Aw, that was nice of Morty, giving up the next elevator button after giving Luigi a chance to be a star.
Thank God, not all of the ghosts here are out to end his game. I hope Luigi doesn't capture him.
He won't. He's letting him finish his movie.
What about after? How do you know that he's not gonna tell those two psychos on Luigi?
Morty doesn't look like a tattletale to me. How about you guys?
No, he doesn't.
No, I don't think so.
Hey, guys! Guys! I'm the next floor up! He's gonna get me out of here—and not a moment too soon!
That's great!
Yeah! Thad's with the Professor, worried sick about me, and I bet he'll be relieved to see me still in one piece.
Soon we'll be free. Just you wait. He's working his way back to us—one loved one at a time.
…
"That was so fun!" giggled Luigi as he, Gooigi and Polterpup boarded the elevator. "Alright—having to fight a monster scared me a little, but man! Someone like me in a movie? I could only dream about that until now!"
"You'd be a perfect leading man," said Gooigi. "Morty was right when he said that your face was perfect for the big screen. Give it some time, and soon, every director will want to work with you!"
"That would be so nice," said Luigi, "but I'll worry about that later. Right now…"
He lifted the elevator button and watched it screw into place. "I wonder what's on this floor," he said as he reached out to press the button.
Suddenly, however, there was a hissing sound, and a ghostly kitten leaped out of the elevator panel, the elevator button in her jaws. Gracefully, the ghost kitty landed on the floor, giving Luigi a haughty look.
This ghostly kitty was purple, with two light blue eyes and three tails. A small string of white pearls was around her neck, and there was an air of smugness about her. She perched there for a while, staring at Luigi, still holding the elevator button in her mouth. Then, with an evil grin, she swallowed the button whole.
"No, no, no!" chided Luigi. "Bad kitty!"
The kitty smirked as if to say, "So there!", before strutting out of the elevator.
"Hey!" Luigi exclaimed, giving pursuit.
Luigi, Gooigi and Polterpup followed the paranormal kitty down the corridor and into the studio's main soundstage. Like the paranormal puppy before her, he could uncover the kitty's paw prints with the DLD. In no time flat, the trio tracked her down to the firefighter set, using the TV teleporter to get there.
"Here, kitty, kitty, kitty," Luigi said softly as he scoured the small soundstage. "It's okay, Polterkitty. I won't hurt you. I just want the elevator button."
"Polterkitty?" asked Gooigi.
"That's what I decided to call her," explained Luigi.
Polterpup made an agitated noise.
"Hey," Luigi said soothingly. "I'm not replacing you with her, if that's what you're worried about."
Not quite convinced, Polterpup stretched out on the ground. Unhesitatingly, Luigi dropped to his knees and rubbed the puppy's belly, whispering apologies in his ear.
That convinced Polterpup, and he licked Luigi's cheek in forgiveness.
"I don't even like her," said Luigi, rubbing noses with the ghost doggie. "At least I could tell that you just wanted to play when we first met. But Polterkitty—I think she really wants to cause trouble."
As Luigi continued to scan the area with the DLD, a Goob armed with a broom caught him by surprise! They were quickly joined by a small team of Mini Goobs, plus a few more Goobs armed with props such as flashlights, golf clubs, firefighter helmets, cowboy hats and even a lobster. Using his Burst and his Suction Shot where needed, Luigi mowed his way through the ghosts, slamming them this way and that. The Mini Goobs were surprisingly tough, since they liked to slip under his shirt and tickle him to their hearts' content. Eventually, though, he was able to shake them off and capture them.
"Luigi! I found her!" exclaimed Gooigi as he located Polterkitty under a bench.
The gooey ghost hunter flashed Polterkitty with the Strobulb. She froze for a few seconds—before transforming into a panther-like beast, snarling and swiping her claws.
Polterpup stared enviously at her.
"Look out!" cried Luigi, pushing Gooigi behind him.
In response, Polterkitty turned and leaped atop one of the building facades.
"Turn around," whispered Gooigi. "She won't approach unless you're looking away from her."
"How do you know that?" asked Luigi.
Gooigi shrugged.
The two faced away from Polterkitty, hearing her hiss and snarl as she stalked toward them.
"Easy—easy," said Gooigi as Luigi's grip tightened on his vacuum.
They could feel the cat-beast's breath on the backs of their necks.
"Steady…" said Gooigi.
Luigi's heart beat faster and faster.
"And—now!"
Luigi whirled on Polterkitty, stunning her with the Strobulb and catching one of her tails in the suction. His pulse was wild against his neck as he slammed her down over and over. Finally, the tail was sucked into the Poltergust, and then Polterkitty turned back to normal and fled.
"We'll—have to—suck up—all three—tails," Luigi said between heaving breaths. "Let's—get—after—her."
He took off running, and Gooigi scooped up Polterpup and ran after him.
They returned to the main soundstage, where Polterkitty was prancing around the catwalk (no pun intended). Luigi hopped onto a nearby freight lift, and Gooigi spun a wheel to hoist the freight upward. After carefully stepping onto the catwalk, the man in green charged the Strobulb and nailed Polterkitty with another flash. She recoiled, and then turned back into the cat-beast, but just as Luigi and Gooigi braced themselves for another fight—she shrank back to normal and phased into the floor.
"Where'd she go?" Luigi demanded as he ran over.
Gooigi joined him. "Garden Suites," he said. "C'mon!"
They left the main soundstage, headed toward the elevator.
"What's going on out there?" Morty's voice asked.
"Just some cat trouble!" Luigi called back without breaking stride.
Just as the adventurers exited the main soundstage, several violet balls materialized, floating around them.
"What are those?" asked Luigi. "Are they supposed to be Spirit Balls?"
He got his answer when the balls flew into a trash bin, turning the innocuous object into a growling, sentient trashcan with glowing eyes, which promptly attacked him and Gooigi, stomping after them and snapping its jaws.
Luigi saw the circular shape on the trash bin's front and quickly fired a plunger at it, pulling it taut and then slamming the malevolent trashcan onto the floor. As it lay there, dazed, Gooigi and Luigi shone their Dark Lights on it, drawing out the Spirit Balls and vacuuming them up.
"Holy f—ing God," gasped Luigi when they were finished. "Remind me to tell the Professor about this later."
"Okay," said Gooigi.
They reached the elevator and pressed the call button. The doors opened, and two Goobs armed with flashlights surged out, engaging the pair. After a brief but heated fight, the Goobs were captured, and Luigi and Gooigi took the elevator to the seventh floor.
Back in the Garden Suites, the duo moved in silence, skimming over everything with their Dark Light Devices. Polterkitty's paw prints led them to the spacious room where they'd battled Dr. Potter and Audrey earlier, and the first thing they noticed was some sort of beehive dangling from the large blue stalk. It was shuddering violently, and what sounded like buzzing and chattering could be heard from within.
"This doesn't look good," opined Gooigi.
The duo ran toward the stairwell, only for the hive to snap off the stalk and shatter on the floor, releasing a score of Mini Goobs.
"Definitely not good," said Luigi.
The Mini Goobs closed in at once, tickling Luigi and Gooigi on their sides, chests, bellies and lower backs. The duo's laughter rang throughout the large hall, which only spurred the Mini Goobs' efforts. When Polterpup arrived on the scene, his urgent barking distracted the tiny ghosts, allowing Gooigi and Luigi to fend them off with Burst. After clearing out all of the Mini Goobs, the duo sat together against a wall, composing themselves.
"How are you even ticklish?" asked Luigi.
"I just am," said Gooigi. "Look—about what happened earlier in your hotel suite…"
"Gooigi…"
"Just hear me out, okay? I didn't know what I was thinking. We're supposed to be brothers, and brothers don't act like that around each other. Even though we're not blood-related…" Gooigi paused. "Before now, the only human contact I've had is with a diminutive old man who seems to see me only as a means to an end. And ever since all this began, you don't see me as just the help. You see me—the real me—inside. We're trapped together with your friends in this godforsaken hotel with ghosts who want to hurt us, and you need me, and I need you, and—oh, Luigi. I look at you and—I feel so many things."
Luigi smiled at Gooigi. "I was lonely the first two times I had to do this," he said, "so I appreciate the company. I have someone to talk to, to vent to—to have my back and to ask me if I'm okay after a tough fight. We're in for the long haul, so we're gonna wind up knowing each other more personally before this night is over. When I finally confront that psycho and his new girlfriend, I'll need you at my side."
He opened his arms, and Gooigi moved into them. "Once more, unto the fray," he said.
Once they settled down from all that tickling, the duo continued their search. In one of the overgrown bedrooms, they found Polterkitty, hiding in the closet. When she leaped out of her hiding spot, Gooigi stunned her with the Strobulb, Luigi following up with a second flash. Instantly, Polterkitty transformed into that spectral cat-beast, the two adventurers standing stock still as she slunk towards them.
As Polterkitty raised her claws to strike, Luigi whirled and stopped her in her tracks with another Strobulb flash. After four hefty slams, he vacuumed up her second tail, causing her to hiss at him and flee into the bathroom.
"Your timing is spot-on," said Gooigi.
"Practice makes perfect," said Luigi.
In the bathroom, the two vacuumed up the piles of rose petals while remaining on the lookout for the paranormal feline. When Gooigi jostled one pile with Burst, it startled Polterkitty out of hiding, and she leaped out of the window before either ghost hunter could give chase.
"Where did she come from, anyway?" asked Gooigi.
"I have no idea," replied Luigi, "but we're at a dead end unless we catch up to her."
They ran up the stairwell until they reached the other bedroom, where Luigi quickly grabbed a nearby buzzsaw and started tearing away at everything in sight.
"I think you're enjoying that a little too much," Gooigi said a little nervously.
"Why not? It helps me let off some steam," said Luigi.
Eventually, he set down the buzzsaw and wiped his forehead. "No sign of her here," he said. "Let's search the bathroom."
But just as he was about to open the door, a red ghost with a two-pronged light blue tongue grabbed him around the ankle and hoisted him aloft!
As the tongue's other prong lashed against Luigi's backside, Gooigi ran up and flashed the ghost with the Strobulb, dislodging the tongue from Luigi. The man in green managed to land on his feet, and after exchanging a nod with Gooigi, they grabbed each prong of the ghost's tongue and heaved them overhead, defeating them with one slam.
"That one," said Luigi, "I'll call a Trapper."
They walked into the bathroom with the watermelons, where they noticed Polterkitty curled up in the bathtub, her eyes closed. Together, Gooigi and Luigi swung the largest watermelon into the tub, rousing her.
Luigi turned on the faucet, knowing that cats hated water. As the water level rose, Polterkitty paddled wildly, yowling, and took a Strobulb flash to the face. Growling, she turned back into the panther-like cat-beast, shattering the bathtub and stalking toward Luigi and Gooigi for the third and hopefully final time.
As Polterkitty reared up to strike, Luigi released another Strobulb charge, freezing her in place. And then he relentlessly slammed the spectral feline into the ground until he vacuumed up her remaining tail.
At this, Polterkitty seemed to know that she was beat. Glowering at Luigi, she coughed the elevator button back up like a hairball and retreated. The man in green picked up the elevator button and wiped it off before sliding it into his pocket.
"She'll be back," he realized. "We'd better stay alert."
As he, Gooigi and Polterpup headed back toward the elevator, Gooigi's body started wiggling.
"A Boo's nearby," said Gooigi. "I'll lead the way."
Luigi and Polterpup followed Gooigi to the first overgrown bedroom, where the gooey ghost hunter pointed toward one of the large jugs.
"In here," he said.
Luigi lightly tapped the jar, and the Boo flew out, cackling.
"They call me Bootanist," they said. "It looks like you found me!"
Luigi stunned Bootanist before subduing them in the usual way.
"Thanks, Gooigi," he said when he was finished.
"No problem," Gooigi replied.
The adventurers walked the rest of the way to the elevator, where they fitted the new elevator button into place.
"Unnatural History Museum?" mused Gooigi as he and Luigi stared at the layout. "Well, I've always wanted to tour a museum."
Luigi nodded. "But before we go there—how about we check on Morty? He's probably finished editing his movie by now."
"Sure," said Gooigi.
They took the elevator back up to Paranormal Productions, where they went straightaway to the main soundstage. But the second they pushed through the double doors, Gooigi started to jiggle again.
"There's a Boo here, isn't there?" asked Luigi.
Gooigi nodded.
Luigi recalled Gooigi to his tank, enjoying the sensation of his gooey bro vibrating against his back as it guided him like a compass. The vibrations really picked up when he entered the horror set, and they seemed the most intense when he was near one of the black equipment boxes. Slowly, he opened the box, and the Boo popped out with a giggle.
"I'm the Booducer!" chortled the Boo. "I can get a table anywhere I want!"
The Boo leered at Luigi before disappearing, the latter quickly smoking them out with the DLD. Over the next few minutes, the man in green slammed the Boo all around the set, not stopping until they were in the Poltergust where they belonged.
Luigi stood for a second, catching his breath, before heading over to Morty's office.
"Hey, Morty?" he said, knocking on the door. "It's Luigi!"
"Come in!" said Morty.
Luigi walked inside to find Morty reclined in a chair, hands clasped behind his head and a look of accomplishment on his face.
"At last, my masterpiece is complete," said Morty. "Filled with gripping action, dripping with emotion and packed with suspense! If this isn't the very definition of true art, then what is?"
Luigi turned toward the projector and gently blew on it with his vacuum. Then, he sat next to Morty as the film began to roll.
Tense music played as the movie faded in on a quiet "city" at night. The camera then panned over to Luigi, appearing giant thanks to the miniaturized set, cautiously moving down the streets and apologizing each time he inadvertently knocked down a "car". A roar sounded, and then there was the "monster" he'd fought earlier, wreaking havoc. The two "giants" came face-to-face, and the "city" became their battleground.
"Wow," whispered Luigi as he watched himself, later joined by Gooigi, battling the "monster", dodging its attacks and ultimately defeating it using its own energy balls. "I do look great on film."
Morty chuckled and slung his arm around Luigi as he watched his leading man and his doppelganger finish off the "monster". The movie concluded on a freeze-frame of the victorious pair, pumping their fists in celebration.
Morty sniffled. "That's our baby," he said through tears.
"Yeah," Luigi said softly. "Yeah, it is."
"Where are you headed now?" asked Morty.
"On another adventure," said Luigi. "I'd let you come along with me, but…"
"Ah, nonsense," said Morty. "My place is here, in my studio, with my cast and crew. But I wish you good luck."
"Thanks, Morty." Luigi fetched a pad and pencil and scribbled something onto it before tearing off the paper and handing it to the ghostly director. "Here's my cell phone number. I don't have any reception right now, but maybe when this adventure's over…" Shyly, the plumber held an imaginary phone to his ear. "Call me."
A delighted smile spread across Morty's face. "Sure," he said. "We'll do lunch sometime."
"See ya round, Morty," Luigi said softly.
"See ya."
Luigi exited Morty's office and strode over to the elevators, where he let Gooigi out of his tank.
"Okeydokey," he said. "It's time to explore a museum."
Please R&R.