First 30 Days

by Shana Hager

Sequel to Last 30 Days. After patch 1.1.1 goes live, Luigi must adapt to the nerf on his down throw as those celebrating it try to kick him while he's down. Mario's search for answers brings him into conflict with Master Hand. And the men and women behind Project Nerf must contend with the morality of their actions. Rated T for alcohol use and intense action violence.

30. T Plus 29 Days

T Plus 29 Days

Chapter contains intense action violence, peril and blood. Read at your own risk.

Master Hand sat in his office, deep in thought. Attempts to locate Crazy Hand and the two Steves, as well as Bentley and Jeff, were so far unsuccessful. The Hand of Creation considered reaching out to his twin to try and convince him to give up peacefully, but it was like he barely recognized him anymore. CH was known for his eccentricities, but this type of behavior wasn't like him at all. What was causing the Hand of Destruction to act this way, and could MH do anything to fix it?

His gaze swung down toward the object Jeff had managed to toss to him. It was another tape recorder, presumably further implicating Sakurai in the mess that was Project Nerf. Jeff had done his job well, even risking his life, and if that portal gave any indication, he was now stuck in some other dimension because of it.

"Hang in there, Jeff," MH said softly. "We'll come for you soon."

He hit "Play" on the tape recorder, sat back in his chair and listened.

"I want something to be very clear here," said Sakurai's voice. "Princess Daisy never sets foot into that Smash Mansion. I don't care how many times her boyfriend lobbies me!"

MH pressed "pause". This wasn't about Project Nerf. This was about the planned Operation Ballot Box! While the Bennigan Brothers had presumably abandoned the venture, who was to say that Mr. Sakurai would continue without them?

With a sigh, Master Hand resumed playing the tape, listening to Mr. Sakurai fuming on and on about Princess Daisy and why she wasn't Smasher material and how she was better off as Tatanga's queen. MH shook his head in disgust. Smash's chief financier was no better than the Smashers who'd spent all of last month ranting to him about Luigi's combos!

"He's trying to bar Daisy from this tournament—all because of a poor business year?" he asked in disbelief.

MH's intercom buzzed, and he pressed the "Answer" button. "Hello?"

"Master Hand," Rory's voice was low but frantic. "We need to evacuate the Smash Mansion now. The two Steves—they…"

"Rory, what's going on?"

"We've got a containment breach! Steve and Stevie—they must've found out, and…"

There was a crash.

"Rory?"

Rory spoke urgently. "Get everyone out now!" he commanded. "If this stuff gets hold of somebody, then that's no bueno! I—I'd better call Amy and tell her that I love her!"

"Stuff?" repeated MH. Then, it dawned on him. "Oh, Lord. That black swarm."

"I think the two Steves wanted a last laugh at our expense," said Rory.

"I have no idea how this is a laugh," said MH. "Is anyone else in there with you?"

"Just Jimmy, Timmy and Remy. We're doing what we can to repair the breach, but—it doesn't look good."

"Keep that stuff contained long enough for the building to be evacuated," said Master Hand. "I'll sound the alarm, and Lauren and Eden will be among those assisting in the evacuation. Good luck to the four of you."

"And good luck to you, Master Hand. May God help us all."

MH heard alarm bells ringing in the background.

Rory cursed. "Gotta go!" he cried before hanging up.

MH face-desked. "Could this day get any worse?" he asked.

A few seconds later, it did.

1.1.1

Chad Wrainwright had lost all sense of time since he woke up in a mysterious room with only a case of bottled water and a couple of boxes of Pop Tarts for company. His whole body was sore, and his head was pounding—when the two Steves had pounced on him, he'd made every effort to defend himself, but his martial arts skills were no match for their brute strength and collective rage, and they'd beaten him into submission before dragging him to—whatever this place was. It was a simple room with a bed, two lamps and a desk upon which a stack of blank white paper and a cup full of pens and pencils sat, and there was also a microwave on a shelf along with some paper plates and plastic cutlery. And to top it all off was an electric fan with three settings, in case the room was too hot.

So—the two Steves weren't that cruel. They were giving him food, water and basic accommodations. But why did they bring him here? What did they want with him?

He would soon find out.

The door opened, and the two Steves walked in, a large bag of McDonald's between them.

"Ah, Steve and Stevie," snarked Chad. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"We were just getting to that," Steve said sweetly as he set the bag of McDonald's beside the water and Pop Tarts. "Before that, however, we want you to know that you'll be our guest for a period of time which is entirely dependent on you. Which means—we expect you to conduct yourself as a guest under our protection."

"Don't talk down to me," scoffed Chad. "I already know I'm your guest. I just don't know why."

"Allow us to gladly explain," said Stevie. "We've brought you here for two reasons. Reason number one—is for information."

Chad flipped them off. "Go to Hell," he spat. "I won't tell you jack!"

"We know," cooed Steve as he and Stevie approached Chad, the latter grabbing his arms and pinning them behind his back, "but we'll still be asking you questions. And each time we don't get answers, there's going to be trouble." He grinned like a shark. "Are you ready to begin?"

Chad spat in Steve's face. "[Bleep] you," he growled.

"I'll take that as a yes," said Steve, methodically sliding on a pair of gloves.

But these weren't just any gloves—they were made of black leather, and they could amplify the pain of any blows given times ten—maybe more.

"You're going to give us all of the information on the whereabouts of one Charlotte Thorne," said Steve as he fastened the gloves. "The name, location, address and room number of the hotel she's staying at. Then, you will give us the names, aliases and locations of the people who helped you organize your little meeting."

"Over my dead body," Chad said bravely.

"Suit yourself," Steve calmly replied.

And then he wound up and sent a punch into Chad's face. An echoing crunch rang out, a starburst of pain erupting from within Chad. Before he even had a chance to compose himself, Steve punched him repeatedly, his gloved fists targeting his face and upper body. Everything hurt, but Chad would rather subject himself to this torture than betray Charlie's location and put her life in danger.

Steve's fists flew until he ran out of breath. Then, he took out a handkerchief and delicately wiped the blood from Chad's face.

"We're going easy on you today, believe it or not," Steve said softly. "It's only gonna get worse for you unless you cough up the intel we're looking for."

"We'll find out sooner or later," Stevie joined in, "so it might as well be sooner. Steve, let me have a go at him."

Steve nodded, and the two men switched places, with Steve holding Chad in place and Stevie donning his own leather gloves. Chad took several deep breaths, resolving not to scream, resolving not to show fear, resolving to give these two monsters nothing.

Stevie smiled at him, and then the cruelty started up again.

1.1.1

A potentially life-threatening situation was taking place in the Smash Mansion. Miis of all shapes and sizes were hard at work evacuating the building, ushering confused Smashers to safety. The evacuees were encouraged to take only essential items with them, and to grab only what they could carry. In order not to alarm anyone, the Miis only gave the bare minimum of details when explaining what was going on.

Soon, most of the Smashers were gathered on the front lawn, being served hot coffee, tea, cider or hot chocolate to combat the morning chill. Breakfast sandwiches were being handed out, as well. Everyone chattered among themselves, hoping that MH would give them some proper answers once this situation was cleared up.

However, there were some Smashers who were also knee-deep in the evacuation efforts, guiding friends, family and younger Smashers to the nearest emergency exits and instructing them to meet up on the lawn before they, too, made for safety. Among these Smashers, of course, were the Mario Bros.

The two had been sweating it out in the Training Area when the evacuation announcement was made over the PA system. Therefore, the Bros weren't clad in their usual getup. Instead, they were wearing a pair of black leggings and a short-sleeved shirt. Mario's was red, while Luigi's was green. The first thing they did after the announcement was lead the Training Area's other occupants to safety. Then, they helped Peach evacuate (naturally), followed by Rosalina, Yoshi and any other Smasher they encountered.

"He wants to try and marry her—again?" Luigi incredulously asked as he and Mario led Ness, Kirby, Pikachu and Jigglypuff toward an emergency exit.

"Yup," sighed Mario. "He just won't get the hint."

"We've thwarted him the first three times," said Luigi. "What makes him think we won't thwart this attempt?"

"You got me," eyerolled Mario.

"Poyo?" asked Kirby.

"Oh, Kirby—I appreciate that you'd want to help," said Mario, "but we need to deal with whatever this is first, okay?"

"Poyo," chirped Kirby.

"Once they give the 'all clear', I think we should talk to Master Hand about this," said Luigi. "He can help us keep an eye on that reptile."

"And it couldn't be soon enough," said Mario. "Tomorrow's Friday. I can't believe another week went by that fast."

"We'd better take Koopa's 'visits' more seriously from now on," added Luigi. "At least until this 'royal wedding' is nipped in a bud."

"I was gonna say the same thing," said Mario.

They encountered Meta Knight, Lucario, Fox, Falco and Lucas in the hallway.

"We got them," said Fox, indicating Kirby, Ness, Pikachu and Jiggs. "You guys need to make a break for it, and fast."

"Have any of you seen Master Hand?" asked Mario.

"My guess is that he's also coordinating the evacuation," said Fox. "He's like the captain of the ship—during a disaster, he should be the last to leave. Hopefully, he'll join us in the front lawn to conduct a head count."

"Thanks, guys," said Luigi. "We'll see you outside."

Kirby waved at the Bros as he and his companions were whisked toward an emergency exit.

"Right," said Mario. "The others are probably getting worried about us. We'd better get going."

Luigi nodded.

Briskly, they walked toward an emergency exit—and then they felt a curious rumbling.

"That doesn't sound good," said Luigi.

Quickly taking charge, Mario splayed his hand against the small of his lil' bro's back and hurried him toward the emergency exit.

"Quite a month we're having," mused the man in red.

"No doubt," said Luigi.

Just as they reached the emergency exit, the Bros heard the sound of something being burst open. They wheeled about just in time to see a mysterious black swarm raging down the hall.

"Dio!" whispered Luigi. "Is that—is that the stuff MH kept puking up?"

"Indeed," replied Mario, "and whatever it is—it's become sentient!"

He was about to say something else when the black swarm suddenly noticed the Bros, sprouting tendrils and lunging toward them!

Instinctively, Mario planted himself in front of Luigi. "Get out of here!" he shouted urgently.

However, he wasn't prepared for what Luigi did next.

As Mario faced down the approaching black swarm, Luigi threw open the emergency exit door—and then grabbed Mario and shoved him through!

Mario stumbled, catching himself before he could fall. Spinning around, he saw that the tendrils had wrapped themselves around Luigi's waist. He dashed forward, shouting his brother's name.

But it was too late. Mario could only watch as the black swarm yanked Luigi back inside the Smash Mansion, the emergency exit door slamming shut after them.

Mario stood there, gasping. "N—no—Luigi…"

"There you are!" shouted Lauren, running over with Remy and Eden in tow. "The other Smashers are waiting for you!"

"My bro! He—he…"

Lauren drew Mario into a hug.

"This black—thing—came at us, and Luigi pushed me out of the way, and—it grabbed him and pulled him inside! We gotta…"

"Master Hand's still unaccounted for," said Remy. "I'll keep trying to get in touch with him. But right now, the front lawn is the safest place to be at the moment."

"I can't leave my bro in there!"

"Knowing him, he'll fight his way out," said Eden. "We'll help out in any way we can, but we can't risk you hurting yourself or worse."

Mario continued to protest as the trio led him away.

God in Heaven—please, don't take my bro from me. Not now. Not after everything we've been through…

1.1.1

Luigi had made it a point to kick the emergency exit door shut before the black stuff dragged him further down the corridor. Now, he found himself in Master Hand's office, where the hand himself lay on the floor, severely wounded. The white fabric of his glove was ripped, and an alarming amount of blood was leaking out. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing except that black swarm. The swarm whose tendrils were currently making a beeline for the office door.

Five seconds was all it took for Luigi to assess the situation. With a brief barrage of fireballs, he sent the entity recoiling backward, giving himself just enough time to close and lock the office door, as well as the windows. His attacker now had no means of escape.

With great effort, Master Hand pushed himself up. His vision cleared, and he saw Luigi, facing off against the black swarm.

"Wh—wha…?" MH weakly uttered. "L—Luigi?"

Without taking his eyes off the black swarm, Luigi addressed Master Hand. "Stay where you are," he calmly instructed. "Try not to move, okay?"

"Wait…"

But before MH could say anything else, the black substance rounded on Luigi, taking on the form of a giant golem with a humanoid appearance, glaring at the man in green with glowing eyes. In response, Luigi let out a breath and raised his fists, a little shakily, but MH clearly saw his intentions.

"Oh, Luigi…" he murmured.

The shadowy golem had four pairs of arms, which were presently slamming and smashing at Luigi. But Luigi withstood the assault and counterattacked with unrelenting blows of his own, alternating between punches, knifehand strikes and kicks. Sometimes, he'd attack the limbs, but mostly, he'd pummel the golem's face and body, since those areas appeared to be the most vulnerable. He launched himself like a rocket into the golem's chest and executed his Cyclone attack, battering the golem everywhere. When the golem pounded and punched back, Luigi simply retreated and let his fireballs fly. MH could only watch in awe as he began to heal himself. Once this mess was over, he'd just have to press Luigi for details on how he wound up here.

His train of thought was cut off when the golem launched more devastating attacks, from causing tremors and shockwaves to emitting painful sonic screams to spewing lasers and balls of dark energy to spawning tumors all over its head, tumors which could set off multiple explosions. Luigi soldiered through it all, fists and feet flying with cold precision, his body leaping and cartwheeling around the entity as he fought back as hard as he could. MH's breath caught in his chest. He didn't know if Luigi could defeat this—thing—but he understood that he'd try his d—ndest.

With an emphatic grunt, Luigi sent a mighty uppercut into the base of the golem's chin, causing the giant to practically fall apart. Then, he turned and hurried over to MH's desk.

"Wha—what are you doing?" MH demanded of him.

"What I have to," Luigi replied as he found a big red button with a key slot under it.

MH immediately put two-and-two together. "Oh, no…" he breathed.

But Luigi could only think about his fellow Smashers, waiting it out in the front lawn. He remembered seeing the black swarm reaching out for Mario. This—thing—wasn't about to go outside and hurt them on his watch!

Opening a drawer, Luigi rummaged around and pulled out a key, which he inserted in the slot below the button and turned to its safety position. The button lit up, and without a second thought, Luigi slammed his hand onto it.

Alarms blared, and steel doors and coverings descended over the windows and the office door.

Luigi had locked down the entire Smash Mansion, sealing the mysterious entity inside.

The entity regained its bearings in time to see what Luigi had done, and it was none-too-happy. Rearing up, it transformed into a quadruped with the head of a T-Rex and a scorpion's tail. With an angry roar, it went on the attack, lashing out with both tail and head as Luigi lashed back with the strongest attacks in his arsenal. However, this form was more fearsome and ferocious than the golem. It pounced all over the office, trying to reduce Luigi to paste. It opened its cavernous jaws, intending to maul him. Its attacks drew blood, and one slash from the scorpion tail almost tore out an eye. But Luigi took these heavier attacks and got right back up, refusing to abandon the fight, refusing to let this creature attack anyone else.

"Luigi," MH said softly.

After dealing a roundhouse kick to the creature, Luigi flicked his eyes toward MH. The Hand of Creation clutched a familiar iron hammer in his fist, the polished metal gleaming in the light.

"I think you might need this," said MH.

With a grateful smile, Luigi peeled off the remnants of his shirt and accepted the hammer as MH tossed it to him. Then, he whirled back toward the creature and held his weapon at the ready.

"This isn't a tournament battle, Luigi," intoned MH. "Hold nothing back!"

Luigi obliged, striking back against the entity with harder blows, throwing his entire body into his hammer swings. Sometimes, he'd swing the hammer like a baseball bat, and other times, he'd slam down his weapon on the creature, so hard that he'd actually leap from the ground. He'd also do a variation of his Cyclone attack, except that he'd land scores of hammer-blows, rather than scores of fist blows. The extra firepower did its job, and the creature collapsed back into the black swarm after a stunning blow to its face.

Sweat slicked Luigi's bare upper body and mixed with his blood, his chest pulsing in and out as he awaited the swarm's next move. It levitated into the air before shapeshifting into a quintet of swords. Four of them were small, and the last one was colossal. Luigi readied his hammer, and then the swords attacked, slicing and slashing from all directions. The smaller swords could be deflected with well-timed hammer strikes, but the large sword was the main threat, spawning dark energy orbs which homed in on Luigi as it slashed. The slashes were extremely painful, and the orbs flung him around like a rag doll, but Luigi wouldn't give up. In addition to pummeling away with his hammer, he attacked with his own projectiles. This time around, though, they weren't fire-based—they were electricity-based.

Blue-green lightning lit up Master Hand's office as the battle continued to rage between Luigi and the strange entity. The shadowy swords attacked in groups as well as individually, and most of their slashes were infused with dark energy. But the pulses of electricity deflected the worst of the energy orbs, and at one point, Luigi electrified his hammer so that he could take more out of his mysterious opponent. There was one attack in which the small swords would rip into him, followed by the large sword trying to finish him off. After that attack, the large sword would wind up stuck in the ground for a few moments, giving Luigi a chance to whale on it as the small swords buzzed around him. And then the large sword would recover, and then it would all begin again.

By now, there were bloody slashes all over Luigi's body, and his face was swollen and bruised. He bit back the pain and continued to throw attacks, but MH didn't know how long the man in green would last. Putting others before himself was one of his strongest character traits, but it had a tenancy to nearly get him killed. The Hand of Creation had to intercede before he wound up with a tragedy on his hands.

He watched Luigi put aside his hammer in favor of flying kicks and lightning-infused punches. When the blades continued hurting him, he hurt them right back. And whenever the large sword knocked him out of the air, he just walked it off. The five swords were eventually defeated when Luigi twirled his feet under him, dealing a terrific blow to the large sword. As the weapons dissipated into the swarm, Master Hand once again got Luigi's attention.

"I'm still trying to recover from my own battle against that thing, but at least let me try to help," said MH, wiggling his fingers and casting his healing power over Luigi.

While the glove's magic healed the worst of Luigi's wounds, several bruises and slashes still remained. Nonetheless, renewed vigor soared through Luigi as his hands lit up with that blue-green electricity.

"Thanks, MH," breathed Luigi.

"You're welcome," said MH.

Then, Luigi faced the swarm, standing protectively in front of MH, as the entity thrashed along the ground in a rage. As the man in green watched, the entity took on its fourth form—a dark facsimile of himself.

He breathed, slowly, deeply and steadily, forcing back the memories of the False Smashers he'd battled seven years ago, along with the person he'd been hypnotized into a year before that. The shadowy duplicate waved shyly before dropping into a fighting stance, and Luigi got into his fighting stance, as well.

"Oh, my God," breathed Master Hand, remembering his disgraceful rant at Mario. He knew what Luigi was thinking about.

"We're gonna be okay, Master Hand," Luigi said as he and his duplicate circled one another. "We're gonna be okay."

The duplicate dashed forward, Luigi blocking and deflecting the ensuing attacks before lashing out with a sharp forward punch. From there, he went on the offensive, tripping the duplicate with a low kick before going to town with face and body blows. Unfortunately, this clone could give as good as it got, since it was armed with an exact copy of Luigi's fighting style. Luigi wound up taking lots of pain from his own attacks, except that they were considerably stronger. He could almost understand why so many Smashers complained to MH about his playstyle. Almost.

But that wasn't the point.

The duplicate tried to grab Luigi, but the latter put a stop to that with a searing blast of lightning. Getting up, the clone retaliated with its own lightning, except that it was a dark purple color. The electrical attacks clashed and flew back and forth as both sides dealt out harsh blows. At one point, the duplicate sent Luigi sprawling and then straddled him, unleashing rapid-fire punches to the face and chest. This lasted until a large lightning ball was propelled into the duplicate, knocking it away. Luigi rolled to his knees and leaped up, spitting out a mouthful of blood and re-engaging his shadowy copy. He got in close, grabbed the duplicate, butt-slammed it and began cutting it down to size with combo after combo. Blistering combos cannoned into the duplicate until Luigi was almost out of breath, a lucky few punches disrupting his rhythm. But then, Luigi utilized his trusty hammer, forcing the clone to pull out his own hammer, both weapons repeatedly pounding all over bodies. Gasps, grunts and cries of pain mixed with the sound of Luigi's breaths and the pitter-patter of his sweat on the carpet. The perspiration caused clumps of his hair to cleave to his forehead and his pants to cleave to his waist, but the sweat and the pain and the blood didn't bother him in the slightest. He'd simply grab quick breaths and brace his body for another grueling round.

After an extremely heated fight, Luigi rounded his lips, exhaled and swung his hammer, landing a clean hit on the center of his duplicate's body. Limply, the duplicate dropped onto its back, and Luigi pinned it down and rained blow after blow on it until it dematerialized into the black swarm, which slunk away.

Breathing heavily, Luigi stood back up, glaring determinedly at the swarm.

"Wow," said MH. "You did it."

"We're not out of it yet, though," warned Luigi, and he was right.

The black swarm rushed at Luigi, enveloping him head to foot.

"J—s! Luigi?!" MH exclaimed, rushing forward.

He paused when the entity abruptly pulled away from Luigi, lingering there, as if to study him.

Luigi's blue eyes glazed over, and his body swayed.

"No, no, no…" MH gasped, splaying out his fingers to catch Luigi as his knees gave out. "You can't give up now. You have to fight. You have to stay with me."

"It's okay, Master Hand," Luigi said softly. "It's okay. I need to do this. I—need—to…"

MH frowned. "You know what it's trying to do?"

"It's trying to escape—to the Dream World," explained Luigi, his eyelids fluttering. "I'm gonna—fight it—there."

"Why the Dream World?" asked MH.

"It's not gonna stop—unless I make it," said Luigi. "Master Hand—please—trust me…"

"I trust you," MH said unhesitatingly.

"Get a pillow…"

The Hand of Creation obliged, grabbing a pillow and a blanket from a small closet (he slept in his office sometimes). Gently, he laid Luigi on the blanket and placed the pillow under his head before loosely wrapping the blanket around him.

"Comfortable?" asked MH.

"Yes."

"Do you want me to call anyone?"

"Can't risk—anyone getting—hurt…" Luigi's voice grew softer and softer.

"Well, too bad, because I'm getting help, anyway," MH said firmly, heading over to his phone and dialing a number.

"Lauren? Eden? I need you two to get down to my office immediately. You can override the lockdown with your access keys. And for God's sake, bring Mario with you!"

"We're on our way."

"Thank you." MH hung up and knelt beside Luigi. "Whatever you're planning, I hope it works," he said.

Luigi smiled confidently, and then his eyes closed completely. Above his head, a rainbow-colored portal opened up—a portal to the Dream World.

"Whoa," gasped MH.

The steel covering over the office door retracted, and the door opened to reveal Lauren, Eden and Mario.

"Master Hand!" Eden cried. "Are you all right?"

"I've almost finished healing myself," replied MH.

Mario, however, zeroed in on his baby brother, asleep on the floor, bruised, burned and slashed. "Luigi!" he exclaimed, racing to his side.

"What happened here?" asked Lauren.

"Rory told me that the black swarm I was coughing up breached its containment," said MH. "Shortly thereafter, it burst in and attacked me. Luckily, I was able to hold it off long enough for most of the Smashers to escape, but I was beaten up quite badly. Then, it dragged Luigi inside."

"And he fought that—thing—himself?!" asked Mario.

MH nodded. "He was—protecting me. Protecting all of us. That's why he locked down the building. So—whatever that was wouldn't escape."

"It was headed right for me," breathed Mario. "I yelled for Luigi to hurry outside, but instead…" He trailed off. "That's my bro for you."

Then, he glanced up, his eyes widening. "Dio," he breathed. "Is that…?"

"Looks like it," replied MH. "After Luigi locked down the Smash Mansion and defeated several of the black—thing's—combat forms, it somehow put him to sleep to escape to the Dream World. He intends to fight the swarm there, but he needs your help, Mario."

Mario nodded.

"That swarm is pretty crafty. It'll probably channel Luigi's worst nightmares to try and win, which means that we should expect an appearance from—him."

"I know," Mario said quietly.

He whispered something to Luigi in Italian before kissing his forehead, rising to his feet and backing up a few paces.

"You're going in there?" asked Lauren.

"Yeah," said Mario. "Don't worry—I've done this before."

"Wait!" Eden broke in. She held up a certain red vacuum cleaner. "I stopped by Luigi's room and grabbed this."

"Thank you, Eden," said Master Hand.

Eden tossed the Poltergust to MH, and she and Lauren gently propped Luigi up so that the Hand of Creation could carefully slide it onto his back.

Luigi mumbled something, as if in thanks.

Mario turned to MH—and held out his hand to him. "Come on," he said.

"You—you want me to come with you?" MH asked in shock.

"My bro could use all the help he could get," said Mario.

"You're right," said MH, floating over to Mario and taking his hand.

"Eden and I will look after him," said Lauren. "Now, go. Go!"

After exchanging a nod, Mario and Master Hand took a running start before leaping into the portal together.

1.1.1

"Here we are," said Mario when he and MH landed. "The Dream World."

The Dream World was illuminated by a beautiful sky of pinks and purples. Light green pathways crisscrossed the area. Around them, they could swear they heard Luigi's voice, saying something. But they were unable to make out the words.

Ahead of them, however, was a shadowy building shaped like the Smash Mansion's exterior. This building appeared organic, breathing and shifting and pulsing malevolently. No doubt—this was the work of the mysterious black swarm.

"Luigi's probably inside that building," breathed Mario, "hurt and exhausted and—we gotta go in after him!"

He took off running, and Master Hand followed. Just as they reached the door, however—

"There he is! There's our bro!"

Several Luigis dashed onto the scene, soft green outlines tracing them. All of them were clad in stretchy black workout pants and no shirt, peppermint-stripe socks, brown work boots and wore that familiar green hat on their heads. Their blue eyes sparkled happily as they crowded around Mario, greeting him with loving hugs.

Back in the real world, Luigi laughed softly. Kneeling on either side of him, Eden and Lauren exchanged a look.

Meanwhile, the group of Luigis soon calmed down and reluctantly separated from Mario, looking him over.

"You shouldn't be here," said one of the Luigis. "It's an absolute Hellhole in there!" He indicated the shadowy facsimile of the Smash Mansion. "That black swarm we pushed you out of the way of is responsible for that! It plans to create a corrupted, dreamy version of the tournament, and then use it to take over the Dream World!"

"And with you defeated, it will attack the real Smash Mansion again," theorized Master Hand. "Why, though? Why did it target me? And why did it target Mario?"

"Maybe it doesn't need a reason," said another Luigi, "but it tried to hurt our Bro. We can't let it hurt our Bro! We can't! We can't!"

"Big Bro's in danger!" chorused the other Luigis. "Gotta help Big Bro!"

"All right, all right—settle down," said MH. "As you can see, Mario's okay—and he wants to help you."

"He's right," said Mario. "You need me, and I need you."

"And aren't you guys a dream team?" added MH. "This is a threat you need to face together."

"Together," repeated the lead Luigi.

"Yeah—together," said another Luigi.

"Together—with our Bro!" thundered the other Luigis.

"Help our Bro!"

"Do our best!"

"For our Bro!"

The Luigis sent up a rallying cry before everyone faced the shadowy building.

"Is that supposed to be a Dreamy Smash Mansion of sorts?" asked MH.

"Looks like it," said Mario.

"Some of us are already inside, looking for a way to destroy it," said the lead Luigi.

"Wait—there's more of you?" asked MH.

"Oh, yeah. There are tons and tons of us. And we're here for one reason only—to look after our Bro," replied the lead Luigi.

"These Luigis are avatars of my bro, and they'll guide us around the Dream World," explained Mario. "Collectively, they're known as Dreamy Luigi."

"Dreamy Luigi," repeated MH. "So that's why they refer to themselves in the plural first-person."

"Have you also noticed how Dreamy Luigi looks a little different?" asked Mario.

"Kind of," said MH, his gaze sweeping over the crowd of Luigis presently surging toward the Dreamy Smash Mansion. They were almost just as tall as Luigi in the real world, but they were also handsomer, braver, quicker to action—and had a slightly more muscular build.

"That's because Dreamy Luigi is everything Luigi wishes he can be," said Mario. "I consider my first trip to the Dream World one of the most important adventures of my life, because the level of devotion my bro had for me was fully realized."

"I'm a godlike being, and this is throwing even me for a loop," said MH.

"Big Bro!" shouted one of the Luigis. "Let's go!"

"And you, too, Master Hand—we guess," added another Luigi.

Mario squared his shoulders. "Let's kick some dreamy [bleep]," he said.

"I'm with you there," said MH.

Master Hand, Mario and Dreamy Luigi marched into the Dreamy Smash Mansion and quickly found themselves inside a network of labyrinthine corridors, the black stuff oscillating around them. Shadowy versions of enemies from the tournament's encompassing franchises patrolled the maze-like environment, attacking our heroes on sight. But Dreamy Luigi took the lead, clearing away these enemies and leading their companions toward a bulging, pulsing—growth.

"What the Hell is that?" asked MH.

"It looks like a core of some sort," said the lead Luigi, aiming a hefty punch at the core.

The other Luigis followed suit, attacking the core until it burst open, revealing more of the Dreamy Smash Mansion to them.

A lightbulb went off in MH's head.

"That's it!" he cried. "We need to find more of these structures and destroy them if we want a chance at bringing this place down!"

"But this swarm isn't gonna make it easy," warned Mario. "The area's packed top to bottom with enemies."

"Don't worry," said the lead Luigi. "We'll fight our way through."

They continued on their way, battling more enemies and encountering a pool of boiling yellow acid below them. Dreamy Luigi helped Mario and MH across precarious platforms so that they wouldn't fall in, and as they ventured deeper into the Dreamy Smash Mansion, more and more Luigis joined the party, enthusiastically greeting Mario and promising to protect him.

Soon, the adventurers came across a second core, dangling off the edge of the walkway they stood on. Near the core was a modest-sized Luigi face.

"Hop on, Bro," said Dreamy Luigi.

They helped Mario climb onto the face's moustache, and then the man in red called out to Lauren and Eden in the real world. "Can you hear me?" he asked.

"Loud and clear!" Lauren replied.

"Okay—I want you to gently pull on my bro's moustache," said Mario. "It'll launch me toward that core."

"All right," said Lauren, taking one end of Luigi's moustache, pulling it taut and then releasing it as Luigi winced slightly.

Mario flew through the air, his body arcing toward the core. He wound up, and as he approached the core, he swung his fist downward with all his strength, hitting the core with his signature Dunk. The core imploded instantly, a chain of Luigis catching Mario before he could tumble into black nothingness.

The Luigis pulled Mario back up and hugged him close.

"Be careful, Bro," warned the lead Luigi.

"It's gonna get more dangerous up ahead," said another Luigi.

"We can help you, Bro," chimed in yet another. "We can keep you safe."

"Yeah," chorused a small group of Luigis. "You're in good hands, Bro."

Mario smiled warmly. "Thanks, Bro," he replied.

The Luigis giggled.

With Dreamy Luigi leading the way, our heroes descended into the bowels of the Dreamy Smash Mansion, destroying every last core they came across. All of these cores were guarded by tougher enemies, but they were no match for Dreamy Luigi. They attacked as parts of a whole, forming themselves into a ball so that Mario could kick them into hordes of foes. Forming even bigger balls, which Master Hand could bowl into oncoming attackers. Arranging themselves into tall stacks in an attempt to pancake their enemies. Molding themselves around Mario's hammer and copying its shape to give their bro a better melee weapon. And performing a variation of the Cyclone move, in which they all spun in place, creating a vortex which sucked in enemies right and left and spat them back out. They also combined their powers to create large fireballs or lightning balls and defended Mario and Master Hand from incoming assaults by way of a stout human wall. Whenever they came across chasms Mario couldn't clear with his signature jump, Dreamy Luigi created bridges so that their bro could safely get across. Master Hand did his part as well, chipping away at cores and enemies with his projectiles and barreling into hostile crowds with his swiping and punching attacks. However, it was Dreamy Luigi who carried most of the weight, punching, kicking, throwing projectiles and enemies, swinging their hammers and taking hits in their companions' stead, determined to get Mario and MH safely to Point B.

One particular core was larger than the others, visibly pulsing like a heartbeat. A series of precarious platforms separated it from our heroes, and compounding the danger were groups of the larger enemies, along with that bubbling acid pool. Master Hand attacked the core from a distance by firing energy blasts, while Dreamy Luigi defended the giant glove and Mario from the approaching enemy patrol. It was the man in red who landed the final blow, decimating the core with an aerial double-footed kick.

Dreamy Luigi hastened Mario away as the core shuddered and then erupted in a starburst of brilliant light. The environment around the adventurers shifted, and they soon found themselves in a dreamy version of the Battlefield.

Taunting voices echoed around them, and Dreamy Luigi stiffened.

"You know who that is?" asked Master Hand.

Dreamy Luigi nodded. "The Bennigan Brothers," they replied.

"But—didn't they…?" Master Hand started to say.

"Yes, but it doesn't change the fact that they did it," snapped Dreamy Luigi.

Mario nodded. "I think that whatever this is is channeling my bro's leftover anger at them to create malevolent dreamy versions of Stuart and his brothers."

"Hey, how's it going?"

Everyone snapped into their fighting stances as Dreamy Stuart walked in.

"C'mon then, Luigi," taunted Dreamy Stuart. "Let's see how well you fight without those combos of yours!"

Mario turned to Dreamy Luigi. "Whatever you do," he cautioned, "don't let him rile you up."

Dreamy Luigi nodded before stepping out to face Dreamy Stuart.

Dreamy Stuart attacked first, aiming a punch at his opponent's jaw. Fluidly, Dreamy Luigi sidestepped and returned the blow, harder, faster. Once Dreamy Stuart recovered, he threw a right cross, but Dreamy Luigi deflected the blow and retaliated with a hook to the body, followed by a roundhouse kick. Leaping forward, Dreamy Luigi followed up with a flurry of knifehand strikes, only for Dreamy Stuart to snatch them out of thin air and slam them hard to the ground, pinning them down and punching their face repeatedly. Fortunately, Dreamy Luigi escaped by sending a blast of lightning between their foe's eyes and rolled to their feet, using a combination of fireballs and lightning balls to discourage Dreamy Stuart from rushing toward them. When Dreamy Stuart managed to close the distance, he found himself surrounded by several Luigis. The Luigis took turns ground-pounding Dreamy Stuart, and then the lead Luigi grabbed him, swung him around thrice and then sent him flying into another Luigi's hammer swing. Using their hammers, the Luigis whacked Dreamy Stuart to each other, the lead Luigi finishing the attack by holding out his hammer in front of him and spinning into Dreamy Stuart, sending him flying a considerable distance before smashing to the floor.

"You dirty cheater!" growled Dreamy Stuart as he got to his feet. "I'm telling Master Hand!"

"This isn't a tournament," Dreamy Luigi shot back. "There are no rules here."

Then, Dreamy Luigi hung back, waiting for Dreamy Stuart's next move. And sure enough, Dreamy Stuart blindly charged forward, screaming like a berserker. With a small smirk, Dreamy Luigi met the charge with a series of heavy punches to the face and gut, followed by an uppercut with their hammer. Dreamy Stuart kicked from the ground, but Dreamy Luigi took the opportunity to go on the offensive with electrically-infused open palm strikes, doubling Dreamy Stuart with a forward knifehand strike, grabbing him, slamming down and firing off a string of karate chops.

A blast of searing lightning sent Dreamy Stuart back to the ground.

"I thought that didn't work anymore," he groaned.

"In certain situations," Dreamy Luigi smartly replied.

Dreamy Stuart got to his feet and rushed Dreamy Luigi again, but the latter knocked the former backward with a solid hammer whack. After that, Dreamy Luigi decided to really turn up the heat, relentlessly hacking away at the dreamy version of one of their tormentors, literally attacking from everywhere at once during several points. While Dreamy Stuart managed to get some blows in, his fate was pretty much sealed. Dreamy Luigi grabbed him, flipped him over their shoulder and slammed him onto the stage before climbing atop him and letting loose with punch after punch.

And one last hefty punch caused Dreamy Stuart to dissolve into those swirls of black.

"The fun is just beginning," chortled Dreamy Stuart before he dissolved completely.

And he was right. Shortly thereafter, the dreamy versions of Stuart's brothers arrived on the battlefield. Dreamy Vince and Dreamy Manny were armed with crowbars, while Dreamy Shane was armed with a two-by-four with sharp nails jutting from one end.

Dreamy Luigi drew in a long breath as they studied the trio.

"C'mon, boys," said Dreamy Vince. "Let's eat this plumber for breakfast!"

And then the three of them charged, weapons aloft.

Dreamy Luigi spun around with their hammer, knocking their three opponents away in different directions. The first to recover was Dreamy Manny, who swiped wildly at Dreamy Luigi with his crowbar. His swings were quite easy to dodge, and Dreamy Luigi retaliated with quick but sharp body blows, knocking Dreamy Manny onto his [bleep] with a ball of lightning. Then, Dreamy Shane got to his feet, Dreamy Luigi whirling in time to block the incoming attack and push back with their hammer. With a grunt, Dreamy Luigi disengaged the weapons and sent a hammer uppercut into Dreamy Shane's gut, knocking him into Dreamy Manny.

Master Hand saw Dreamy Vince attempting to sneak up on Dreamy Luigi and quietly floated over to him.

"Hey, you!" he boomed. "Snap out of it!"

"Wha…?" uttered Dreamy Vince.

Master Hand snapped his fingers, rendering Dreamy Vince dazed. Dreamy Luigi quickly ran over and laid him out to dry with a hammer blow.

"Typical," sniped Mario as the Dreamy Bennigan Brothers dissolved into black swirls. "Those three have more bark than bite, so I didn't expect this fight to last long."

"There could be more, though," cautioned MH. "We need to stay alert."

Seconds later, MH was proven right when more jeers and insults filled the air.

"I wasn't supposed to lose to you! You're Player Two, God—mit!"

"I can't believe a coward whipped my [bleep]! Now everyone's gonna laugh at me!"

"Why did you win, and not me?! You're supposed to be a wimp and a coward!"

"I f—ing hate you! I was supposed to claim the victory! Me, me, ME!"

"I'm sick and tired of those stupid f—ing combos owning me day after day!"

"You're supposed to be the loser! The loser! Who do you think you are, stealing the win from me?!"

"Oh, no," gasped Mario.

"Those are…" breathed Master Hand.

"The Smashers behind Project Nerf," they said in unison.

Mario quickly approached Dreamy Luigi and pulled them into a hug.

"You can't listen to them," entreated the man in red. "You can't give in. You have to be strong!"

"We know," whispered Dreamy Luigi.

Then, Dreamy Luigi pushed Mario behind them as another challenger stepped onto the Dreamy Battlefield.

It was Dreamy Chad.

"Nah, you're good, Mario," said Dreamy Chad. "It's him I want."

Mario narrowed his eyes and started to rebuke Dreamy Chad, only for a few Luigis to whisk him away.

"We got this!" the Luigis said confidently.

"I know you do," said Mario. "But…"

"Please. We don't want you getting hurt," said the Luigis.

Mario couldn't argue with them. He and MH watched as Dreamy Luigi engaged Dreamy Chad.

"Your move, plumber," Dreamy Chad said cockily.

Dreamy Luigi tripped Dreamy Chad with a low kick and then swung their hammer full tilt, catching Dreamy Chad in the abdomen. Gasping, Dreamy Chad pushed himself up, only for five Luigis to surround him and use him as a punching bag. Dreamy Chad knocked one of the Luigis away with a spin kick, but the latter swiftly regrouped and launched a Misfire into Dreamy Chad, knocking him onto his back.

Then, Dreamy Chad spun around on the floor like a break-dancer, kicking at the backs of the Luigis' knees. In response, the Luigis hopped onto each other's shoulders, forming a small Luigi tower, before inviting more Luigis to join in. Dreamy Chad got to his feet and only had a second to gawk at the tower of Luigis before they jumped off one by one, each of them hitting him with a double-footed stomp or a ground pound. The last Luigi spun into Dreamy Chad with a Cyclone.

"Is that all you got?" taunted Dreamy Chad, shaking his head to clear it.

Dreamy Luigi wanted to retort, but they dutifully bit their tongue.

Dreamy Chad danced left, and then right, before dashing back in. And then Dreamy Luigi met him with a resounding punch which snapped their opponent's head back before assailing him with knifehand strikes. Dreamy Chad's face turned beet red, and with a loud "ENOUGH!", he grabbed Dreamy Luigi and stopped their offensive with a harsh full-body tackle.

"No!" Mario cried, rushing forward to help.

A line of Luigis stopped him.

"Don't worry about us, Bro!" they said in unison. "We can take it!"

Meanwhile, Dreamy Chad jerked Dreamy Luigi to their feet and started sending punches into their face. But to his surprise, Dreamy Luigi stopped one punch in its tracks with the palm of their hand.

"Not this time," Dreamy Luigi said levelly before breaking free and grabbing their hammer.

Five electrically-infused hammer blows was all it took to bring Dreamy Chad to his knees. As Dreamy Chad began to dissolve, he just gawked at Dreamy Luigi.

"D—n," he said. "You're something else."

And then he vanished into swarms of black.

"Bro—are you okay?" asked Mario.

"We're fine," exhaled Dreamy Luigi.

They blinked the sweat from their eyes and rolled their shoulders, and then their next opponent walked in.

"Hallelujah! Holy [bleep]!" exclaimed Dreamy Chase. "Where's the Tylenol?"

Dreamy Luigi raised their fists, and then the battle began.

Dreamy Chase fought similarly to his real-world counterpart. However, he also threw bottles of Tylenol at Dreamy Luigi, who whacked them back at him with their hammer. Master Hand also noticed that Dreamy Chase really didn't put a lot of effort into the fight, spending more time taunting his opponent than engaging him.

He nudged Mario. "I've seen Chase fight before," he said. "He's a lot of things, but a pushover isn't one of them."

"That's because the Dreamy versions of these fighters are merely physical representations of how my bro sees them," explained Mario. "In his mind, they spent more time complaining to you than trying to better their skills so they could better hold their own in a match with him. Thus…" He indicated Dreamy Chase.

"Why is this—thing—channeling the Smashers behind Project Nerf?" asked MH.

"Because—their words hurt more than their actions," Mario replied.

"It wants to wear him down before pulling out the big guns," reasoned MH.

"Exactly," said Mario.

Dreamy Chase was defeated in a matter of minutes. And as Mario said, the succeeding Dreamy Smashers were relatively easy battles, barely even trying to put up a fight and mainly using their words as weapons. But Mario's presence thickened Dreamy Luigi's skin and allowed them to keep their head in the game, the insults harmlessly bouncing off of them. Dreamy Chase was followed by Dreamy Dark Pit, who managed to get some slashes in with his dual blades but tended to spam his side special a lot. After Dreamy Dark Pit was Dreamy Marth, joined by Dreamy Roy, opening the fight by taunting Dreamy Luigi in Japanese. Once Dreamy Luigi sent the duo packing with their hammer, they next took on Dreamy Kyle, followed by Dreamy Rolf, who supplemented his Gunner skills by tossing fish at Dreamy Luigi (no, really). Next on the list was Dreamy Mewtwo, who did give Dreamy Luigi quite a fight before being pounded into submission.

Following Dreamy Mewtwo's defeat, the Dreamy Battlefield fell still.

"Dreamy Luigi?" uttered MH. "You want us to take over for a while?"

"No—we've still got this," said Dreamy Luigi. "Just—protect Mario, okay?"

MH and Mario exchanged wary glances.

And then the stillness was broken by a lone, echoing voice.

"Stupid f—ing combos—stupid f—ing combos—a lot of Smashers are getting sick and tired of 'em, anyway…"

Mario's fists clenched. "Falco," he growled.

The air around them seemed to pulse as Dreamy Luigi wrangled with their emotions. Above them, the sky turned stormy, a few raindrops beginning to fall. Dreamy Luigi tilted back their head and allowed the raindrops to fall on their face and cool their skin. They breathed out, and then the air lost its density as calm settled over them.

"Good job, bro," breathed Mario. "Good job."

A light rain shower continued as Dreamy Falco materialized on the Dreamy Battlefield.

"All right, Luigi," said Dreamy Falco. "Let's dance."

Dreamy Luigi nodded. "Time to finish this."

Dreamy Falco drew his Blaster, only for Dreamy Luigi to dash in and kick it out of his hand. Then, they dealt a hard one-two punch to the Dreamy avian's face and swung their hammer into his midsection. With a grunt, Dreamy Falco doubled over, and Dreamy Luigi grabbed him, slammed him down and executed a blistering combo.

"I've wanted him to do that for a very long time," mused Mario.

A hammer strike sent Dreamy Falco earthward, where he went on the offensive with furious wing strikes. But Dreamy Luigi's blows were harder, fiercer, less predictable—as if there was something they'd held inside them for a very long time. The rain continued to drench both Dreamy fighters as increasingly unrelenting blows were exchanged between them.

"Maybe," said MH as he watched the battle, "if Dreamy Luigi fights and defeats these Dreamy Smashers, he can put that lingering anger and resentment to rest for good, and he can truly move on."

"Maybe," echoed Mario.

With a yell, Dreamy Luigi sent a surge of lightning into Dreamy Falco.

"We were friends, Falco!" they exclaimed. "How could you say something like that to us?"

They fired off more lightning strikes, giving Dreamy Falco no time to activate his Reflector.

"Why couldn't you just practice?" Dreamy Luigi went on. "There was no reason for you to manipulate those suits into getting us nerfed!"

"I was at the end of my rope!" Dreamy Falco defended.

"Then how come you didn't talk to us about it?" Dreamy Luigi demanded of him. "Why did you have to lash out and say those words?"

"Would you have reacted differently?" challenged Dreamy Falco.

"There's a good chance we would've," Dreamy Luigi replied in a softer tone.

"What about him?" Dreamy Falco indicated Mario.

"He just wants to protect us," said Dreamy Luigi, "but if you'd talked to us rather than go off on a tirade, then maybe he wouldn't have gotten upset. He was upset because your words hurt us and because we felt betrayed. One of our closest friends, going off on us like that…"

"I—I…" uttered Dreamy Falco. "I don't know what else to say except…"

"You're sorry," Dreamy Luigi broke in. "It won't make any difference."

"I know," sighed Dreamy Falco, "but it's a good start, isn't it?"

"Yeah," said Dreamy Luigi. "It is."

"I'll make this up to you," promised Dreamy Falco.

"We know you will," said Dreamy Luigi.

"There's only one way to stop this," said Dreamy Falco, waving his wing around the Dreamy Battlefield. "You have to defeat all of this thing's combat forms. And trust me, it's only gonna get harder."

"We're going to stop it," vowed Dreamy Luigi. "It tried to get our bro. Big mistake."

"That's the Luigi I know," said Dreamy Falco with a twinkle in his eye. "Good luck, buddy."

"Thanks, Falco," said Dreamy Luigi.

Dreamy Falco nodded and disappeared, leaving two stat boosts in his wake. One was an attack boost and the other was a defense boost.

"Maybe these can help," mused Dreamy Luigi, picking up the boosts.

They gave the attack boost to Master Hand and the defense boost to Mario.

"Bro…" Mario started to say.

"You need them more than we do," said Dreamy Luigi.

Just as Dreamy Luigi turned back around, a hefty punch slammed into their face. Another one soon followed, sending them to the floor.

"Hey!" barked Mario, sprinting forward.

A quartet of Luigis caught him. "Easy, Bro," they said. "We're not a little kid anymore."

"Yeah, but you're still a loser!"

Mario glared as Dreamy Steve and Dreamy Stevie sauntered onto the Dreamy Battlefield.

"I should've known," spat Dreamy Luigi. "Only you would sneak-attack me, rather than face me head-on."

"Enough talk," said Dreamy Stevie. "Let's fight."

"Mario, we know you want to help us fight them," said one of the Luigis holding Mario, "but what if you lose your head, like last time? They'll try to use your protectiveness against you."

The Luigis smiled. "We'll fight them. And we'll win."

The two Dreamy Steves rushed at Dreamy Luigi, but the latter sent them sprawling with a Cyclone. Then, a Luigi budded off to deal with each of the two Dreamy Steves, turning the battle into two heated one-on-one duels. Dreamy Steve and Dreamy Stevie had their usual grandstanding, but Dreamy Luigi had their high jumps, hard-hitting blows, pyrokinesis and electrokinesis. While the two Dreamy Steves performed some MMA-style ground-and-pound at some points, their bark heavily dwarfed their bite, since Luigi thought of them as dirty cowards in the real world.

"That was for the attack in the Training Area!" snapped Dreamy Luigi once they had the two Dreamy Steves on the floor, bleeding and groaning. "And this…" They pulled out their hammer. "…is for your horrible smear campaign against my Bro!"

Dreamy Luigi sent their opponents skyward with two awesome hammer swings.

"There's something you need to know," said Master Hand. "In the real world, the two Steves escaped again, along with my brother. Also, Chad's gone missing."

"Coincidence? I think not," said Dreamy Luigi.

Further discourse on the matter was halted by a deep, booming laugh.

Dreamy Luigi, Mario and MH turned as three more Dreamy Smashers arrived. They were none other than Dreamy Wario, Dreamy Dorf and Dreamy Koopa.

"There he is," said Dreamy Koopa. "That stupid, green-clad pain in my [bleep]."

"You've humiliated us for the last time," Dreamy Wario chimed in.

"We'll finish you off in two minutes," vowed Dreamy Dorf.

The trio surrounded Dreamy Luigi, who stood in a balanced fighting stance.

"We'll be the judge of that," they quietly replied.

Dreamy Dorf charged a Warlock Punch and swung at Dreamy Luigi, but they dodged and swept their legs about, kicking Dreamy Dorf off their feet. With a growl, Dreamy Dorf grabbed Dreamy Luigi and Flame Choked them before slamming them onto the stage. They bounced off the ground once, and then Dreamy Koopa stepped in, slicing with their claws.

"Enough!" boomed Master Hand, strafing the battlefield with finger lasers and separating the three dreamy antagonists.

Mario tried to rush in, too, only to be blocked by a wall of Luigis.

"Please, let me help!" he cried.

"We don't want to see you get hurt because of us!" the Luigis shot back.

Meanwhile, Dreamy Luigi got up, swirls of blue-green lightning dancing along their fists as they swung at their opponents. Lightning balls discouraged the three from triple-teaming Dreamy Luigi, while multiple Luigis assailed Dreamy Dorf and Dreamy Koopa, cutting the two hulking enemies down to size. Dreamy Wario tried to disorient his foe with his farting attack, only for Dreamy Luigi to evade the stinky blast and plow a spearhand strike into him. The absence of the tournament constraints made the dreamy trio more dangerous than ever, but it also added to Dreamy Luigi's arsenal and gave them plenty more to work with. They could infuse their Smash attacks, aerial attacks, Super Jump Punch and Green Missile with electricity. They could incorporate their hammer into their Cyclone move. And they could fire off concerted blasts of electricity to keep themselves spaced.

The wall of Luigis slightly parted so that Mario could have a better look, but the Luigis were still reluctant to allow their brother to help. Dreamy Dorf, Dreamy Koopa and Dreamy Wario would have no compunction over hurting him, and if Mario wound up hurt, then the Luigis wouldn't be keeping their promise. A few Luigis whispered comforting words to Mario, while some more rubbed comforting circles into his back.

"We can beat them," they said. "We've done it before, and we'll do it again."

Still, Mario's heart skipped a beat whenever Dreamy Wario did wheelies on his motorcycle and endeavored to barrel into Dreamy Luigi or tried to Chomp them, whenever Dreamy Dorf pulled off his infamous dark magic-infused attacks, whenever Dreamy Koopa shot out gouts of fire and slashed with his claws, and whenever the three managed to triple-team Dreamy Luigi. But for every Luigi who was slashed, stomped, bitten, buffeted, choke-slammed or otherwise manhandled, three more seemed to take his place. And these Luigis began fighting as more of a unit, rather than just attacking their foes individually. Their coordination allowed them to create even more attacks—combination after combination of the attacks which made the green-capped man a force to reckon with in the tournament. The three dreamy troublemakers hardly stood a chance—the blows they managed to land only made it less of a curb-stomp affair. Master Hand managed to slip past the wall of Luigis and pitch in wherever he could, swiping, swatting and crash-tackling any opponent who tried sneaking up on Dreamy Luigi.

Dreamy Luigi defeated Dreamy Wario first with an electrified Green Missile. They focused on Dreamy Dorf next, a few Luigis attacking his upper body and solar plexus while another team of Luigis attacked Dreamy Dorf's footwork, eventually laying him out to dry with an awesome hammer swing. As for Dreamy Koopa, wince-inducing attacks flew between the combatants until an electrified, double-footed aerial kick from Dreamy Luigi sent the dreamy turtle crashing onto his back. A short line of Luigis then hoisted Dreamy Koopa and swung him around by his tail, faster and faster, before heaving him with a grunt, sending him sailing out of the Dreamy Battlefield.

"I love it when he does that," sighed Mario.

Then, Dreamy Luigi turned to face their companions, sweating, bleeding, bruised and breathless.

"Oh, my God!" cried MH. "Can you go on?"

Dreamy Luigi nodded.

"Here," said MH, floating over to Dreamy Luigi and casting his healing magic over them. "Once again, it should take care of your worst injuries."

The area brightened, and another pathway revealed itself.

"Where does that go?" asked Mario.

"Only one way to find out," MH said determinedly.

And with that, they continued on their way, Dreamy Luigi in the lead.

Following a trek through another Smash Run-style obstacle course, Dreamy Luigi, MH and Mario came upon a dreamy version of Final Destination. And just beyond that—was a small light in the distance.

"That must be the exit," postulated Mario, indicating the light.

"Which begs the question—how are we supposed to get there?" asked MH.

Suddenly, a booming laugh eerily similar to his own echoed throughout Dreamy Final Destination. Dreamy Luigi readied themselves for another battle.

"Whoever that is, I'll hold them off!" they said urgently. "The two of you need to get out of here right now!"

Mario was about to object when a large, disembodied glove, outlined by swirls of black and an ominous glow, swooped onto Dreamy Final Destination, grabbed the man in red and held him aloft.

"You're not going anywhere, Mr. Nintendo!" the hand said derisively.

"Oh, my holy God," breathed MH. "That's—Dreamy Me."

And then Dreamy Master Hand began to squeeze. Hard. Mario kicked, twisted and tried to burn his attacker to get free, but it was no use. Immediately, Dreamy Luigi ran to Mario's defense, but their attacks hardly affected Dreamy MH. Even when a whole mass of Luigis dog-piled the entity, he refused to let Mario go.

Dreamy MH laughed. "Not so implacable now, are you?" he taunted. "Maybe next time you'll think before diving into the next dangerous situation that comes your way, thinking it'll be fun!"

He squeezed harder. Sickening cracks rang out, and blood sputtered from Mario's mouth. His eyes were cloudy and glazed, his breath shortening into feeble gasps, his face turning purple.

The real MH had a brainstorm. "He—he's going after Mario because—oh, J—s…"

And Dreamy Luigi stood there, boiling with rage, as Dreamy MH continued to heap abuse on their bro.

"This is your fault, you know," Dreamy MH went on as he applied more pressure, Mario letting lose a cry of pain. "You always have to go and play the hero, and now look where that got your brother! He's traumatized because of you! He has an inferiority complex because of you! Why doesn't he just kick you to the curb?! He has better things to do with his time than sit around trying to clean up your mess! If you took a second to actually be the hero of the MK, then maybe Luigi wouldn't have to do it himself!"

The real MH bowed his head as memories of his own tirade swept across him like the tides.

Dreamy Luigi quivered with fury. Their nostrils pulsed in and out, and their fists clenched. They cast Dreamy MH a look of extreme hate. Their body was actually glowing…

"D—Dreamy Luigi?" breathed MH, snapping out of his guilt trip. "What are you doing?"

Dreamy Luigi didn't even look at him, seeing only Mario in Dreamy MH's unrelenting grip. And in a low voice, they spoke.

"Big Bro's in danger. Gotta help Big Bro. Big Bro's in danger. Gotta help Big Bro. Big Bro's in danger. Gotta help Big Bro…"

Their voice gradually increased as the glow around their body intensified. Dreamy MH, still belittling Mario, was oblivious. However, the real MH apprehensively backed away.

"Big Bro's in danger! Gotta help Big Bro! Big Bro's in danger! Gotta help Big Bro!"

"Master Hand!" Lauren's voice called from the real world. "Something's happening!"

1.1.1

Lauren and Eden still knelt at Luigi's side, staring open-mouthed. His face had hardened, and now he reached up, pinched the brim of his cap and tipped the headwear downward so that it covered his eyes. But that wasn't what they were gawking at.

It was the "L" emblem on Luigi's cap that had grabbed their attention.

It was—shimmering!

"Master Hand—something's happening!" cried Lauren.

"What is it?"

"Luigi—he pulled his cap over his eyes, and then the emblem lit up! I—I think I've seen this before!"

"So have I," said Eden.

"Okay, Master Hand, we're gonna press the emblem now," said Lauren. "Tell us what you see."

She and Eden exchanged a nod, and then the women simultaneously placed their hands on the emblem before gently pressing down.

1.1.1

"Ladies…" MH said in wonder. "I think I recognize this, too."

Dreamy Luigi hadn't moved, still glaring malevolently at Dreamy MH. But the second Lauren and Eden pressed on the emblem, they began to grow.

And grow.

And grow.

And grow.

And grow.

And grow.

And GROW.

And GROW…

Their voice echoed all around Final Destination, chanting Mario's name. Text painted the sky above them, phrases like "Big Bro!", "Do my best!", "Help Big Bro!", "No one hurts our Bro!", "Big Bro's in danger!", "For our Bro!" and "With our Bro!"

Millions upon millions of Luigis amalgamated into a colossal giant, a giant which soon dwarfed the all-powerful Master Hand. This giant was armed with an equally giant hammer, which they clutched tightly in their fists. With an infuriated yell, the giant Dreamy Luigi charged at Dreamy MH with thundering footsteps and swung their hammer with all their strength.

The sound of the impact was so satisfying.

Dreamy MH howled in pain as he was forced to release Mario. The former landed safely on Dreamy Luigi's now-giant palm, taking several wheezing breaths. Blood poured from his nose and mouth, and a hand was cradled around his side. If Dreamy Luigi had acted just a second too late…

"Bro…" uttered Dreamy Luigi, taking stock of Mario's injuries.

"I'm okay now," said Mario. "I'm okay now."

"I've got you, Mario," said MH, floating over and lightly touching Mario with a fingertip.

"Thanks, MH," said Mario as replenished energy coursed through him.

Then, he turned to Luigi. "Thanks, Bro."

"He—he—he hurt you," Dreamy Luigi said softly. "He hurt our Bro." Briefly and gently, they hugged Mario to their chest before placing him atop their cap.

"And you saved me," said Mario.

But Dreamy Luigi stared across Dreamy Final Destination at Dreamy MH, their eyes narrowing and their breath coming fast.

"No one hurts our Bro," they growled. "No one hurts our Bro."

Dreamy MH recovered and then faced Dreamy Luigi, further provoking them by making a "come and get it" gesture.

Dreamy Luigi raised their fists. "You're gonna pay for what you did to our Bro," they calmly vowed.

Dreamy MH chuckled. "We shall see," he boomed.

And then the two giants dashed toward each other.

Dreamy MH fought similarly to his real-world counterpart. He formed his glove into a fist, either sending flying punches at Dreamy Luigi or trying to slam down on them from above. Or he'd hold his palm out flat to swipe, swat or meteor-smash Dreamy Luigi. Additionally, he'd viciously jab or poke his pointer finger at his opponent, "walk" his fingers across the stage to flick Dreamy Luigi, "drill" his fingers, fire dangerous projectiles and snap his fingers to briefly disorient his opponent. Unlike the real-world MH, however, all of his attacks had a dark magical aura to them, causing them to deal more pain, and some of them possessed some kind of homing ability.

However, Dreamy Luigi wouldn't back down from this fight after witnessing Mario nearly get squeezed to death. Their enlarged hammer swung in wide arcs and hit strong and true, targeting key areas on Dreamy Master Hand, continuously pounding him into the stage or whacking some of his projectiles back at him. Sometimes, Dreamy Luigi would slam the hammer onto the ground, creating shockwaves which disrupted Dreamy MH's attack pattern. And when they charged up that hammer with electricity, they could pull off more advanced attacks, such as sending out electric shockwaves or dealing out electrified, more painful blows.

Once Mario had fully recovered from Dreamy MH's attack, he wholeheartedly joined the fray. There was this one attack the Bros employed together which took chunks of energy off of their opponent. It involved the two spinning in the air together before Dreamy Luigi stomped down hard on Dreamy MH, leaving the glove writhing and allowing Dreamy Luigi to mercilessly pound away without having to worry about a counterattack. Unfortunately, executing the attack would take a lot out of Mario, so this move had to be used sparingly. Another attack involved Mario creating a large fireball, and then Dreamy Luigi would whack the fireball into Dreamy MH. Once again, this attack would cost Mario some energy, so they'd use this attack whenever they were in a real bind.

"Hey!" cried MH. "Let me in on some of that!"

He made a finger gun, charged up a large projectile and fired. Seeing what he was doing, Dreamy Luigi pulled back their hammer and sent the projectile flying into Dreamy MH. Unlike Mario, MH wouldn't get tired after performing these attacks. He'd also occasionally strafe his dreamy counterpart with his finger lasers. The team of Master Hand, Mario and Dreamy Luigi soon became unbeatable.

"This is more difficult than I thought," mused Dreamy MH. "Time to call in some backup."

A familiar giggle split the air, and sure enough, Dreamy Crazy Hand floated onto the battlefield, his digits wriggling wildly.

"I'm not too late, am I?" he brightly asked.

"No, my dear brother," chortled Dreamy MH. "As a matter of fact, the party's just getting started!"

As one, the Dreamy Hands attacked Dreamy Luigi and their allies. Dreamy CH also had his real-world counterpart's unpredictable attacks, from dragging his fingers across the stage to making tears in space and time to tossing ascending platforms at his opponents. He and Dreamy MH coordinated their own attacks as well, tossing large energy balls back and forth like volleyballs or distracting Dreamy Luigi so that they'd run into the other's attack. Dreamy CH also showered the area with bombs, jammed purple sticks into Dreamy Final Destination and brought dark magic-tinted blows to the table. Did I mention that he also shared some of Dreamy MH's attacks?

With their hammer, electricity and might, Dreamy Luigi held up well against the Dreamy Hands, attacking their wrists, palms, carpals and knuckles, knocking bombs and energy balls off course and using their electrokinesis to neutralize other attacks. MH aided with sneak attacks, blasting off with his Jetstream move and slamming into Dreamy CH before looping around and sending his fist into Dreamy MH. However, it was Dreamy Luigi who bore the most firepower, burning from the image of Mario struggling against Dreamy MH's grip, from the words Dreamy MH had said during that attack and—from the words the real MH had thrown at him so many weeks ago.

"We don't care if you're a godlike being watching over an entire multiverse," Dreamy Luigi spat, and MH knew that they were addressing him as well as the Dreamy Hand. "Lay a finger on Mario, and we. Will. Rain. Down. Hell. On. You." Each word was punctuated by a devastating hammer strike.

As the battle wore on, however, MH noticed something alarming. Dreamy MH and Dreamy CH appeared to be growing stronger, frightening auras encircling their bodies. He glimpsed the fire in Dreamy Luigi's eyes as they continued to valiantly battle the two Dreamy Hands. He glimpsed Mario, perched atop Dreamy Luigi's cap, helping out in any way he could. He sensed the deep and powerful love between these two brothers. And he also sensed the naked malevolence Dreamy Luigi directed at Dreamy MH.

Was Dreamy Luigi's rage making Dreamy MH and Dreamy CH stronger?

That made sense, didn't it? Mario had probably told Luigi about that exchange in the office, and Luigi's demeanor toward MH hadn't really been the same since. Adding to the fact that the Hand of Creation suspended the man in green after he defended Mario against that misguided attack—

Oh.

Oh.

Oh…

And since they were in Luigi's dreams, and the Dreamy Hands were a visual representation of how Luigi currently viewed them—

Oh, dear. Oh—oh, dear.

"I think I know what I have to do now," MH murmured to himself. "I think I know—what I have to do…"

There was a thunderclap, and heavy rain began to drench Dreamy Final Destination. The Dreamy Hands and Dreamy Luigi continued to give it their all, their blows pounding into each other like comets. The baleful look on the latter's face said more than any word in the dictionary, and now there was no doubt in MH's mind. The dreamy versions of himself and Crazy Hand were using that leftover resentment as fuel.

Dreamy Crazy Hand grabbed Dreamy Luigi around the waist and squeezed repetitively, his squeezes having an electrical effect. Concentrating hard, Dreamy Luigi built up all of their power, and with an explosion of lightning, they broke free of that death grip. MH jumped into action then, grabbing both Dreamy Hands, squeezing them once and then putting them into a deep sleep.

"All right—huddle up, team," he said.

Dreamy Luigi limped over to MH. Both of their eyes were blackened, more bruises and lacerations decorated their face, and their upper body was decorated with bruises, contusions and burns. They also sported a very bloody nose and mouth, and they were still wired. Lightning still snapped in those blue eyes as Dreamy Luigi levelly regarded Master Hand.

The giant glove floated downward so that he was at eye level with Dreamy Luigi. "Why don't you take a knee for a second?" he said.

Dreamy Luigi obliged.

"This also concerns you, Mario, so you should listen, as well," said MH.

"Okay," Mario said crisply, still resting atop Dreamy Luigi's cap.

"I've waited long enough to say this, and the worst-case scenario is that now could be the only opportunity I have left." MH took a deep breath, and then he began. "Mario, I'm sorry about everything. I'm sorry for exploding at you. I'm sorry for blaming you for what happened to you 14 years ago. I'm sorry for blaming you for Luigi's misfortunes. I'm sorry for implying that you just get off on the adventure. Nothing could be further from the truth. You're a good man, Mario, a great man. You fight for what's right, and you fight for your loved ones, and while you've done some questionable things, they were always with the best of intentions. Everyone either wants to be like you or be you. And the way you look out for others, especially your brother, is admirable. Everything that Star Gate said about you is correct, and don't stop fighting the good fight at the slightest whiff of adverse circumstances.

"You make mistakes, but you learn from them. You're a positive role model regardless. That night, I didn't know what I was thinking. I'm guessing that black swarm was in control, but it still doesn't excuse my tirade. Truth is, I was already stressing out about the rumors of the update patch, and I took it out on you. I shouldn't have let my temper get the better of me, and with time, I hope we can rebuild the bridge between us."

"You're off to a good start, helping my bro and all," Mario said softly.

"And Dreamy Luigi—I'm sorry for shouting at Mario," MH went on. "I'm sorry for paying too little attention when those Smashers were complaining about your down throw. I should've smelled something in the water, but I didn't, and now, you're paying the price. This tournament was nearly subverted on my watch, and not only that, but also my own brother was behind it. And then, my brother had four trusted members of my entourage attack Mario. They cornered him like an animal, beat him and cut him down with horrible words. They probably would've done worse if you hadn't walked in. And then I punished you for defending your brother because you were fighting outside of a scheduled tournament match, but what other choice did you have? That doesn't even take into account the fact that I added to Mario's suspension, as well.

"And when the two Steves spread those lies over the newspaper—I believed them. When I called Mario into my office, I was frightfully upset. I actually thought that he'd deliberately planned to attack those two that day. Even though the black swarm probably took control once again, I feel horrible over what I said. I still believe that what Mario did was wrong, but my own reaction was out of line.

"I let both of you down, and I'll have to live with that for the rest of my days. I let you down, and I disrespected you. I f—ed up big time, and I hope that going forward, I can eventually earn your forgiveness. However, in case we don't make it out of this, I just want you to know—it's been an honor having you in my tournament."

Dreamy Luigi and Mario listened to the mea culpa in silence, their faces neutral. Slowly, however, their facial features relaxed, and while the memory of MH's actions still hurt, both Bros realized that they had to take some responsibility, as well. Mario knew that he shouldn't have pounced on the two Steves, and if he hadn't, then everything wouldn't have snowballed the way it did. And Dreamy Luigi had to concede that MH was just as much a victim of Project Nerf as they were. Even godlike beings could be fooled sometimes.

It was Dreamy Luigi who reacted first, taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling. They felt the driving rain on their skin and a cool wind beginning to blow. And deep down, they knew that it was time to let this go and move on. It would be hard, but it would be done.

Mario felt Dreamy Luigi relax, and he allowed that singular peace to enter him, as well. MH had stepped out of line, but so had he, nearly breaking the MK's faith in him. What kind of example was he setting when he attacked two people who were minding their own business, regardless of the fact that they attacked Luigi just a day prior?

"I'm sorry, too, Master Hand," said Mario. "My decision to rage out on the two Steves sent all of this into a downward spiral. I showed poor judgement, and I swear on my life that I'll never lose control of myself like that again."

Now, both MH and Mario sensed the worst of the anger alighting from Dreamy Luigi. The former could see the beginnings of forgiveness in the giant's eyes, while the latter listened to his brother's breathing evening out. Master Hand's speech had worked its magic, and now, Dreamy Luigi was ready to focus. They tightened their grip on their hammer as they sensed their adversaries awakening from their induced slumber. Now that their mind had cleared, they had a better chance at defeating these two!

"Go get them, Dreamy Luigi!" exhorted MH. "Utilize all of the skills you know, and win the day!"

Nodding to MH, Dreamy Luigi rejoined the Dreamy Hands on the battlefield. After exchanging hard stares, the battle resumed without a word of preamble.

Right off the bat, MH noticed that the Dreamy Hands weren't as strong as before he pulled the Bros aside for that chat. Dreamy Luigi's attacks had a bigger effect on them, and swirls of black flew off of them with every blow they took.

"That's right," breathed MH. "Do it, Luigi. Do it…"

The Dreamy Hands' movements gradually turned slow and sluggish as Dreamy Luigi laid into them, and they visibly shrunk in size. While they still managed to get some blows in, the ball was firmly in Dreamy Luigi's court. Whenever Dreamy MH or Dreamy CH knocked the giant down, they got right back up. Whenever those two hit Dreamy Luigi, they hit back harder. And of course, Mario never ran out of ways to help. Together, this dream team laid one Hell of a smackdown on the Dreamy Hands, and MH savored every second of it.

Following a spirited hammer blow, Dreamy Luigi had Dreamy MH and Dreamy CH in a heap on the floor. They stood there for a moment, catching their breath, allowing the slackening rainstorm to cool them off.

Then, Dreamy Luigi reached up and allowed the tip of his pointer finger to trail down Mario's back. "Ready?"

Mario grinned. "Ready."

Dreamy Luigi crouched down and blasted off into space as Master Hand followed.

The Hand of Creation watched as Dreamy Luigi produced a giant star and held it out, allowing Mario to hop aboard.

"Holy [bleep]," he uttered. "Is that…?"

"Yup," said Mario.

"Mind if I Smash-ify it for you?" asked MH.

"Why not?" replied Dreamy Luigi.

MH joined Mario aboard the star, the Smash emblem appearing on its base.

"Hold on," said Mario.

MH obliged as Dreamy Luigi gripped one edge of the star with both hands and rapidly spun it around a few times before hurling it like a discus. The star sailed downward, re-entering the atmosphere and bearing down on the fallen Dreamy Hands.

"Keep her steady," Mario said to MH. "The goal is to aim for their weak point."

"Weak point. Got it," said MH.

Together, MH and Mario steered the star toward the Dreamy Hands' most vulnerable area. Then, they braced for impact as they rammed directly into their adversaries.

Twin echoing cries sounded as the Dreamy Hands reeled from the final blow, and then they collapsed into a giant black mass which turned tail and fled.

"Oh, man," gasped MH as he and Mario got to their feet. "That was totally wicked!"

Dreamy Luigi floated down, still in their giant form, and gently alighted on the ground.

"That swarm will be back," they warned. "We need to get you two out of here."

They held out their hand, and Mario jumped onto it before Dreamy Luigi placed him back onto their cap. Master Hand simply perched onto Dreamy Luigi's shoulder. And with long strides, Dreamy Luigi headed for the exit.

"You'll be home free," said Dreamy Luigi, "if you just jump through that light."

"Bro—I don't know what's up ahead," said Mario.

"Neither do we," said Dreamy Luigi, "but whatever form that—thing decides to take next—it could be a more dangerous form than facsimiles of MH and CH."

"Are you sure you don't need any more help?" asked MH.

"As long as we keep it engaged, it can't hurt anyone else," Dreamy Luigi said softly. "I'm thankful we got to clear the air a little bit, though, Master Hand."

"Ditto," said MH.

"It's your choice, you guys," said Dreamy Luigi. "Luigi—will follow you…"

They were now at the exit. MH peered through the bright light and saw Luigi still resting in the office, Lauren and Eden remaining at his side.

"And no matter what," Dreamy Luigi went on, "we're all here for you. Always."

"Thank you, Dreamy Luigi," said MH.

Dreamy Luigi smiled at MH, but it was short-lived.

"What?" asked MH.

Dreamy Luigi narrowed their eyes. "We smell something," they said.

There was a distant cackle, and then Dreamy Luigi's eyes widened. "Oh, God…" they uttered.

MH bristled. "It's—it's him, isn't it?" he asked.

"We know that laugh anywhere!" Dreamy Luigi said frantically, herding Mario and MH toward the exit.

"Luigi…" Mario started to say.

"He's gonna use you against us!" Dreamy Luigi interrupted. "If we don't have leverage for him to use, then we have better chance at beating him. The two of you need to wait with Eden and Lauren in the office. Don't let anyone back inside until we finish that thing once and for all."

"With my powers…" objected MH.

"You both were a big help, and we don't doubt for a minute that you'll curb-stomp that psycho, Master Hand," said Dreamy Luigi. "We're very happy that we got to have this adventure with you—but now, you must leave!"

And then they shoved Mario and MH through the exit before either of them could get a word out.

MH wrapped his fingers around Mario and checked his landing so that the two wouldn't clumsily topple back into his office. For a few seconds, they lay there, reorienting themselves to the real world. Then, they joined Lauren and Eden at Luigi's side.

"I got you, Lil' Bro," whispered Mario as he took Luigi's hand. "I got you."

Luigi was currently frowning deeply in his sleep, small grunts and whimpers escaping him as his breath came fast.

MH splayed himself flat on the floor. "Bring him over here," he said. "Quickly!"

Lauren, Eden and Mario obliged, carrying Luigi, along with the blanket and pillow, to the Hand of Creation.

"Place him on top of me," instructed MH.

When they did as they were told, a light blue glow emanated from MH's palm and began suffusing Luigi.

"What are you doing?" asked Mario.

"I'm going to try and protect him against possible illusions," explained MH. Then, he huffed. "I totally called it. I knew that this—abomination—was going to channel him. First, it took on the forms of the Bennigan Brothers, then of the Smashers involved in Project Nerf, then of Dorf, Koopa and Wario and then of me and Crazy Hand. Luigi's dream avatar handed them their [bleeps], so now the entity is using him as its last—well, you know what I mean."

"Why does he want to face a dreamy version of him alone?" asked Eden. "You guys could've helped."

"When it comes to him, Luigi wants to keep those near and dear to him as far away from his wrath as possible," said MH. "I even got a call from the Professor a few days ago. He said that Luigi would want to regularly commute between here and the Bunker so he could…"

"Wow," said Lauren.

Mario continued holding Luigi's hand as he stroked his hair with the other. "We're with you," he said. "We'll be with you from start to finish."

Luigi gave a quiet hum, as if acknowledging Mario.

"Wait!" cried Eden. "I think he'll be more at ease if he was holding the vacuum."

Mario nodded, and they all took the Poltergust's nozzle and eased it into Luigi's hands. Automatically, his fingers closed around it.

"His dreamy avatar wasn't wearing one, though," said MH. "Unless it magically appeared after he sent us back here."

"Yeah," said Lauren. "Maybe."

They knelt around Luigi in a silent circle, watching and whispering encouragement as he quite literally battled his worst nightmares. Mario bit his lip, wondering if he should tell MH about the fan club Falco was currently infiltrating.

Unless he knew already.

The man in red climbed onto MH's palm and lay down beside Luigi, continuing to sift his fingers through his lil' bro's hair and wiping some of the sweat from his forehead before resting his own forehead against it. Quietly, he spoke to Luigi in their mother tongue, giving him the strength he needed to stay in what was shaping to be a very harrowing fight.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "Do it, Bro. Do it."

1.1.1

Outside the Smash Mansion, the other Smashers had found out about Luigi's self-sacrificing act and were currently waiting in suspense. News vans pulled into the lot as the story broke, intrepid reporters interviewing tournament employees and participants alike. Trusty camerapersons broadcasted this breaking news story to millions of other viewers watching with bated breath at home.

Theo and Vanessa had shooed their kids to their rooms as soon as the news broke. The two of them sat together in front of the TV, Vanessa sending a few texts to Peach and Theo texting Mario before the latter slid a comforting hand over his spouse's.

"Luigi," said Theo, "if you make it out of this, then my family and I will treat you better from now on. That's a promise."

In Sarasaland, Daisy dismissed all of her attendants and alertly watched the breaking news report, soothing herself with a cup of hot chocolate. She thought about her beloved, facing off alone against a malevolent black swarm, and she put all of her faith in him.

"You got this, sweetie," she said. "You got this."

In Evershade Valley, Professor Elvin Gadd and his assistants, joined by some of the valley's ghosts, sat in a circle on the Lab's floor, holding hands and bowing their heads in prayer as the news reporters continued to bring live updates to the situation.

If you can beat ghosts, then you can beat this, thought Gadd. Rise up, youngster! Fight!

And inside the Bunker, the captured Boos streamed the news reports on their laptops, joining their King in pretending not to care about what happened to Luigi.

"Come on, you idiot," the King muttered under his breath. "Give me a reason to wake up in the morning."

The word of the hour was—steady. Steady—

1.1.1

Back inside Master Hand's office, a change began to creep over Luigi. His eyelids stopped twitching. His breathing evened out. His face settled into an intent, intensely determined look. Some of the tension left his slumbering body.

"No," he murmured. "You'll never get your hands on them. Never. Never…"

"He's talking to…" mused Eden.

"Shh. I know," whispered MH.

"Terrorize me, beat me, burn me—I don't care. Until the day I die—I'll protect them from you…"

"You tell him, Bro," said Mario.

"I'm taking back my life, and you have no place in it. Go away. Go away."

Time hung there for a few moments—and then it started moving again.

Luigi's body further relaxed on MH's palm. His facial expression softened, and he released a deep, shaky sigh.

"Oh, my God," breathed MH. "He did it. He beat him."

"That's my Bro," whispered Mario, kissing Luigi's cheek.

A smile stretched onto Luigi's face, and a soft snore escaped from him, followed by another and another and another. He looked—positively peaceful.

"Is it just me—or does he look absolutely adorable when he sleeps?" asked Lauren.

"He sure does," said Mario, drawing Luigi into his arms.

"Aw, d—mit," groused MH. "Now, I don't want to wake him up."

But alas, now was no time to rest. Everyone glanced up as the portal to the Dream World reopened and expelled the black swarm, which landed limply on the floor. Seconds later, Luigi woke up, sitting up in MH's palm, smoothing his hair and adjusting his cap.

"Are you guys all right?" he asked in a low, urgent voice.

"Yes," replied Eden. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Luigi. "That—thing—tried to overtake my dreams, but I didn't let it."

"And it appears that you booted it out of the Dream World," said MH. "Look…"

Everyone watched as the black swarm grouped into a ball shape and rose into the air. Luigi got to his feet and stood in front of his companions as a shimmering light bathed the swarm.

"I'll take it from here," he said. "Go."

"Luigi, for the love of God…" MH objected.

"I wasn't asking," Luigi broke in, steering MH, Mario, Eden and Lauren toward the door.

Knowing they were beat, the quartet walked fairly fast out of the office, Luigi closing and locking the door after them.

The shimmering light briefly flashed, and then it receded, the entity having transformed into a spherical orb with the Smash symbol on it. At first glance, one would think that it was a Smash Ball.

Luigi watched as the orb gently descended toward the ground. And then he knew—he had to destroy it. He had to end the threat it posed—for good.

He took a preparatory breath and lit into the orb, giving each blow everything he had left, the wounds he'd sustained be d—ned. Each blow launched the orb backward, but it always returned to him. But as Luigi punched it harder and harder, the orb launched farther and farther, taking on an ominous red color. He didn't have much time…

And then he held his palm flat, cocked his elbow, summoned every drop of the emotions raging within him—

—and a mighty shout ripped from his lungs as he speared his open hand into the orb.

The Smash attack was the piece de resistance. The entity's fate was sealed.

As the orb shuddered and blinked, Luigi wasted no time gawking. Shouting a warning to the quartet anxiously waiting outside, he hit the floor, covering his head, closing his eyes and bracing himself.

And then the orb exploded in a starburst of brilliant light.

The resulting shockwave blew out a few windows, but the rest of MH's office and the Smash Mansion remained relatively intact.

It was over.

1.1.1

Roaring and pounding was in Luigi's ears as he stood back up, walked over to MH's desk and deactivated the lockdown. Finally, he unlocked the office door and stepped outside, where MH, Mario, Eden and Lauren waited.

"It's gone," he stated simply. "I destroyed it."

Lauren and Eden thanked God as the tension left MH's fingers.

Mario said nothing—choosing to throw himself into Luigi's arms.

"Hey, Bro," breathed Luigi. "It's all right. It's okay."

"No, it's not!" cried Mario. "That thing almost…"

"I know," said Luigi, "but I couldn't let it grab you, and it had already hurt Master Hand. When I saw it hurtling toward us, I knew that both of us wouldn't have made it out in time. I had a choice between myself and you. And I chose—you."

The Bros sank to their knees, continuing to hug wildly.

"Luigi…" uttered MH.

"Hm?" asked Luigi, his head dropping onto Mario's shoulder.

"Please—don't do that again," exhorted MH.

"What else could I have done? That swarm reached out for us, and I just—acted."

"I understand that," said MH, "but in the future, could you please let a staff member handle things like this?"

A beat.

"I don't know if I can promise you anything," Luigi finally replied.

MH decided to leave the conversation at that—for now.

"Very well," he said. "It's time to give the all clear."

The Bros slowly separated from their embrace and helped each other up, and then Master Hand led everyone to the Smash Mansion's front yard.

1.1.1

When the alarms quieted and the steel coverings retracted, the Smashers allowed themselves to hope.

Excitedly, the reporters wasted no time updating their viewers, who also began to hope.

Almost the whole world watched as the Smash Mansion's front doors opened, revealing Master Hand, Lauren, Eden, Mario…

…and Luigi.

He'd done it.

He'd f—ing done it!

The Smashers burst into cheers at the sight of Luigi, battered, burned and bleeding but alive.

Everyone watching from home was cheering, as well.

Even the Boos.

Luigi's bright, blue eyes swept over the crowd of Smashers. "Is everyone okay?" he quietly asked.

"Us?" Fox asked in confusion. "Yeah—everyone's okay. Everyone's okay."

A relieved smile formed on Luigi's lips. Nobody else had been injured. He'd done what he'd promised himself he'd do.

"What the Hell happened?" asked Falco.

"Mario and I were helping with the evacuations," Luigi explained. "Just as we were about to head out, the black swarm came straight for us. I managed to push Mario through the emergency exit before the swarm grabbed me and dragged me into MH's office. MH was on the floor, badly hurt, and that's when I made my decision. I barricaded myself in that office with that entity and locked down the rest of the Smash Mansion, preventing it from hurting anyone else. And with help from Master Hand, Mario, Lauren and Eden, I managed to subdue it. It even tried to attack me in my dreams, but I still defeated it. Whatever it is, it's gone now. I saw to that."

He glanced at Marth, Roy, Mewtwo, Dark Pit, Kyle and the other Smashers who'd conspired to have his down throw nerfed. "I know what you're wondering. You want to know why I risked my life for you after the way you treated me. The answer is simpler than you think—at the end of the day, Super Smash Brothers is a family. And all families fight sometimes, don't they? Most of you realized your mistakes and owned up to them, and one of you is currently helping me tackle a personal problem. What you did was unacceptable—but I'm willing to forgive, and I'm willing to forget. I love you all from the bottom of my heart, and I'm glad Master Hand gave me the chance to be a Smasher."

The sight of the Smashers, safe and sound, stilled the adrenaline rushing through Luigi's bloodstream. His eyes clouded over, his body swayed slightly—and then his legs folded from under him as all of the pain and injuries finally caught up.

Mario and MH caught Luigi before he hit the ground.

"Everything's—gonna be okay…" murmured Luigi.

"Hey. Save your strength," MH said gently. "We're gonna get you to the infirmary, all right?"

Luigi nodded.

MH addressed the other Smashers. "On account of this morning's events," he said, "today's matches are cancelled. Use this free time in any way you see fit. Oh, and—all clear, you guys. Thank you for your cooperation."

A weight lifted itself from the front yard as the crowd of Smashers dispersed and MH and Mario carried Luigi toward Dr. Mario's office.

1.1.1

As Luigi recovered from his injuries, Master Hand, Jimmy, Timmy, Remy, Rory, Lauren, Eden and Mario went over some surveillance footage, hoping to confirm their suspicions about who was behind the near-disastrous containment breach.

MH gasped when he saw two men sneak into the area where the black mass had been kept. "There!" he exclaimed.

"Steve and Stevie?!" balked Timmy. "How on Earth did they…?"

"I don't know, but I have some idea why they breached the containment," said Remy.

"A diversion so they could escape unawares?" postulated Jimmy. "Or a final [bleep] you?"

"It could be both," said Mario.

He clenched his fists. "They'd better pray that someone else gets to them before I do," he said in a low, shaky voice.

Lauren placed a comforting hand on Mario's forearm.

"That thing was headed for me," said Mario, "and I was ready to let it grab me, as long as Luigi got out safely. But Luigi got me out safely, allowing the swarm to take him instead. And look what it did to him. He's in the hospital because of those two. And if I find that Crazy Hand was also behind it…"

"I'll take care of it," promised MH.

"Like you did last time?" There was an edge to Mario's voice.

"I assure you, Mario, the days of things slipping past my radar are over," said MH.

Mario gave MH and intense look. He could learn to fully trust MH again, but that didn't mean he could easily forget what had gone down between them.

"First things first, we'll locate those three," said MH. "And then we'll find out what that black swarm was, where it came from, and if Luigi destroyed the last of it."

"Sounds like a plan," said Eden.

"I'd better update Charlie, too," MH went on. "If they somehow have Chad in their clutches, then they'll probably be after her, as well."

"There's still no word on what happened to Jeff and Bentley," sighed Rory.

"By the looks of that portal, it's safe to assume that they're probably trapped in an alternate dimension of sorts," said MH. "God, I can't wait for November."

"Me, neither," said Lauren.

Mario remained quiet, but his facial expression said the same thing.

1.1.1

Chad was unaware of all of this, still cooped up in an undisclosed location after he'd been used as a punching bag. It had gone on for what seemed like hours, the two Steves taking turns, until their anger had allayed and they decided to give him some solitude to "think about what he'd done". What was he, five? He didn't need to think about what he'd done! He knew what he'd done, and he'd do it again if it meant doing the right thing! Every so often, they'd restock on snacks and nonperishable food for him, or they'd bring him McDonald's or Wendy's or Subway or some kind of fast food. But more than anything, Chad wanted to go back to the Smash Mansion. He wanted to see Luigi again and know that he was okay. He wanted—he wanted to see Charlie's face and hold her in his arms.

But the two Steves weren't about to let that happen. Chad needed to get out of this place? But how?

The door opened, and the two Steves strolled in, accompanied by at least ten other guys. They were big, well-built and strong men, and right off the bat, Chad knew that this wasn't gonna end well.

"Hello, Chad," Steve said tersely.

"Yeah?" Chad curtly replied.

"We're patient men," said Steve, "but our patience can only stretch so far."

"And your point?" huffed Chad.

"We're going to give you one final chance to save yourself before your agony intensifies," said Stevie. "The name, location, address and room number of the hotel Charlotte Thorne is staying at, if you please. Just say the magic words, and your freedom will be granted."

Chad rolled his eyes and threw up his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, you got me," he said. "She's staying at your grandma's house. Are you happy? Can I go now?"

The two Steves were visibly angry, but they kept their rage in check.

"Misery, misery, misery—that's what you've chosen," said Stevie. "We offer you mercy, and you spit in our faces."

They moved aside, and the ten other guys gathered around Chad, cruel smiles on their faces. Chad showed no fear, bracing his body and mind for yet another round of Hell, a round which began with a simple nod from Steve and Stevie.

1.1.1

Later, Steve and Stevie sent their ten friends away. Objections were raised, but the two Steves were firm about it. Grumbling in displeasure, the ten men filed out of the room, leaving Chad alone with his two main jailers. Then, the two Steves walked over to Chad and knelt in front of him.

"We thought you'd be interested in what Luigi's up to," said Steve.

Chad muttered indignantly, barely able to speak due to his new injuries.

"Before leaving the Smash Mansion in our rearview mirror and picking you up," Stevie said sweetly, "we left a little surprise. And this surprise just so happened to have a vendetta against both Mario Bros."

"But of course, Luigi just had to play hero and ruin everything," added Steve. "He took on that surprise all by himself—well, almost all by himself—and won."

"What's so bad about that?" slurred Chad.

"Because that would've been our explosive exit," explained Steve. "It's interesting how the sight of some cold, hard cash can loosen lips. How do you think we found your hotel? How do you think we learned about that black stuff MH coughed up and where it was being hidden? And how quickly will you think we'll sniff out Charlie if we get tired of waiting for you to stop being a pain and spill—which is very unlikely? You have no idea how long we've waited to do something like this to you, you know?"

"Oh, I know," Chad said bitterly.

"We're gonna leave you to your own devices now," said Stevie. "We expect to see you in a chattier mood when we get back."

"That'll only happen when pigs fly," Chad said bravely.

"Oh, we'll see," Steve said coldly.

And then they left the room without looking back.

Chad could only hope that the Smash World was actively searching for him—and that they'd find him before it was too late.

1.1.1

Per Master Hand's advice, the Smashers made the most of their free day, spending time with friends, family and other loved ones and engaging in relaxing activities. However, the Smashers involved in Project Nerf were extremely shaken, not only over the morning's events but also over the fact that the man they'd antagonized almost died for them. To say that Luigi's actions were a wake-up call would be a cliched understatement. Dark Pit, Marth, Roy, Chase, Falco, Rolf, Mewtwo, Kyle and even Koopa, Dorf and Wario took the time to visit Luigi in the hospital, sincerely thanking him for what he'd done. Silently, they vowed to do whatever it took to restore his trust in them and regain some semblance of their lost friendship.

"He's right, you know," said Marth. "We are a family. And as such, let's resolve to treat Luigi better from here on in."

Everyone else unanimously agreed.

As for Luigi himself, he steadily recovered from his encounter with the black swarm. But the reality of what he'd endured didn't really sink in until later, when he was surrounded by gift baskets, flower bouquets and get-well cards. Alone in his hospital room with the TV on mute, he allowed himself to quietly break down and release those pent-up emotions, crying in relief that disaster had been averted and crying over what would've happened had he acted differently or not acted at all. He wept, tears rolling down his face, his body shaking. He didn't really know if he'd survive against the black swarm, but he had. It was an entity he hadn't come across before and was slightly more unnerving than him, even utilizing his form during its final stand, and yet he'd triumphed. And in the quiet moments following the battle, Luigi let his walls come down, expelling everything in an emotional torrent.

Mario walked in on the tail end of the breakdown, the weeps subsiding into quiet sniffles and hiccups. Wordlessly, the man in red slipped into the bed beside Luigi, wrapping his arms around him and drawing him close. Luigi leaned into the embrace, snuggling against his bro.

"Just let it go," encouraged Mario. "Just let it go…"

The portly plumber stayed with his stout-hearted bro for most of the afternoon, leaving only when Dr. Mario had to routinely check on Luigi's vitals. It was projected that Luigi would be discharged sometime tomorrow morning, but for now, he was advised to take it easy and rest.

"Things are going to be better," the good doctor assured his patient.

And there was a good chance that Dr. Mario was correct.

1.1.1

Crazy Hand wasn't very happy when Steve and Stevie surreptitiously summoned him to their hideout. As it turned out, he wasn't behind the black swarm's attempted rampage, after all. And even though he and MH weren't on the best of terms, the Hand of Destruction still loved his twin deeply.

"Please, sit," said CH after making himself at home, and the two Steves could tell by his tone that his "please" was far from a request. It was an order.

The two Steves plunked down onto a nearby couch. "What's up, CH?" Steve casually asked.

"'What's up'?" CH calmly shot back. "This black swarm has been making my brother sick over the past month, and you set it loose on the Smash Mansion without so much as a warning. That's 'what's up'. You endangered my brother's life to satisfy a grudge match."

"What does it matter? We have nothing left to lose," shrugged Stevie. "You said give them something to remember us by, and that's what we did."

"By putting my twin in harm's way?" CH asked incredulously. "King Koopa was right. You can't restrain yourselves. You never could. And you're lucky that my brother has a healing factor."

"Well, CH," said Stevie, exchanging a look with Steve, "if you truly feel that way about it, then we have just the way to make it up to you."

"Which is…?" prompted CH.

"The main perpetrator of our downfall is currently in our custody," explained Steve. "Not only that, he gave us the ultimate middle finger to the face by posting one of our Luigi-related rants to YouTube."

CH tilted himself quizzically to the side. "Chad?" he asked.

"Chad," nodded Steve. "We have a lot of anger toward him to let out, but his usefulness to us is swiftly running its course. Currently, he's ensconced in a room of his own. All you have to do is say the word, and we'll bring you face-to-face, so you can deal with him in however you seem fit. Our apology gift, if you will."

"An apology gift," murmured CH. Then, he brightened. "I like it, you two. If you lead me to Chad's room, I'll let your stunt with the black swarm slide. But be warned—it will be the only time I'll do so. Understood?"

The two Steves nodded vigorously. Even they knew not to get on CH's bad side.

"Okay, so—where is he?"

Silently, Steve and Stevie led CH to Chad's room and knocked on the door.

"Oh, Chad?" Steve sang out. "I hope you're presentable, because there's someone here to see you!"

An indignant grumble was the sole response.

With a smile, Steve pulled open the door, allowing CH to float inside and scrutinize Chad. The ugly bruises and smears of blood made him look quite—becoming.

"Oh, dear God!" Chad uttered in exasperation. "What do you want?"

CH drank in his sudden good fortune. And then he spoke.

"I wanna get you cleaned up," he said, "because you and I are going on a field trip!"

Please R&R!