took mercy on your soul.

Marx muttered a few curses as his player finally landed on safe ground and then set to regaining his spot. He grabbed another item and when he saw what it was he cheered.

"YES! Come-back time, baby!" He quickly activated the lightning bolt, and watched as all of the other players were zapped down, shrunk to the size of bugs(?). He taunted them as he passed by and sped up the ranks: sixth...fourth...second...He stopped and blinked.

"You...CHEATER!"

Kirby gave him a look. "What?! What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about how YOU'RE regular size! How the heck did you dodge my lightning bolt?!"

"Oh." Kirby bit his lip. "I...might have just been hit by a car when you used it. So it didn't work on me."

Marx grit his teeth and made a noise that was reminiscent of an angry walrus.

Alright, so his ace in the whole was pretty much toast. And it was already the last lap. The finish line was getting so close, Marx could practically see it's pixelated form as well as...that banana.

A plan - devilish plan began to form in Marx's mind. If it succeeded...well, it would literally be a game changer. If he could do it.

Marx rubbed his sweating palms on his pants quickly.

Nothing left to do but try.

He grabbed an item and prayed that it would be what he needed. It spun for a few seconds and then stuck on exactly what Marx needed: a red shell. He grinned. He activated it and held it at the ready for a couple seconds, hanging farther back than he would have liked it from Kirby as the youth swerved through a few incoming trucks, getting closer and closer to the finish line.

The banana was still there where Marx had left it, just a few feet before the finish line and Kirby, expecting it, began to drive around it - this was Marx's chance. He let go of the red shell and it went zipping through, unhindered by the traffic, straight toward Kirby.

At first, Kirby didn't seem to notice, but then his Mario Kart senses started to tingle and, without any items to block the shell, tried to swerve out of the way - right into the banana. Kirby shouted, "No!" as his player spun out of control, taking an infuriatingly long time to regain traction.

Meanwhile, Marx was gaining and just as Kirby was slowly gaining speed, practically crawling toward the finish line, Marx was nearly at his tail.

He could taste victory - sweet, sweet victory now! Only a little bit...

Out of nowhere, a kamikaze Donkey Kong armed with a Super Star came barreling through course, successfully Red-Rovering both Kirby and Marx, sending them flying into the air as he flew by, taking first.

Kirby and Marx's jaws nearly hit the floor.

Thankfully, they were far enough ahead from the other computer players that they were able to not only recover, but cross the finish line in second (Kirby) and third (Marx) place, respectively.

As the finish screen played, showing the final places and footage of the race, Kirby and Marx looked silently at the screen, then at each other in silent agreement.

"Want to do something different?"

"Read my mind."

Behind them, Walky could not stop cracking up and was nearly falling off the couch with laughter.

Then he did, and all of them couldn't stop laughing.


Later, they were all in the kitchen, enjoying Root Beer Floats that Kirby had made.

Walky slurped his and came up with a foamy, delicious Root Beer mustache that he licked up. "Dude, you're insane," he told Marx.

Marx grinned triumphantly as if this was a compliment. Of course, in his book, it probably was. "Tell me something I don't know, Shaggy." Walky seemed to raise an eyebrow at this name, but, figuring that it was a heck of a lot better than some of the other things Marx could bestowed him with, took it in stride.

Kirby, who was sitting in the swivel chair at the island, happily chugging his own Root Beer Float, smiled at the two, but especially at Marx as he laughed and joked around with Walky.

"You know," Walky was saying, "I was a bit worried at first. But, now I can't wait to move in - come on, next week..."

"Yeah, well don't get too excited, 'cause you still gotta live with Bubbles and not just The Awesome Marx," he said, jabbing a finger at Kirby.

Kirby glared for a second and then rolled his eyes, smiling. "Whatever, Marx." He looked at Walky. "You've got everything set, right?"

Walky finished his drink and nodded. "Yup. Even checked out the bus systems around here to get to Popstar. How are you thinking of getting there?"

"Bus probably, though I might bike there too," Kirby replied.

"Got it. Well, you're welcome to look at the charts I printed out," he said and Kirby thanked him.

Meanwhile, Marx had suddenly gotten quiet and was busy deciphering the foamy bubbles in his drink with an odd look on his face. Kirby continued talking with Walky for a bit longer about classes that each of them were taking and what they thought the year would be like for a while before he noticed Marx's silence.

His brows furrowed and he looked at Marx for a couple seconds. Walky noticed as well and looked from Kirby to Marx. He jabbed with an elbow lightly.

"You going to finish that? 'Cause if you don't, Kirby or I will."

Marx blinked, then got his customary cocky grin. "Yeah right," he said. He held up his mug. "You're not getting any of this." He proceeded to chug it down and Walky nearly choked in surprise.

Kirby smiled lightly and finished his own glass.

He had nearly forgotten that Marx would be leaving in the Fall. He still had one more year before going to college, and even though he hadn't been here for a week, Kirby was growing used to seeing him in the house. It was nice, having someone else here.

As he rose to clean out his glass he flashed, he shook his head incredulously as Walky pounded Marx's back, the latter of which probably had Root Beer up his nose. Which was not good in Marx's book.

"Ugh..." Marx groaned, calming down. "That was nasty..."

"Dude, I wanted to tell you that that wasn't a good idea but..."

"Then why didn't you say anything!?" Marx rolled his eyes and snorted. "Some friend you are." After a second or two, it dawned on him what he said and he frowned, looking elsewhere.

However, Walky only grinned. "Sorry man, I'll let you know next time," he said, slapping Marx on the shoulder once more.

"You better," Marx muttered, face turning red.

Kirby smiled happily at the two as he joined in. "Alright! Who's up for another?"

The two looked at him as he had just ordered them to do a cartwheel. They looked at each other.

Walky rose his hands up, chuckling nervously. "Haha, not me, dude. I think I'm about Root Beer'd out for now."

Marx was a bit more vehement. "I have it UP MY NOSE - and you think I want anything to do with it?!" he demanded, pointing at his poor nose.

"Alright, suit yourselves," Kirby whistled as he began to grab out the vanilla ice cream and Root Beer again.

Walky and Marx looked at each other again.

Marx finally spoke up, "Alright. Bring it."

Walky said, "I really don't think this is a good idea...but, aw, what the heck? Get me one, too."

Kirby nodded and happily began preparing them and soon he was handing two to Marx and Walky. The latter gave it a wary look and Marx, seeing this, promptly dared him to chug it; Walky glared at him.

Then the three rose them together, very aware of the Root Beer headaches they would have later, but happy nonetheless.


Yay Root Beer Floats! Hope you all enjoyed! Don't be afraid to drop a review - I don't bite! :)

See you all on Thursday!

~Pyro-Link