Chapter 4 Death Row

Bowser massaged his temples, as they were starting to flare up. When one is a mighty Dragon Koopa who has the ability to breathe fire, parts of the body tend to feel as if they are burning up. Bowser grabbed a bottle of peppermint oil off of his nightstand, hoping that would ease his discomfort.

"Ah, yeah, that's nice," he said. The cool, aromatic oil sent a soothing chill down the sides of Bowser's face. It was as if he had visited the snowy slopes of World 3 and had placed icy chunks on himself. It made him wish that he could have taken the kids to World 3 when they were little. They would have enjoyed building snowmen, having snowball fights, and going sledding. Plus, they would have enjoyed visiting Frostwall; the historic city where the Koopa Kingdom's first true king, King Cosmo the Great, was born.

Bowser chuckled. Just the thought of seeing their smiling, youthful faces growing red in the snow sent a warmth spreading across his body. He placed his hand to his chest, a smile growing bigger on his face.

Bowser truly appreciated the Koopalings. They granted his life a much needed love. He hadn't experienced such a love from his own father. In fact, King Morton had actively discouraged Bowser from adopting them.

Bowser's lips pursed up. He had no need to think about his father. King Morton had been a curmudgeonly koopa. He had been cranky, the very definition of a sourpuss. Just his memory left a sour taste in the Koopa King's mouth.

With this thought in the back of his mind, Bowser got up off the bed and made his way out into the hallway. The floor shook beneath his weight. Koopa Troopa servants who had been working in the hall turned toward him with wide eyes and scampered. Bowser hardly noticed, however. His attention wasn't on them. His attention was getting to the portrait hall.

The portrait hall was one of the Koopa Castle's most prized attractions. On the rare occasions where the Koopa King allowed tourists to come into his abode, one of the first places they went was the portrait hall. It showed the great Koopa Kings of ages past. Their stern faces had been immortalized thanks to the work of the paintbrush, for better or for worse. Probably for the worse.

When Bowser got to the portrait hall, the first portrait he passed was King Cosmo's. King Cosmo the Great was one of two Koopa Kings who had a completely different appearance from the others. Unlike Bowser, he was quite skinny and tall. His lanky limbs made up most of his height and build. Like Bowser, he had hair that was as red as an inferno. His eyes appeared gentle, yet stern. Authoritative, yet bored. Bowser wondered if the artist had purposely gone out of their way to make King Cosmo the Great look like a teenager going through a mood swing.

Bowser walked away from King Cosmo's portrait. There was not much to say in the way of King Cosmo II's portrait, so he just moved on. When he got to King Cosmo III, he stared at it for a brief period. He had seen this portrait multiple times. Heck, he had seen the face even more, given that he was one of many in the line of King Cosmo III's clones. The burly Koopa King had perfect physique and the handsomest face ever known to Koopas, if Bowser were to speak factually.

Bowser continued on with his walk. He glanced at King Cosmo IV, King Onyx, King Isosceles, King Mariad, King Brimmer, King Herald, King Ocelot, King Bashful, King Phoenix, King Monger, King Odysseus, King Doragon, and, finally, King Morton. Bowser stared into the red eyes of his father. He could remember the day when King Morton had been asked to pose for this portrait. He remembered it, mostly because it was the day that his father had spat at him about behaving like "a good little prince for once." Bowser snickered. That certainly wasn't the way Bowser had opted to raise his sons, whether they be biological or adopted.

Bowser folded his hand behind his back and made his way to the last portrait, this one of him. Bowser smiled and made finger guns at his own painting, smiling as he did so. He was one handsome Koopa. He was a handsome Koopa, a good king, and a good father.

At least, he was a much better father than that sociopath, Jasper Starfold. But then again, that was never a high bar.

Bowser felt his blood boil and bile rise to his throat. He stomped to the doors at the end of the portrait hall and opened them up, allowing him to enter his throne room. He marched over to the golden throne and sat down. It was once he did that he realized his temples were acting up again. And he was all out of peppermint oil.

Bowser groaned and leaned back in his throne. He swept his hand across his forehead, as it too was starting to heat up. Sooner than later, the pain would overtake his entire body and cause him to pass out. Unless, of course, someone came in right at this moment with something that could help him.

Creak!

Bowser lifted his head. Junior was coming into the throne room. In his hands, much to Bowser's delight, was a glass of ice water. Just what the Koopa King needed.

"Junior!" he called out. "Bring that water over to Papa, would you?"

Junior blinked, but ultimately did as he was told. When he was close enough, Bowser snatched the beverage out of his hands and swallowed it in one chug. He grinned as he felt the coolness spread across his throat.

"Oh yeah," he said. "That will keep my flame pipe from destroying me."

Junior shook his head. "Whatever." He started to head out of the room, but Bowser stopped him.

"Junior, come talk to your old man. He would really enjoy having some good company."

Junior groaned. "But Dadd….."

"No buts. I am the king, and I gave you an order. Now sit your butt down."

Junior moaned and face palmed. "Ugh. Fiiine!" Junior situated himself right beside the throne. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Anything," Bowser said. "We can talk about your studies with Kamek, your time playing video games, the fights you have with your siblings. Heck, we can even talk about how much of a jerk Mario is and how much we want to kill him."

Junior raised an eyebrow. "Dad, I think that's just something you want to do."

Bowser reeled back. "Really? You don't want to kill Mario?" When Junior shook his head, Bowser groaned. "I thought I raised my child better."

The two sat in silence. Bowser kept sneaking glances down at his son, as he was fidgeting. Really, he had no reason to! It wasn't like Bowser was a bad parent. It wasn't like he was Jasper.

Jasper. Oh Jasper. Bowser growled just thinking about him. Junior, who noticed this, blinked.

"What's wrong, Dad?" he asked.

"I just feel bad for people," Bowser said. "They don't even know the consequences of their own actions, nor do they care. They only want to do what they do in the moment, not even thinking about how it would impact others. That is what makes them selfish. People are selfish, wicked, and evil. They don't even want to keep their own children around, the smug, self righteous bastard."

Junior blinked. "Dad, are you talking about Grandpa?"

Bowser laughed. "HA! Oh, Grandpa's crimes are nothing in comparison to Jasper Starfold. Or, as he probably should be called, Jasper I-want-to-kill-my-kids-by-tossing-them-in-a-river-fold."

Junior raised an eyebrow. "What the World Eight are you talking about; who's Jasper Starfold?"

Bowser groaned. "Only the worst Koopa to ever exist. He's the Koopalings' real father."

Junior laughed. "Oh! I see what you're saying. Anyone who brings the Koopalings into the world needs to be put on death row."

Bowser was about to say something to scold Junior, but then he stopped to think. "Death row, huh?" He grinned. "That's not a bad idea."

Junior's eyes grew wide. "What? Dad, I was joking!"

"Well, I'm not!" exclaimed Bowser as he jumped to his feet. "That rotten monster attempted the murder of seven koopas who couldn't even fight back! I have given the death sentence for far less than that!" He grinned. "I think that death row is just what that moron needs!"