Smooth Ciminal
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters, Nintendo does! I only own the story! Don't hurt me! *Cowers in corner*
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Chapter 3: The Fall of a Leader

Red Ninjakoopa chopped away at the thick vegetation in Forever Forest using a sharpened machete. It had been hours since he had begun searching for the murderer; and he had found nothing.

"This is hopeless!" Red muttered to himself, flicking away a Forest Fuzzy with his machete. He then heard a whisper in the bushes to his right. "Show yourself!" Red commanded, sounding more brave then he felt.

He then heared a hiss among the bushes. "Go away Sssssily koopa."

Red dashed over to the location of the hiss. Among arival he saw a huge Piranha Plant. It stood about 10 feet high and had a gold crown on it's head that was studded with beautiful stones.

The giant plant spoke again. "Sssssso it's s'you who have been hacking up my foressst with that weapon! I am King Piranha! Ruler of thissss foressst!"

Red practically got a shower of spit as the King Piranha Plant spoke. "What do you mean YOUR forest?! It belongs to the boos!"

The evil plant laughed. "Not any more it's not! I ate any boos that dare oposssse me! So they ssssurrendered and I became King!"

"Well I could care less about the boos! Have you seen any suspicious looking...AHHHHH!"

Without warning the huge plant bit into Red's shell. The plant's jaws worked like two giant saws tearing away at his shell and piercing his flesh. Red desperately grabbed the machete he was holding and slashed away at the side of the plants head. In shock the plant dropped Red and doubled over screaming.

The Piranha Plant roared in agony as green blood oozed from a deep cut ranging from the corner of it's mouth to the beginning of it's stem. Red took this opportunity and drove the machete deep into the roof of the King Piranha Plant's mouth. The King Plant was dead before he hit the ground. Walking up to the dead plant; Red removed the machete (which was now dripping with green blood and saliva) from the plants mouth and took it's crown, placing it upon his own head. Turning away from the gruesome scene, Red continued his journey in finding the murderer.
***
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

Mario got up from the table where he was enjoying breakfast to see who had come to visit at such an early hour. Upon opening the door, he saw Professor Fungi, Sam Shroom, and Mark Shroom standing there.

"Oh, hello guys!" Mario greeted. "I was just having breakfast would you like to come in?"

"No thanks Mario." The professor said. "We're just here to ask some questions."

"Questions? About what?" Mario asked, confused.

"About the murder. You were correct about the young victim being Tiny Toad. How did you know?" Mark Shroom asked holding a notebook and pen, ready to write down anything Mario said.

"Well he always used to tell me what he wanted to be when he grew up. I started seeing him everyday after he would come home from school. It's pretty hard to not remember someone you see everyday."

The detective nodded scribbling down some notes on the paper. "And where were you at about 4:30 PM yesterday?"

"I was at Peach's Castle with Luigi." Mario answered getting suspicious of Mark. "You can even ask Luigi."

"Is he here?" Professor Fungi asked.

"He's sleeping." Mario answered.

"Can you wake him up?"

"HEY LUIGI!" Mario yelled. "SOME GUYS HERE WANT TO ASK YOU SOMETHING!"

Luigi was standing in the doorway seconds later. Itt was obvious he had been sleeping, as Mario had said. He was rubbing his eyes tiredly and was still dressed in his pajamas.

"Luigi," Sam Shroom started. "Were you at Princess Peach's Castle yesterday at 4:30 PM yesterday?"

"Yeah." Luigi replied groggily. "We were celebrating that Mario has rescued Peach from Bowser again for about the hundreth time."

"Well, thanks for your help anyway guys." Sam Shroom said as his brother and the professor left.
***
Red Ninjakoopa sat down on a rock, nursing his wornds. "Damn Plant!" He cursed, sprinkling some water on a bleeding cut. "How am I ever going to find that murderer now?!"

"How about looking straight in front of you, nimrod!" A dark voice in front of him said.

Red looked up to see a black cloaked figure standing over him brandishing a spear. "So your that murderer!"

The cloaked assassin laughed. "Indeed I am, you probably had help figuring that out. I don't think anyone of your intelect could figure that out on your own."

Enraged, Red took his machete and cut the wooden shaft of the assassin's spear in two.

"Fool!" The assassin yelled at Red, looking down at his now useless weapon. He grabbed one half of the broken spear and drove it into Red's back where the shell was cracked and broken. Red fell face first on the ground. He was about to get up when the assassin's foot was placed on his throat.

Red struggled feebly under the pressure of the assassin's foot. The murderer decided to end it quickly for Red. He applied his full weight onto Red's throat. Seconds later, he stopped moving. The assassin picked up the crown that now lied in the dirt. "This will be a great gift for King Bowser." He then turned and headed to his secret warp pipe to Bowser's castle.
***
Bowser carefully inspected the jewel studded crown that the assassin had given him. It was pure gold and had rubies, gems, and other stones covering it.

"This is a very nice gift, indeed." Bowser said to the assassin. "Only a master worker with stones and gold could create this. Not even my slaves could do this. Where did you find this?"

The assassin shrugged. "Some koopa was carrying it around! The idiot broke my spear too."

"Well since you gave me this crown, I'm willing to give you something in return." King Koopa Bowser headed down to a weapon storage room and came up with two items. One was a spear made entirely out of steel. The other was a belt with a dagger, mace and chain, sword, and spiked club tucked into it.

"These are my best weapons." Bowser said. "No need to thank me. Just go out there and murder some more citizens and frame Mario! I didn't give you those weapons for nothing!"