"The two shades of green."
Chapter 17
"All he knows is what he's not."
Cold.
There was nothing but coldness in those soulless silver eyes.
But they weren't always like that, there was a time when Elvin saw those eyes smile.
Once they were warm and full of life…
Once they held happiness and glittered with mirth…
Once they were blue.
Now…their owner was nothing more than a human sized doll.
It had all the signs:
The silver eyes of a dead man.
The humorless smirk of someone who had nothing left to lose.
The utter defeat in his posture.
It was all there.
Positioned in the middle of the room for all to see, for all to look into this cracked mirror and guess which mask looked back at them.
And look back they did, through the unafraid silver orbs of one dressed as Mr.L.
A villain in the grasp of his mortal enemies, awaiting his judgment.
A classic scenario in the lives of one Mario JumpMan, the hero of the mushroom kingdom.
Only this time the villain is nonchalant, uncaring and downright disinterested.
Why shouldn't he be? He has nothing to fear.
What can they possibly do to him, to make him feel sorry? Threaten his family and loved ones?
As if he had any of those to speak of.
Sure, Luigi does. But he's not Luigi, not even close.
He's the guy with the bare face…the one that plays Luigi's role…the man who can become him again…bring him back…
But is not willing to.
Trick him into submission by telling him that they have information about his past that he so desperately wants to obtain?
Why would what they know matter to him?
If he can't trust himself, as most of what he knows was installed there by Nastasia, why would he trust them?
All they would give him were Luigi's memories. They'd tell him all about the green plumber's hobbies, his hopes and dreams…everything that made Luigi the man they knew and cared about.
But that's not what Mr.L wants. Therefore their "information" about him has no value.
Because why would a man like that care about something that was never his?
Perhaps because he knows that the person they want to bring back, was not real.
Nothing about Luigi was genuine.
His relationship with his brother Mario-scripted, orchestrated, fake.
His feelings, hobbies and interests-scripted, orchestrated, fake.
His adventures, anything he ever said to anyone, his most cherished memories-scripted, orchestrated, fake.
Fake.
Fake.
Fake.
And why shouldn't he be?
He was just a mask.
It was their fault they never realized it.
And that leaves our dear professor with another question to add to the growing list:
Who is the man chained to the wall before him?
He's not Luigi and doesn't want to be.
He's not the Mr. L Peach and Mario encountered while fighting Count Bleck, since his personality differs from both their descriptions and he confessed to seeing the Green Thunder's mask in his mind-theater.
But if he's not either of them…
…than who is left?
"Who are you?" This question was said the second time this day, to the same person and in the same monotone voice of one broken little man.
Elvin watched the smirk on the other man's face widen a tiny bit, his silver slits not leaving the professor's own swirly glasses, before he let out a quiet humorless chuckle.
Words that followed were barely above a whisper and yet the inventor of the Poltergeist 5000 heard them as if they were spoken loud and clear.
"If only I knew the answer to that question."
Mario blinked.
He was alone again, and the binds that were holding him down never felt tighter.
Peach left after blurring out a half-baked apology and squeezing his hand one last time.
She couldn't get out fast enough, the tears that sparkled in her baby-blue eyes told him as much.
Not that he could blame her, he wasn't exactly his normal happy self after his brother's sacrifice.
The thought of his heroic younger brother doubled the pain in his chest that was numbed down with medication.
Luigi…sweet little Luigi…
The little brother he was never going to see again…because he couldn't stop being a hero.
His glowed hands tightened into fists.
Why? Why didn't he stop this madness when he had the chance?!
He could have stopped this after the very first kidnapping but no…he had to be a 'glory-hog', he had to get infamous. Back then being 'famous' wasn't good enough for him, he needed to be 'infamous' and have his own page or two in the history books.
Mario's biggest fear was that he'll end up like just like his father, and die forgotten by society.
That's why he decided to ditch being a plumber and become a hero.
Because heroes live forever.
Now he got his wish, he will be remembered as the fearless hero of the mushroom kingdom that wasn't afraid to sacrifice everything he holds dear to ensure the princess's safety.
But at what cost…
"Mario there is a monster under my bed, can I sleep with you tonight?"
"Can we go to the treehouse today? Please, please, please?!"
"You'll stay here with me forever, right? You won't go away like mama and papa did, will you Mario?"
"I never left, bro." Mario whispered, his voice sore and thick with tears.
"You did…"
JA107: Hope you guys enjoy. ;)