T Plus 8 Days

Charlie, Eden and Lauren were fired up. They'd been fired up since the release of the new patch. And seeing how some of the Smashers were treating Luigi in its wake made them even more fired up. But they didn't get angry. Oh, no. They focused their fire inward and turned it into energy and strength to send to Luigi during his bouts.

The three women were now de facto leaders of Luigi's antsy fans, easing their fears and getting them fired up, as well. They started holding rallies thirty minutes before a match, and they were happy to help out with the face and bodypainting. It didn't take long for the centermost section of the stands to cram with Luigi's strongest supporters, armed with motivational signs and something green, be it an article of clothing or a lucky charm. But the majority of them showed up dressed like the man in green.

After setting a positive mood by playing some music, Eden, Lauren and Charlie would lead the others in greeting Luigi with a thunderous cheer when he emerged onto the stage. The bruises from the two Steves' attack had completely healed, albeit there was still some swelling, but he still looked great. His eyes would sweep over the stands, and he'd smile, grateful for the support. Then, everyone would watch the ensuing matchup, hanging onto every moment, shouting to Luigi every so often as he continued to pull himself up from his nerf.

These vibes, in turn, rubbed off on Mario, calming the storm within him and making him temporarily forget about his suspension and his distrust in Master Hand. He sat in his usual spot, beaming, watching his lil' bro break a sweat and hold his own and hammer those new combos into his strategy. U-tilt to u-smash. F-throw to dash attack. D-throw to f-smash. D-throw to Cyclone. D-throw to u-smash. And when an opponent managed to catch him off guard, he merely switched to a defensive stance, tossing off fireballs, utilizing his forward and back throws and lashing out with crisp f-airs and other quick attacks until he'd regained his foothold. As he fought, his face began to flush, a film of sweat bathed him, his mouth rounded, his eyes sparkled, he breathed rhythmically—and it was just like old times. Charlie, Lauren and Eden didn't fail to notice Mario's sunnier disposition and silently congratulated each other on a job well done.

Peach patted Mario's hand, and then turned as Vanessa and her kids silently arrived.

"Sorry we're late," whispered Vanessa, slipping into a vacant seat near Peach.

"That's okay," Peach assured her. "How've you been?"

"Okay, I guess," shrugged Vanessa. "I see Luigi's doing better."

"He is," said Peach. "Those two troublemakers didn't bring him down for long."

Vanessa cast a wary glance at Mario. "I hear what happened with him and…"

"Can we not talk about that right now?" Peach politely broke in. "It's not gonna change the fact that it happened."

"I guess you're right," mused Vanessa.

"Hey, Ethan—is there something you'd like to say to Mario?" asked Peach.

"No," Ethan said, a little too quickly.

"You'll have to do it sooner or later," said Vanessa.

"Do what?" asked Mario, his attention finally arrested. "Oh—hey, Vanessa, Anna, Ethan! It's so nice to see you."

"Nice to see you, too," said Vanessa.

"Hi, Mario!" Anna piped up.

"Hey," said Ethan.

"So—Ethan has something he'd like to tell me?" asked Mario.

Ethan cleared his throat. "Yeah, uh—I hope you're doing well, Mario," he said.

Mario tilted his head and studied the boy curiously. "I'm doing a little better," he replied.

"Look—I feel bad about the way I acted that day."

"I'm sure you are," nodded Mario. "Why was the fact that I lost to Luigi such a big deal to you?"

"I don't know anymore," Ethan said softly.

"I think you do," said Mario. "I think it had something to do with Luigi's combo game."

"Yes—it did," Ethan hesitantly admitted.

"What is it with him and his combos? Why is it that people don't think he deserves them? Is it because he's…?" He took a deep breath and calmed down. "I think something's off about that patch, and I'm gonna find out what."

Vanessa and her children exchanged a look.

"But," said Mario, "that's an issue for another time. It's making me act out and do things I'd never dreamed of doing before. But maybe if you know something, Luigi and I are meeting with someone in twelve days, and you're welcome to attend."

"We'll be happy to," said Ethan. "I'm—sorry, Mario. Truly I am."

"Something tells me that I'm gonna hear that a lot," sighed Mario, "but don't worry, Ethan. We can start off on a clean slate."

"I'd really like that," said Ethan.

He held out his hand, and Mario shook it.

"I think I feel much better now," smiled Ethan.

Mario smiled back. "You just caught me in a good mood."

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" Vanessa asked her son.

"No," said Ethan, relieved. "Not at all."

Peach smiled. "I'm happy you two finally smoothed things out," she said.

"So am I," chirped Anna.

"Me, too—one less thing to worry about," said Mario.

And indeed, it was. Now that Ethan had apologized for real, the man in red could turn all of his energies on rooting out those who might have conspired to get Luigi unjustly nerfed. But the same went for Ethan, as well. The incident was finally behind him, and all the teen had to deal with now was how Mario would react to learning the truth about Project Nerf.

But as Mario said, they'd all worry about that another time.

"Yeah! You're doing it!" cheered Eden as Luigi sent his opponent flying off the stage.

The man in green stood there, catching his breath, a little surprised that he held a slight advantage. But then again, his win-loss ratio was rapidly improving. He felt like he was letting go of a little bit of his doubts as the hours floated by; he'd gotten off to a slow start, but he was quickly getting the hang of the new mechanics.

And as such, he decided to try something.

At first, when they saw him act, they thought his muscle memory was acting up. But nothing could've been further from the truth. Breaths hung in the air as Luigi followed his butt-slammed opponent with a short-hop and followed up with two solid, sharp f-airs!

The opponent hit the ground, a shocked look on their face. "Impossible…" they uttered.

The spectators shared that sentiment, but for a different reason. They all sat in amazement, staring at Luigi, whose facial expression screamed, "I knew it!"

"IT STILL WORKS, PEOPLE!" Peach exclaimed once she found her voice, her statement followed by a round of raucous cheering.

"I can't believe it," gasped Mario. "He still has that combo. I thought the nerf…"

"It does put a limit on its viability," said Lauren. "I think it'll only work at low percentages."

She was right. Luigi quickly discovered that once he'd racked up a certain amount of damage to his foe, that old combo was no longer viable. There was also the opponent's weight and his own percentage to consider. In the wake of the new patch, his d-throw to f-air tended to run hot and cold, but he didn't despair. He threw a n-air, followed by a b-air, before switching to his newer combos.

"Wow," murmured Vanessa. We spent thirty days trying to manipulate Master Hand—all for nothing…

"I know, right?" asked Peach. "Initially, it appeared that the nerf removed that combo—but Luigi's had some time since then. And slowly but surely, he's modifying his toolbox, so to speak."

"There's more to Luigi than meets the eye, isn't there?" asked Vanessa.

"Yes. Yes, there is. He was upset when he got the patch notes, but he's dusting himself off and moving on."

Was it really worth it? thought Vanessa, exchanging a look with Ethan.

Across from them, the Bennigan Brothers were gob smacked. That combo still worked! Its viability had decreased, but it was still there. Luigi had taken a leap of faith, and boy—it had paid off. They spoke not a word as they watched the man in green continue to negotiate his opponent's fighting style, flitting and dancing here and there, throwing out fierce strikes and sprinkling in some combos. But the looks they exchanged said everything for them.

There was no denying it anymore. They were all beginning to admire Luigi for refusing to stay down.

And in his usual spot, Mario felt even better. Maybe he should let this go and let MH handle the investigation. He'd read up about it once the Hand of Creation published his report. It wouldn't change anything, but both he and Luigi would get some satisfaction knowing that those who'd used such dirty tactics would be found out and punished.

"You've got this, Luigi," he whispered, his voice carrying towards the two fighters on the battlefield. "You've got this. You've got this…"

Hearing his elder brother's voice always made Luigi feel better. Even after their—altercation—several days ago, he listened for Mario and always made sure to pinpoint him, seated in THAT spot. He was a sense of stability, a rock he clung to with all his strength. Even after they'd butted heads, Luigi wouldn't let go. He'd never let go.

He did what he could with his modified d-throw to f-air combo, and then he moved onto something else. Instead of a f-air, he threw a series of b-airs, and then a u-air and finally a n-air. He was moving on to more complex combos, those strings he used to pull off before the nerf, and there was nothing stopping him. His opponent was so stunned and flustered that they started making mistakes, running into Luigi's grab again and again. The next throw was followed by a jump and then a Cyclone. He caught his breath while pulling off some aerial mix-ups and using fast kicks and fireballs to keep his foe off of him. But his foe just kept charging, so Luigi hit him twice with a u-air and then a f-air. At this point, he began to modify his d-throw to f-air—first into a d-throw to f-air to u-air, experimenting with it several times until the timing was just right. And from that came d-throw to triple f-air to u-air to u-tilt and finally double f-air—his longest new combo to date.

The two Steves, meanwhile, were aghast. Thirty days of hard work and tireless lobbying were going to waste! And if they complained about it again, and had Luigi nerfed a second time, then he'd probably bounce back from that, too! Not even what they did to him in the Training Area could deter him. Combined with Chad resisting against CH's power, Steve and Stevie weren't having a good day.

But Luigi wasn't thinking about what happened in the Training Area that day. Nor was he thinking about how some opponents tried to capitalize on his nerf, or Mario's suspension, or the tiff that night. All he thought about were his new combos, and how they were waiting for him to discover them.

All he thought about was getting back on his feet.

1.1.1

"Excuse me, Master Hand?"

MH turned. Mario stood there, his face solemn, his red hat in his hand.

"Oh, hey, Mario!" greeted MH. "I was just about to fetch you."

"I need to talk to you," said Mario. "Wanna do lunch? There's a good pizza place not far from the Smash Mansion."

"Why, Mario—you had me at 'pizza'," said MH. "I'll meet you outside."

Mario sighed in relief. "Thank you, MH," he said.

A few minutes later, the two of them were seated at a private booth, sharing a large pepperoni pizza.

"I'm sorry I took a golf club to your car," said Mario. "It was immature and wrong, and I really want to earn back your trust."

"I'm sorry, too," said MH. "Sorry about the words I said and sorry for throwing your—ordeal—in your face."

"I was stunned that you'd do that. Because that wasn't you," Mario said softly. "Are you feeling all right? I didn't mean to stress you out."

"It's not you," said MH. "It doesn't excuse what I said, but I've been feeling under the weather lately. And I feel bad that I took it out on you."

"I feel bad, too, for pressuring you," said Mario. "We'll share the blame for this mess. I should've known better than to ask you to reveal privileged information. As a matter of fact, I have something that could be of interest."

"Fire away."

"The day after—it happened—Link, Zelda and Luigi were having lunch together when they overheard Dorf, Koopa and Wario discussing something." Mario slid a tape recorder forward. "They recorded everything, and they also took a few pictures. I think these may help in your investigation."

MH nodded.

"You don't seem surprised. I take it you've already been notified?"

"I wanted to wait until you've calmed down before breaking it to you," explained MH.

"I would've waited until I calmed down, too," mused the portly plumber. "Listen, I really f—ed up, but I wanna make this up to you."

"You already are," smiled MH.

"Luigi—found some more stuff, too," said Mario, giving MH an ordinary-looking bag. "The two of us combed through it the other day. Just between the two of us, I think you should keep a weather eye on those three—and on the two Steves. Something tells me that they were part of it, too."

"When I have some free time, I will talk to them," said MH. "Thank you, Mario, for the information and for your apology—and I accept both. But you still have to answer for your actions. Therefore, your suspension remains in effect."

"I understand," Mario said quietly.

They finished their lunch and departed for the Smash Mansion together, both thankful to be back on speaking terms.

1.1.1

"How'd it go?" asked Luigi as soon as Mario returned.

"Swimmingly. MH and I made up," said Mario. "I apologized, and he apologized, and as it turns out, he also has the info that you, Zel and Link picked up. He said he was asked not to tell me until I'd had a chance to collect myself."

"I'm glad you've calmed down, Bro," Luigi said quietly, "because I don't need you getting yourself in trouble while I'm trying to navigate through this."

"I know."

"I still think MH lashing out like that was wrong."

"It was," said Mario, "but the two of us managed to talk things out. Just—don't lose it on him the next time you cross paths, all right?"

Luigi thought it over.

"I can't promise you anything," he said finally, "but I'll try not to tear MH apart. I'm still pretty upset that he did that to you. What you did was wrong, but he had no right to blame you for—that."

"I feel the same way," said Mario, "but we needn't talk about it anymore. It's water under the bridge now."

"Okeydokey then," said Luigi. "Let me ask you something, though. If MH had upset me the way he'd upset you, then would you have let it go so quickly?"

"I…" Mario trailed off. Both brothers knew the answer to that question.

"Can you understand how I feel about his actions?" asked Luigi.

"Absolutely," said Mario. "Just—don't do anything I wouldn't do, all right?"

Luigi smiled. "All right."

The two of them hugged, deeply and tenderly, whispering affectionate words in each other's ear. When they separated, Mario studied his baby bro.

"Several times, you've asked if we were okay, but now I want to know if we're okay," he said.

"Don't worry," said Luigi. "We are."

Exchanging smiles, the bros parted ways. The afternoon matches were about to begin.

1.1.1

"You wanted to see me?" asked Dorf as he sat across from MH in the glove's office.

"Yes," replied MH, "and Koopa, as well. Where is he?"

"Apologies, Master Hand. He's out on some urgent business."

"No matter. I'll talk to him when he returns." MH leaned back in his chair. "How was your vacation?"

"Refreshing," replied Dorf. "Thank you."

"A lot has happened in your absence," MH went on. "Many of my Smashers had a lot to say about the playstyle of a certain fighter and other aspects of the tournament. It grew to the point that I had to reach out to Mr. Sakurai and the other suits to get it rectified."

"I thought I noticed a few changes here," mused Dorf.

"I'm also beginning to think that my hand was forced—that someone or a group of people conspired to subvert this tournament," said MH.

"Uh-huh," said MH.

"You had a few issues with the Smasher in question, as I recall."

"Yes, I didn't like Luigi very much—but I've grown to respect him. What—are you saying that Luigi's being harassed?"

"His down throw made some Smashers upset because he could use it to set up combos. Day after day, people yelled at me in this office about it. And Sakurai seemed all too eager to nerf him. Another Smasher brought their own suspicions to my attention a few days ago."

"I wouldn't know anything about that, MH—I was clearing my head," said Dorf.

"Because of said combos, yes?"

"Uh—yes," admitted Dorf. "Look, I've got nothing to hide. You can ask me anything."

"That's good to know, because I really hope you can explain this," MH said cryptically, sliding a tape recorder forward and pressing "play".

It was Dorf's gloating session with Koopa and Wario at the café. Dorf managed to keep his facial features composed as he listened.

"You should really know better than to talk about things like that in public areas," chided MH.

"Who…?"

"I believe that's none of your concern," said MH. "What is your concern, however, is the fact that the three of you were probably involved in some scheme to manipulate me. I do not like being manipulated or taken advantage of."

"It was best for this tournament," argued Dorf.

"Best for this tournament—or best for you?" challenged MH. "Your conversation also named a few other Smashers: Marth, Roy, Mewtwo, Dark Pit, Kyle and Falco, and believe me, I will discuss this with them, as well. The more you keep from me, the worse it'll be for you. So, my question to you is—who are the Bennigan Brothers, and did they do this because I expelled one of their own?"

"This wasn't about Stu. In fact, he feels bad over what he did in the past and hopes you can give him a second chance. This was only about that down throw. We were frustrated and sick of those combos and…"

"What of Wario's club?"

"I know nothing about that. You know what? I betrayed my friend before, and by Din, I won't do it again."

"If you, Koopa and Wario work with me, then your punishment won't be as severe," said MH. "I've promised leniency to those who voluntarily come forward."

"I'm not a rat, Master Hand. I am a king." Dorf rose from his seat. "If you talk to Koopa and Wario, then they'll tell you that what you heard on that tape was taken out of context."

"In other words, you deny being involved in this?"

"Yeah—it looks that way," Dorf said casually.

"How long do you think it'll take for me to uncover all of the sordid details?" asked MH.

"I neither know nor care."

"You should care, because once I find out that you and the Smashers brought up in your gloat-fest were without a doubt involved in this, you'll really have it coming."

"Good luck," snickered Dorf. "We destroyed all of the evidence. It'll be your word against ours."

"That never stopped me," said MH.

"Master Hand—you have no idea who you're dealing with," warned Dorf.

"Do you?" MH shot back. "I can't wait to hear what the others will say about this."

Dorf stared hard at MH before turning around and striding away.

Nearby, CH listened in on the conversation, a diabolical expression beginning to cross his features…

1.1.1

Dorf went straight to his room, closing and locking the door behind him, and sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the ceiling and gathering his thoughts. Then, he went to work.

Firing up his computer, he retrieved, printed out and then deleted all of the chat transcripts involving him and the Bennigan Brothers before organizing the printed copies into a hidden safe. Then, he searched his room for any documents, photos and other media that could incriminate him and his buddies, and neatly arranged them into the safe, as well. After closing and locking the safe, Dorf slipped the combination into a hidden pocket of his outfit before relaxing on the bed. How could MH have found out…?

A car horn honked outside.

Dorf was at the window in one leap. Parked near the entrance to the Smash Mansion was a flashy-looking convertible. Koopa sat at the wheel, smiling at him.

Snatching up his sword, Dorf exited his room, headed downstairs and pushed through the double doors leading out of the Smash Mansion. "Hey," he said.

"Hey," replied Koopa. "What do you think?"

"That's a pretty sweet ride," said Dorf.

"What do you say for a spin in this baby?" asked Koopa.

"Might as well," said Dorf, chucking his sword into the backseat and leaping into the front passenger seat.

"Ready?" asked Koopa once his friend had buckled his seatbelt.

"Ready," said Dorf.

Koopa shifted the car into drive and hammered down. With a squeal of tires, the convertible lit out of the Smash Mansion, headed for the open road.

A familiar elf and an even more familiar plumber raced out onto the curb where the vehicle had been seconds ago.

"D—mit!" snapped Mario.

Link put a hand on his companion's shoulder. "Don't worry," he said. "We'll get them."

Mario nodded distractedly, fished out his cell phone and dialed, with Link following suit.

Koopa and Dorf, meanwhile, smirked at the image of their archnemeses in the rearview mirror as the convertible sped further away. The latter leaned back and enjoyed the ride, while the former expertly guided his car down the darkened streets, the wind blowing through their hair and swishing Dorf's cape, the smiles never leaving their faces.

"I think someone listened in on our talk at the café," Dorf said after a while.

"I've heard," said Koopa.

"MH talked to you, too?"

Koopa nodded.

"I didn't tell him too much."

"I know; that's not your style. And neither did I," Koopa assured him.

"What do you think of this? Should we be worried?" asked Dorf.

"Not at all," said Koopa.

"Should we—tell him?"

Koopa chewed his bottom lip. "Truth is—I'm starting to feel bad about doing that to Green 'St—Luigi," he said. "I didn't want those two Steves beating him up. I just wanted—a better chance of winning. But MH is right. He'll find out eventually. And I think he should find out from us."

"I told him that I wasn't about to turn on you a second time," said Dorf.

"Aw, Dorf. That's in the past, remember?"

"I still feel bad about it," Dorf said softly, "and in the end, it was all for nothing. We'd been played from beginning to end. That only makes it worse."

"Dorf, old pal—would you stop beating yourself up over that?" asked Koopa. "I forgave you, didn't I? Life moved on, didn't it? Look at all of the adventures ahead of us! Are you gonna miss out on them because of something that happened seven years ago?"

"Absolutely not," replied Dorf. "Wait—adventures? What are you talking about?"

"Dorf—I'm planning something big, and I want you to be a part of it," explained Koopa, "and no, it's not related to this down throw drama."

"Is it—Peach related?"

"You bet it is! I have something special in store for her—something I've spent years working on."

"Well, then—out with it!"

Koopa grinned. "I'm gonna tie the knot with her!"

"What?! No way!" bellowed Dorf. "It was about time!"

"Unfortunately, I don't have everything ready yet," said Koopa. "Give it about two more years. But—I would be honored if you'd be my best man."

"Wha—wow…" breathed Dorf. "I'd never thought I'd see this day! Of course, I'll be your best man! Tell me what you need, and I'll hire caterers and the whole nine yards."

"You're too kind, but I've already hired a team of professional wedding planners," said Koopa. "No offense."

"None taken. I know how special Peach is to you," said Dorf. "You only want the finest for her. But really—you're not gonna brainwash her or find some leverage to use?"

"No!" Koopa looked horrified at the idea. "You think I'm that kind of villain? But how about you? Have you ever dreamed of marrying Zellie?"

"Ah—not yet," said Dorf. "Maybe after I conquer all of Hyrule, though. Koopa—this is wonderful news!"

"First, we have to get MH and those plumbers off our backs," said Koopa. "Remember—I got that note last night."

"Yeah—Mario's giving me looks, and don't get me started on Link. Which gives me an idea—maybe one of them eavesdropped on us."

"If you really want to make magic happen, then we should consult Crazy Hand," said Koopa. "He'll pull through for us; I know he will. Oh—I forgot to tell you. CH contributed to the plan from the side. He helped arranged the meetings and put us up in style at fancy hotels. And he gave a big push in pointing MH and Sakurai in each other's directions."

"At least nobody knows about that," sighed Dorf.

"Yet," said Koopa, "but I know he's determined to protect this secret. Maybe that can help us."

"Maybe," echoed Dorf.

The two stopped at a 24-hour diner and ordered some food. While they waited, Koopa pulled out his phone.

CH answered on the first ring.

"We've got trouble," said Koopa.

"I overheard everything," said CH. "Don't worry; countermeasures have already been arranged."

"Countermeasures? Wha…?"

"Just leave everything to me," CH said cryptically before hanging up.

"What did he say?" asked Dorf.

Koopa gave Dorf a look. "Sometimes," he said, "I wonder if accepting his help with this venture was a good idea."

Please R&R.