He's on my floor now, you guys! He's coming to get me!
Awesome! How are you holding up?
Not too great. I'm in the Unnatural History Museum, and the ghost I was "gifted" to is giving me the creeps. Plus, there's this big T-Rex, and I don't like the look of it. I hope Luigi's ready.
I know he is, Brad. He'll always fight his way out of these situations.
A museum, huh? Wow, this place has everything.
Yeah. Too bad it's haunted—and meant to trap all of us!
…
"Welcome to the Unnatural History Museum," said Luigi, mimicking a docent as he stepped out of the elevator, Gooigi and Polterpup behind him. "The tour is about to begin. Remember to stay with your buddy."
"Wow—that's pretty good," said Gooigi.
"Thanks," said Luigi.
The Unnatural History Museum was relatively small, sporting exhibits of bones, flowers and fossilized eggs. There were also display cases holding coins and gems, and since the surfaces weren't round or smooth enough, Luigi and Gooigi couldn't knock them over with the Suction Shot. Outside, a thunderstorm rolled in as the two explored the museum.
Luigi jumped slightly at a crackling sound over the museum's PA system. King Boo's evil laugh echoed from all around, and then a creepy version of "Tonight You Belong to Me" began to play. The windows were briefly illuminated by a flash of lightning, adding to the ominous atmosphere. Holding onto his vacuum like a lifeline, Luigi took several deep breaths—and then his head snapped up.
"One of my friends is being held in this museum," he said.
"How do you know…?" frowned Gooigi.
"I can feel it," said Luigi. His eyes sparkled with urgency. "Follow me—I think I know where he is."
He almost sprinted over to a red and gold curtain with two tassels, grabbing onto one while Gooigi grabbed the other. Yanking on the tassels, they pulled the curtain open, revealing another, huge exhibit hall with a giant T-Rex as the centerpiece.
And next to that T-Rex—was Brad.
Luigi! You made it!
"Of course, Brad," Luigi said softly. "Of course."
He ran into the exhibit hall, paying no attention to the other dinosaur skeletons around him. All he could see was the imprisoned Toad, his mouth open in a scream or a shout, some bruises mottling his face and arms.
"Brad," he breathed as he approached Brad's portrait. "I'm here. I'm gonna get you out of there."
He activated the DLD and shone it on Brad's painting, watching as the blue-spotted Toad slowly became colorized. So focused was he on freeing Brad that he was unaware of the shadow passing over him.
Luigi! Luigi, look out!
There was a low growl, and Luigi slowly turned to see the T-Rex skeleton looming over him. A strange, pinkish glow was inside its ribcage, and Luigi's first thought was that the skeleton was being possessed. Like he needed another possessor ghost to deal with. Wolfgeist and his piano was bad enough.
The T-Rex reared back and released a roar, blowing Luigi's hair back and nearly tearing his hat off his head. And as the skeleton's jaws came at him, he reacted quickly, grabbing Gooigi and Polterpup and tackling them out of the way. He hit the ground, rolled to his knees and stood, seeing the T-Rex with Brad's painting in its jaws.
"Don't you dare!" shouted Luigi, but the T-Rex ignored him, swallowing Brad's painting whole before getting right in the plumber's face and unleashing another mighty roar.
Once he composed himself, Luigi brandished the Poltergust. He was gonna get Brad out of this monstrous situation if it was the last thing he ever did!
The T-Rex jumped up and down a few times, making the ground shake and causing two fossilized eggs to drop down. Glancing at the strange glow on the T-Rex's chest, Luigi knew exactly how to defeat it. He raced toward the first egg he saw and stuck it onto his nozzle, only for the T-Rex to snatch him up! Luckily, he broke free using Burst before substantial damage could be done.
Luigi took a deep breath and tried again, moving quickly. This time, he successfully grabbed the egg and evaded the T-Rex's snapping jaws. Gooigi, meanwhile, had grabbed the second egg, and now he smiled at Luigi.
"Allow me," he said before releasing his egg.
The egg landed right between the T-Rex's jaws, and as the large dinosaur struggled with it, Luigi steadied his breathing, took careful aim and let his own egg fly. It smashed directly into the T-Rex's ribcage, making it recoil in shock. Shock turned to anger, and it let out a roar powerful enough to decimate one of the skeletons hanging nearby. Unfortunately, this skeleton had provided our heroes with one of the eggs.
"Now what?" Luigi wondered aloud as the T-Rex stomped and roared, sending debris raining down on him and Gooigi.
Without a second egg to distract the T-Rex, the two adventurers would be left to the mercy of those horrible jaws.
Unless—
"Don't throw in the towel yet, Luigi!" shouted Gooigi. "I'll handle this!"
Squaring his shoulders, Gooigi strode toward the T-Rex.
"Hey! What in the Inferno are you doing?!" Luigi yelled after him. "Get back here!"
Gooigi paid him no mind, staring bravely at the T-Rex. "Hey, Rexy!" he exclaimed.
The T-Rex glared down at the gooey humanoid.
"Do you have any idea how many of you were killed by a falling rock?!" taunted Gooigi. "You are nothing but a figurehead of lost history, condemned to be ogled at by a bunch of grade-school children, you bleached pile of bones!"
The T-Rex snarled at Gooigi.
"Eat me!" Gooigi practically shrieked at him. "EAT ME!"
"Gooigi!" hollered Luigi as the T-Rex obliged, the jaws smashing shut around Gooigi and beginning to grind into the gooey membrane.
The man in green's blood boiled at the sight of the abuse his gooey brother was taking.
"HEY!" he screamed at the T-Rex, grabbing the lone fossilized egg and launching it at the T-Rex.
The T-Rex's jaws flew open on impact, dropping Gooigi to the floor with a wet splat. The gooey ghost hunter lay in a heap, the matter composing him beginning to reform.
"Oh, my God! Gooigi!" Luigi cried out, rushing to Gooigi's side.
"Don't worry about me," Gooigi burbled out. "Just save—Brad."
Luigi swung back toward the T-Rex as it broke free of its stand. Instantly, his vacuum was back in his firm grip, his body planted protectively in front of Gooigi.
"I said not to worry about me!" snapped Gooigi. "I'll be back to full health in no time!"
"I won't let this monster manhandle you again!" Luigi snapped back.
"It's not after me—it's after you!" exclaimed Gooigi. "Now go!"
Unwillingly, Luigi took off as the T-Rex stomped and stormed after him, destroying the other skeletons and displays as it went. It attacked with headbutts and swipes from its paws and tail, making Luigi stumble by stomping on the ground and then knocking him all around the exhibit hall. However, the image of Brad's face was enough to keep the pain at bay. Running in a zigzag pattern to confuse his pursuer, Luigi vacuumed up pieces of the wrecked displays and launched them at the T-Rex, the debris chipping away at its ribcage. While his full attention was on the possessed skeleton, he kept Gooigi in his line of vision, watching his gooey bro drag himself to relative safety behind a long table on which some smaller displays rested.
Keeping the T-Rex's attention solely on him, Luigi fired off projectile after projectile at its ribcage until it shattered completely, the entire skeleton falling apart and hitting the floor in a useless pile. Luigi didn't allow himself a break, however, as the ghost possessing the T-Rex emerged from the pile. This ghost had a golden hue and wore a tunic made out of tiger pelt. He floated there for a few moments, dazed and dizzy, before his glowing eyes focused on the man in green.
"You wanna play rough?" he growled. "Okay, then!"
The hulking caveman ghost reached into the pile of bones and pulled out one at random, wielding it like a club. "Say hello to Ug's little friend!"
Laughing madly, Ug swung the heavy bone club at Luigi, but he leaped and dodged clear of most, if not all, of the swings. Some of those swings produced shock waves, and Ug would have a tough time unsticking his club from the ground afterward. After observing this, Luigi immediately formed a battle strategy—evade the swings as best he could, Burst over the shockwave and turn the tide when Ug was trying to unstick his club. It was easier said than done, of course. But it would be done.
I'm coming, Brad, he thought as he stunned Ug, heaving and slamming him all over the exhibit hall. I'm coming.
During the raging battle, Gooigi had almost completely recovered. Presently, he shouted encouragement at the man in green as he held his own against the larger and stronger Ug, smashing him into the displays on the table and taking some blows from the bone club, but still getting up.
"Come along, green man—Ug's not gonna hurt you," cooed Ug. "Little green man—light of Ug's life—Ug's not gonna hurt you. You didn't let Ug finish, green man, Ug just said Ug's not gonna hurt you. Ug's just gonna smash you into green paste on the floor. That's all Ug's gonna do. After all, all work and no play makes Ug a dull boy!"
Ug continued to bring his bone club smashing down, spouting out one-liners from classic movies as he did.
"How are you even aware of these movies?" quipped Luigi. "They came into vogue long after you were dead."
"That's because Ug's been on display in many different museums since then," Ug retorted. "Ug gets to teach little kids about natural history, and that makes Ug feel good!"
Ug slammed his club down, Luigi dodging the resulting shockwave and stunning him before he could attack again.
"How about eating one of my friends, who's helpless and stuck in a portrait? Is that part of your repertoire?" Luigi wanted to know.
But he didn't wait for an answer, slamming Ug down again and again and again. It felt good slamming these ghosts around, especially those menacing him, harming Gooigi and otherwise giving him a hard time. His skin was hot, and sweat drops got in his eyes, but he kept at it, thinking about Brad and how frazzled he might be right now.
The heated battle went on for ten more minutes before Ug was finally defeated. As Luigi wrestled him into the vacuum, the caveman ghost's own bone club did him in, smacking him on the head and knocking him inside the Poltergust. Once Ug was captured, the nozzle shuddered, ejecting Brad's painting.
Adrenaline still roaring through him, Luigi braced his palms against the long table before allowing his body to slump against it, eventually collapsing to a seated position. Gooigi and Polterpup dashed over as he checked himself for injuries. Save for the bruises inflicted by the bone club and from the T-Rex smacking him around, he wasn't hurt too badly. He sat there for a moment, staring at Brad's painting and only thinking, He's safe, he's safe, he's safe.
Gooigi's touch brought him back, and he saw Polterpup nuzzling against his hand, whining. Quickly, Luigi gathered his puppy into his arms, again burying his face against Polterpup's "fur".
"Luigi," Gooigi was saying. "Luigi…"
In an instant, Luigi whirled on him. "Are you out of your mind?!" he shouted. "What in God's name were you thinking?!"
"Well, it worked, didn't it?" Gooigi fired back.
"I saw you there on the ground, and I just…" Luigi shook his head, as if to clear away the memory. "Don't ever do that again, do you hear me?! Don't ever do that again!"
"I make no promises," said Gooigi. "Danger is afoot, and I will protect you from it, whether you like it or not."
Luigi accepted the response, leaning his head against Gooigi's shoulder as his doppelganger rubbed comforting circles into his back.
Finally, Luigi regained enough composure to stand up and walk toward Brad's painting. Polterpup and Gooigi stood back a respectful distance as the man in green shone the DLD on the portrait, the multicolored beam slowly drawing Brad from his prison.
When Brad rolled out of his painting and onto the ground, he didn't know which way was up. He didn't know where he was or how he got there. All he was conscious of was a round, smooth object in his hand, and so he concentrated on that, his mind desperately searching for something to anchor itself upon.
This object—what is it? Why does it say "B2"? What does it mean?
Brad rolled to a stop and squeezed his eyes shut, endeavoring to pinpoint more sources of familiarity. His ears registered the sound of ragged breathing—ragged breathing that wasn't his own. Someone was in this room with him. Who was it? A friend, or a foe? Who was there? What did they want?
If his mind could stop spinning, then it would be a miracle.
Next, Brad concentrated on the floor beneath him. Smooth, marble. Something soft was on his mushroom cap, stroking his cheek. A hand. Gloved. Wait—a gloved hand? That was familiar. Okay—progress. Now, let's use the rest of the five senses to pinpoint more familiar things.
Someone was kneeling over him, kneeling over him as he lay there on the smooth, marble floor holding this smooth, round object that said "B2". Someone was holding him, talking to him, telling him that everything would be all right as he was lifted off the floor and placed onto something soft. Follow that voice, Brad told himself. Follow that voice, and see if it's a voice you recognize.
And he did recognize the voice. Soft, a bit shaky, accented. Breathy. Okay—getting warmer. A familiar voice, a familiar touch. Two senses down, three to go.
"Brad—Brad—open your eyes. Please. Look at me, Brad. Look at me…"
Slowly, Brad willed himself to open his eyes and study the person addressing him. The first thing his eyes registered were colors. Green, blue, red, brown. Then, the colors shaped themselves into a green cap, slightly disheveled brown hair, kind, blue eyes and an angular face, flushed and sweaty.
And the smile. Brad started intently at the smile beneath that double-swooshed moustache. And then more details swam into focus. The blue eyes were dilated, and the face was festooned with fading and new bruises, yet still quite handsome. Sweat beaded along the forehead, brow and cheeks and trailed lazily down towards the chin, and the ragged breathing steadied. Now that the face was in focus, Brad concentrated on the rest of this familiar fellow. Green shirt? Check. Blue coveralls? Check. Red vacuum cleaner on his back? Check. An "L" on that green cap? Check, check and check.
Three out of five senses were all it took for Brad's mind to right itself. He knew exactly where he was now—in the safety and security of Luigi's arms. He also realized that he was currently in Luigi's lap, his head resting against his chest, listening to a gradually slowing heartbeat.
Brad stared up at his rescuer. "L—Lu—Luigi?" he finally spoke.
Luigi smiled that warm smile, holding him and calming him. "Hey, Brad," he said. "You got something for me?"
What? Brad thought, but then he remembered that smooth, round object with "B2" written on it.
"This?" he asked, holding it up.
Luigi nodded, and Brad placed the object into the former's waiting palm.
"That's an elevator button," Brad realized.
"Yep. And I need to collect more of them to keep exploring this hotel," said Luigi.
As soon as Luigi slipped the elevator button into his pocket, Brad hugged him. Luigi hugged him right back, seeking to provide the Toad with as much comfort as possible.
"Brad—it's all right. It's okay," Luigi said softly. "You're okay. You're okay…"
"Luigi—thank God for you," said Brad. "That's all I can say."
The two remained in each other's arms until Gadd's voice broke the moment.
"Is that Brad?" asked Gadd.
"Yup," replied Luigi.
"All right! You've saved another one of your friends!" laughed Gadd. "Bring him to the Lab, and I'll make sure he stays safe and sound."
"I'm on my way," said Luigi before hanging up. Then, he turned to Brad. "Ready to get going?"
"You know I am!" laughed Brad.
Luigi and Brad got to their feet, the latter noticing Gooigi.
"Oh, hey there!" he said. "Where did you come from?"
"Professor Gadd's mind," replied Gooigi.
"Fair enough," said Brad.
Luigi took Brad's hand, and they walked out of the now-decimated exhibit hall.
On their way back to the elevator, Brad helped Luigi break the display cases, collecting the gold and gems hidden within. When they were finished, the two high-fived, called the elevator and stepped inside.
The elevator button fitted itself into place, the VB display identifying the new floor as the Boilerworks. Luigi then pressed the "B1" button and settled back as the elevator began its descent. He picked a calming playlist on his Spotify and invited Brad to listen to it with him, who quickly accepted.
Brad yawned a little once the elevator reached its destination, and Luigi hoisted him onto his hip, carrying him to the Lab.
"Brad!" Thad exclaimed when Luigi walked inside. "Thank God you're all right!"
"Hey, Thad," Brad said sleepily as the two hugged.
Gadd rolled out another sleeping bag, a blue one, and placed a pillow in front of it. Flashing the Professor a grateful smile, Brad hopped into the sleeping bag and was asleep within seconds.
"Are you doing all right, L?" asked Thad.
"Yeah," said Luigi, taking the opportunity to empty the Poltergust.
"You're pretty bruised up," said Thad.
Luigi shrugged. "Part of the job," he said. "Are you doing all right?"
"Yeah. The Professor and I are just—talking."
"Great," beamed Luigi. Turning to Gooigi and Polterpup, he said, "Let's get going."
"Luigi…!" Gadd started to say, but the man in green had already turned on his heel and determinedly strode away.
…
"Before we explore the Boilerworks," said Luigi, "we'd better head back to the Unnatural History Museum. There might be a Boo hiding around in there."
"Good point," said Gooigi.
They took the elevator back up to the museum, where Gooigi began to vibrate and jiggle at once. Taking charge, Gooigi led Luigi and Polterpup to the large exhibit hall, where several easels under white sheets stood in rows.
"The Boo's hiding in one of these easels," said Gooigi, his voice vibrating along with his body. He fluidly moved down each row, pausing at each of the easels for about five seconds, the vibration fluctuating as he went. Finally, Gooigi pointed a wiggling finger at one of the easels. "This one."
Luigi yanked away the sheet covering the easel, revealing a portrait of a Boo. The Boo then emerged from the portrait, licking out his tongue at the two ghost hunters.
"My name is Boones!" cackled the Boo. "You just dug up a heap of trouble!"
Gooigi and Luigi shone their Dark Lights on Boones, and then Luigi grabbed the Boo's tongue before rapidly slamming them into the ground. He continued with this until he managed to yank Boones into the Poltergust.
"You might wanna take it easy there, L," said Gooigi.
"Why?" asked Luigi. "They've caused me nothing but misery."
"Yeah, I know, but…" Gooigi sighed. "I guess those tiny squeaks are getting to me a little."
"Don't let their cuteness fool you," cautioned Luigi. "Boos are black-hearted little monsters, and I'm their favorite target. I've always wanted to slam them around for as long as I can remember."
"Makes sense," said Gooigi.
After Luigi grabbed a drink of water from a nearby fountain, the Virtual Boo rang.
"Yello?" he answered, wiping his mouth.
"Pat yourself on the back, Luigi!" said Gadd. "You're halfway through—over the hump! Just three more people to rescue!"
"I'll pat myself on the back once they're all safe," said Luigi.
"I knew you'd say something like that," mused Gadd. "Anyway—good luck with the remainder of your exploration!"
"Okeydokey—bye-bye," said Luigi, hanging up and striding over to the elevator with Gooigi and Polterpup not far behind.
…
Hellen was incredulous as she saw Luigi on her security monitor, standing before the elevator with a look of accomplishment on his features. Save for some bruises and lacerations, he was still on his feet. For some reason, he had the ghosts who'd confronted him so far on the ropes.
With a growl, Hellen slammed the armrests of her chair, causing the startled Polterkitty to jump off her lap.
"God—m you, Luigi!" bellowed Hellen. "Why won't you die?!"
She turned and saw two Goobs hovering before her desk, frozen.
"What are you looking at?!" she spat, pounding the desk with both fists. "Get the [bleep] out!"
The two Goobs obliged, and Hellen swung back to her monitors, glowering at Luigi's image with extreme hate.
"I'll get you," she vowed, "and I'll paint my penthouse walls with your blood—two coats!"
Stay alert, Luigi!
Please R&R.