Chapter 3: Rooftop Rumble

The Master Hand approached the boundaries of the castle grounds. He looked around at the landscape. He froze as soon as he heard a voice in his head, "O, brother. Before you stop home from the market, pick me up a fresh Super Mushroom." "What do I look like, mom?" "Well if mom was around she say no, but since she's not, get me that mushroom." "You could come here and pick it up yourself, I got my hands full here." "Well you're already out there." ".Fine. This experiment of yours better be good." "Don't worry. It'll be worth it." The Crazy hand ended his transmission, allowing the Master Hand to continue toward the castle.

Peach sat on the highest roof of the castle, looking into the moat that ran three stories below her. She chucked a vegetable into the moat, since there weren't any stones around. She sighed as she looked into the sky. She saw the Master Hand floating toward the castle. "AAAHHHHHH!!! MARIO!!! MARIO!!! SAVE ME! SAVE MY CASTLE! AAAHHHHH!!!!" Mario was working under the water of the moat, unclogging a drainage pipe that had been clogged by vegetables. Mario made his way to the surface for a breath of air when he heard princess Peaches cries, "Save me!!! I don't wanna be a trophy again, Mario! Kill the Hand, Mario!" Mario looked up toward the sky at the Master Hand. "Momma-mia! I'm-a coming, Princess." He began to jump upward for the castle roof. As he performed his triple jump, Luigi jumped onto his head, sending him plummeting to the moat screaming. Luigi grabbed onto the roof and pulled himself up. "Don't-a worry, Princess. Luigi is here to save the day!" Princess Peach looked at Luigi. She blinked at him twice with a far off gaze. There was silence for a few seconds until the Princess spoke, "WHERE'SMARIOIWANTMYMARIOWE'ERDOOMEDIFMARIODOESN'TSAVEMEWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAA! !!!!!!!" Luigi sunk his head in shame. He quickly raised it as soon as he heard a swoosh overhead. He looked upward and saw nothing. He gave a sigh of relief. He turned around, face to palm with the Master Hand. Ha fell backwards, pulling himself away from the Master Hand. The Master Hand pointed a finger at Luigi, "Tell me where the Super Mushrooms are held." Luigi shook and tried to stop his shakiness, "I..I don't-a know." The Master Hand put down his finger; "Maybe I didn't make myself clear." He pointed his fingers into a gun, aimed right at Princess Peach, "Tell me where the mushrooms are or the Princess will have to rule the kingdom with a detached head." "The Head Cooking quarters in the pantry next to the huge metallic fridge right behind the chips." "Just what I like to hear." "You won't get away with this, Master Hand!" The voice in the distance made Luigi look behind his shoulder. He was surprised to see a familiar blue bird wearing a tan jacket. Luigi turned to the Master Hand, "Looks-a like the Calvary has arrived." The Master Hand straightened his palm, placing his thumb on top of it, "Not Calvary, your enemy." The Master Hand shot out a purple cloud. Luigi began to go insane, trying to fight it. Peach ran in to try to help him, but she too, went insane. They knelt to the ground holding their heads. The Master Hand laughed, "Resistance is futile. I'd like to stay and watch the show, but I got a mushroom to pick up." The Master Hand floated to the front door. He flicked the two toads that guarded it out of the way and rammed the door down, hurrying to the kitchen.

"FIRE!!!" Falco flipped his burning body onto the rooftop. He stood about 5 feet away from Luigi and Peach, who were still kneeling on the ground. "Hey, are you guys okay?" He took a step toward them. Their eyes grew a bright red. They jumped to their feet. Luigi's palm began to glow green, while Peach picked up a vegetable. "Where'd the Master Hand go?" Peach chucked the vegetable at Falco's head. He reacted by putting up his deflector shield, sending the vegetable air borne. "Umm.something tells me this isn't a gesture of friendship." Luigi began to fire a round of green fireballs. Falco did some fancy dodges to avoid the continuous fire. When he turned around, he was sent into a castle tower wall from a smack with Peach's frying pan. Luigi slid toward Falco, flipping him upward. Falco regained his balance by doing a jump and landing on the top of the tower, "Time for some melee, Falco style." Luigi was making his way up the tower. Falco jumped off and kicked him on the fall downward. Peach waited at the bottom, charging up an upward smash. Falco air dodged Peaches upward hand jab, and then kicked her right into Luigi, who had just gotten up. Falco pulled out his laser gun, and began to fire a steady stream of shots, stunning Luigi and Peach momentarily. Falco rushed into them using a Falco Phantasm. But instead of trying to counterstrike, Luigi and Peach retreated to the other side of the roof. "I wonder why they left in such a hurry?" He turned around to see Bullet Bill rushing through the air straight toward him. "That might be why." Falco jumped to the other side. He noticed Peach and Luigi weren't moving near the edge of the roof, "Could this be any easier?" Falco grabbed a hold of Peach and tossed her off the roof. Bullet Bill hit into the tower, causing an explosion. Almost immediately, Luigi came to life, and grabbed Falco and began to spin him around. He tossed him into the side of the tower. When Falco got up, he saw Peach floating back to the platform with her parasol, "Man, there's no stopping these guys!" Luigi began to concentrate, absorbing a lot of energy into his body. Falco stared in amazement as Luigi launched himself at top speed at Falco. Falco ducked as Luigi passed overhead. "Four!" Falco turned around to receive a quick smack by a golf club. As he was getting up, Peach rammed her hip into him, exploding on impact. Falco went flying into the air, where Luigi waited and upper cut Falco in the beak. Falco Landed on the roof, hard. Falco slowly got up onto his knees, using his arms for support. He looked to his right and saw Luigi rushing up to him; he had gotten a hold of a beam sword. Falco watched him rush dangerously closer. "That's it, come a little closer." Falco swiped Luigi's legs and then took to the sky. Luigi got up and was greeted by a kick. Falco picked up Luigi by his shirt. Falco smirked. Falco slammed him onto the ground, shot him, and then activated his deflector shield. Luigi lay on the ground, slowly getting up. Falco dodged behind Peach and charged up a rolling kick. Peach dodged behind Falco just as he released the kick. Luigi was sent flying off the rooftop. Peach showed no emotion as her friend was launched into the sky. She ran for Falco. Falco dodged, but Peach dodged with him. She grabbed Falco by his jacket and began to repeatedly slap him in the face. Falco broke free from the Princess' grip and booted her upward. He noticed the beam sword on the ground that Luigi dropped as he was launched. Falco picked it up and readied himself for the attack. Peach air dodged, but Falco slashed Peach sending her forward into the air. Falco ran to the edge of the rooftop. "Take the beam sword with you," said Falco as he chucked the sword at Peach. It hit her in mid air sending her flying as far as Luigi. Mario made his way to land after being unconscious in the water for a short period of time. He collapsed onto the ground. He rolled over on his back with his head facing toward the sky. The beam sword that hit Peach now hit Mario on the forehead, knocking him out unconscious once more. The Master Hand broke through the side of the castle with the Super Mushroom. He waved his fingers and a vortex opened up. He floated on through. Falco watched him enter the portal. He jumped down from the rooftop into the vortex. The vortex closed up behind Falco.

"Mario.Mario." Mario woke up to see Princess Peach kneeling by his side. "Why didn't you protect me, Mario?" "But Princess, Luigi." "Did a horrible job. He let the Master Hand mind control us and you decided to take a snooze on the lawn!" "But-a Princess." "But nothing. No more talking. You got a lot of work to do. I want that drain unclogged, and I have two walls of my castle that need to be rebuilt. Mario looked at the sidewall of the castle. There was a gaping hole in the shape of a huge hand. Mario fainted.

{Mario's got his work cut out for him, but so does Falco. What strange world will he end up at next in chapter 4? Don't forget to review.}