breath20k
Eventually, they'll go for the title. Just a few more matches.
LiamTheYoshi
It is poison, Liam. What else would be mixed in the wine?
mariobroultimate
I hope the Mario Bros and Jeremy don't go missing, which I believe is a slang term for something worse.
Mario bros fan4ever
So far, Team Mario has been doing good in their stealth mission.
Nataly Guardado
It's okay, Nataly. Mario will be fine.
...
Chapter 27: Spilling the Beans
"Mario! Wake up!" Luigi yelled, shaking Mario. "Talk to me!"
"Is he dead?" Jeremy asked in a worried tone of voice.
Luigi laid his ear on Mario's chest; Mario's heart was still beating and he was breathing faintly.
"No. He's breathing," Luigi answered with relief. He peered at the empty wine glasses, specifically Mario's. I think someone spiked Mario's glass...
Luigi immediately picked Mario up and hurried toward the locker room's door.
"Where are you taking him?" Jeremy questioned.
"To the nurse!" Luigi replied as he exited the locker room.
How else are we gonna win the Champ Belt? Jeremy wondered.
...
Luigi looked to his left and right for a nurse's office while speed walking down the hallway to the foyer. On the bottom-right side of the foyer was the nurse's office. He barged inside, startling the receptionist.
"Hey. Easy, sir. How can I help you?"
"I'm sorry. My brother's knocked out because he drank a poisoned drink," Luigi explained. "And we're supposed to fight in these upcoming matches to take the champ position from Rawk Hawk."
The receptionist called up one of the nurses and stated Mario's condition. A few seconds later, the nurse carried Mario to one of the beds in the examination room.
"Will you please update me on how González is holding up?" Luigi asked the nurse.
"Absolutely."
"Thank you."
With that, Luigi ran back to the major league locker room and met up with Jeremy.
"Is González gonna be okay?" Jeremy asked.
"I hope so. The best we can hope for is him waking up before we fight Rawk Hawk," Luigi answered. He went ahead and reserved the next match at 3:00 PM against Chomp Country: two Red Chomps. The only fighting condition was to only use acrobatic attacks.
...
As Luigi and Jeremy went into the ring; Goombella, Koops, and Flurrie became worried about Mario's presence.
"Where's Mario?" "Is he hurt?" Goombella and Koops asked, respectively.
"I hope not, guys," Flurrie replied. "But rest assured he'll be good to go soon."
...
Despite the fighting condition sounding ridiculous, Luigi had a few strategies up his sleeve. Right as the bell rang, he did a couple of backhand springs toward Chomp Country and hammered the floor, slightly cracking the Red Chomps.
Next, Jeremy did a high forward flip and ate one of the Red Chomps before spitting it at the second Red Chomp. Luigi became surprised at him eating the Red Chomp despite its large size.
Chomp Country lunged forward to bite Luigi and Jeremy, but at the last second, both grabbed the Red Chomps' jaws and held them open. This prompted the Red Chomps to fling Luigi and Jeremy backward.
Right before they hit the ropes, Luigi and Jeremy grabbed the Red Chomps by their chains and swung them around twice, releasing them toward the south end of the arena.
"Hey hey! How'd that wall taste?" Jeremy taunted after the referee ended the match. "Was it chicken-flavored? Huh?"
...
Following the match, Luigi and Jeremy each won 500 Coins with their money banks at 4,540 and 3,020 respectively; and they were put in Rank 2 despite Mario being out of commission.
"Well, two away from the Champ Belt," Jeremy remarked in a mellow tone of voice. "I'm still worried about González, though."
"Me too. But I'm sure he'll recover soon," Luigi said. "If you didn't know already, me and Mario are superhumans. Any injuries sustained will be healed quickly. With the exception of fatal wounds."
"Does that mean he'll be up and at 'em as if nothing happened?" Jeremy asked.
"Yeah."
Luigi immediately reserved what would be the next-to-last match at 3:20 PM. He and Jeremy would go toe-to-toe with the Koopinator, who was defeated by Rawk Hawk yesterday. There were no fighting conditions listed.
Just like last time, the audience booed at the Koopinator as he entered the ring.
"You. Finally, I get a piece of you. Finally, we'll see who's truly stronger," Koopinator stated.
"Come at us, dude!" Jeremy said.
To kick off the match, the Koopinator charged forward like a rhino, but Luigi and Jeremy dodged in time; the Koopinator got his head stuck in the ropes.
"Hey! Behind you!" Jeremy shouted before grabbing the Koopinator's left boot with his tongue. He swung the Koopinator out of the ropes and slammed him on the floor behind him. The audience cheered at his "tongue slam" move.
It was then that Luigi waited until the Koopinator was almost on his feet; he used the Earth Tremor spell to finally knock out the Koopinator and place himself, Mario, and Jeremy at Rank 1.
"Woah boy!" Jeremy remarked after seeing the money banks following the fight. Him and Jeremy each won 800 Coins, giving them a respective total of 5,340 Coins and 3,820 Coins.
"Now I'm thinking it'll be 1,500 Coins for each of us after Rawk Hawk goes down!" Luigi said. Just then, he received another group text that was also sent to Mario's phone even though the latter was still in the nurse's office.
"What does it say?" Jeremy asked.
"rEmOvE tHe GrEaT gOnZáLeZ aNd InCrEdIbLe IbAñEz pOsTeRs In ThE fOyEr. From X."
"I hope González got the text too."
"He'll see it after he wakes up," Luigi said. "Maybe he'll be out in time to help take down the posters. But why would X ask us to take them down?"
"How would I know?"
Luigi and Jeremy immediately left the locker room again to search for all the posters bearing the Mario Bros' ring names.
...
Meanwhile, the nurse that helped Mario earlier prepared a small cup of apple juice for him to replenish his energy if he was up already. When she walked into the bedroom, Mario was still asleep, or so she thought.
Less than a minute later, Mario slowly opened his eyes. "Oh my God..." he groaned, reaching for his head. "My head..."
"Mr. González," the nurse said. "How are you feeling?"
"My head's aching..." Mario sat up and wondered where he ended up.
"You drank a poisoned drink, which knocked you out," the nurse explained. "Your brother was the one who brought you in here."
"You mean Ibáñez...?"
"Yes. Him."
The nurse handed Mario the apple juice, which he slowly sipped.
"Where's Ibáñez?" Mario asked.
"Last I heard, he and his ally Jeremy just defeated the Koopinator and got to Rank 1. It seems they might be fighting Rawk Hawk next."
Suddenly, Mario spat out his juice and started toward the office door.
"Hey! You just recovered!" the nurse called.
"I can't miss this! I don't wanna be left out!" That was the last thing Mario yelled before he sprinted out of the nurse's office.
...
"They should be easy to find," Jeremy said as he and Luigi entered the foyer. "Let's start from the left."
To the right of the west staircase were three posters of Mario and Luigi in their battle poses. Right as Luigi tore off the first poster, he saw a Super Mushroom fall in front.
"Wow! A powerup was hidden behind the poster?" Luigi asked. "How convenient!"
"Yeah. Especially since it'll make you and González just as strong as Rawk Hawk," Jeremy agreed.
Luigi picked up the Super Mushroom and stowed it in his overalls pocket.
...
"DON'T DO IT, BRO!" Mario screamed, not noticing Luigi and Jeremy by the posters.
"Is that González?" Jeremy asked, having heard Mario's voice. He and Luigi turned to see Mario running toward the other end of the foyer. "Hey! We're over here!"
Mario didn't have time to face Luigi and Jeremy as he ran into the left staircase without looking.
"Oh, jeezums!" "Holy smokes!" Luigi and Jeremy shouted with shock. They ran up to Mario lying on his back.
"Not again..." Mario muttered. Luigi immediately helped him on his feet.
"You okay, Mario?" Luigi asked.
"I don't know..."
"You really oughta pay more attention," Jeremy pointed out.
"Sorry, Jeremy. I thought you were already reserving the Rawk Hawk match," Mario said.
"Are you sure you're fine? You literally got poisoned."
"Yeah. It was because of my brother."
"Please forgive me," Luigi sighed with disappointment. "I never should've pressured you to drink the wine."
"It's okay, Luigi. Just please remember in the future that I do not drink alcohol," Mario requested.
"I'll try."
"Wait a second..." Mario stopped for a second to think. "How come you didn't get poisoned and just me?"
"I guess whoever came up with this plan got lazy and forgot to poison the other two glasses," Jeremy guessed.
"All right-y." Mario looked at the torn-up poster in Luigi's hand and back at the other two on the wall. "Why are you ripping our posters off the walls?"
"The 'X' guy texted us to do so," Luigi answered.
Mario took out his phone and read the group text. "Okay. Whatever he says."
Mario ripped off the other two posters, revealing a Dizzy Dial and a Red Timebomb. "No way!" he gasped. "Who put these powerups behind the posters?"
"They just happened to be there," Jeremy replied as Mario obtained the powerups.
The group found three more posters to the left of the east staircase, but there wasn't anything behind them. They then went upstairs and found two more posters. The one on the left concealed a Shooting Star while the one on the right had a red key behind it.
"Hmm. Where does thiskey go?" Jeremy asked.
"I thought I saw a locked door in the storage room's attic," Mario replied. "Follow me."
Mario led Luigi and Jeremy back into the storage room and climbed the ladder into the attic; he used the key to unlock the door on the right side.
The Mario Bros and Jeremy entered what was another storage room with a whole bunch of wood crates scattered here and there. Again, everyone split up to find a potential clue to the Crystal Star.
Suddenly, Mario saw four legs sticking out from under a crate on the top-right of the room. He pulled it away, revealing Bandy Andy and King K unconscious on their backs, blood dripping from their noses.
"NO!" Mario shouted, getting Luigi and Jeremy's attention. "DON'T TELL ME THEY'RE DEAD!"
"What happened?!" Luigi asked as he and Jeremy met up with Mario.
"Hey... Listen...to me..." Bandy Andy coughed, regaining consciousness for a moment.
"You okay, dude?" Jeremy asked.
"No... González... Guys... Don't...get near the...ring when...no one...is...around..." Bandy Andy moaned. Again, he fell limp, but his eyes stayed open.
"Why? What do you mean, 'Don't go near the ring'?" But Bandy Andy didn't respond. "Answer me!"
"He's already dead, kid..." Mario said while tearing up. "So is King K... I checked his pulse..."
If only he stayed awake a few seconds longer! Jeremy said to himself. He laid his head in his hands, disappointed that he couldn't get any more info.
"I know. It's very sad," Luigi stated. Suddenly, he noticed Jolene peeking through the door and jumped to his feet; Jolene immediately left the room.
"Jolene!"
"What about Jolene?" Jeremy asked. He and Mario didn't see Jolene during her brief appearance.
"I saw her peek in the room, but I don't know why."
"This is bullcrap! What the hell is going on here?!" Mario demanded. "Is Jolene setting us up?! Did she kill-"
"Hey. Easy, bro. Calm down," Luigi coaxed Mario. "Let's just take this one step at a time."
"Fine..."
"How about we go back to the locker room?" Jeremy offered. "We'll take a break before we fight Rawk Hawk."
"Okay."
...
Back in the major league locker room, Mario and friends took a ten-minute breather before signing up for the championship match at 4:15 PM. The only fighting condition was to use at least one special move.
Mario felt his heart beat fast and laid his hand on his chest. "I know we've made it so far, but I'm already nervous about the match," he said.
"It's okay, González," Jeremy reassured Mario. "Trust me: I feel the same too, but you know what the best you can do is?"
"What's that?"
"Believe in yourself. You might actually think, 'Maybe Rawk Hawk is more bark than bite in the ring. What is he really capable of?'"
"He's got a point, Mario," Luigi agreed. "Remember our bout with Tubba Blubba? He had a weak point we had to find out for ourselves. In fact, everyone has a weak point. What if Rawk Hawk is a coward on the inside, yet he shows how tough he is on the outside?"
Mario took a second to take in Jeremy and Luigi's advice. "You're right. Let's just play Rawk Hawk's game and he'll reveal his weak point by accident."
...
It's now 4:14 PM. The audience was already on their feet, cheering like crazy.
"Now fer the actual biggest main event in Glitz Pit history!" Grubba announced. "You thought the major league qualification was huge? Wait 'til you see what's bound to happen in the ring!"
The audience started chanting the Mario Bros' ring names and Jeremy's name.
"This evening will be the championship match! The match where one will walk out of here with the one and only Champ Belt! So, let's bring in our current champion... Feral Nuclear Reactor... RAAAAWK HAAAAWK!"
Half the audience cheered for Rawk Hawk entering the ring while the other half booed.
"Hey! Who's booin' out there?!" Rawk Hawk demanded, having heard the boos. "This is my moment!"
"Hooooo, DOGGIES! Champ! How're you feelin', son? Yer challengers' a handful!" Grubba said before giving the microphone to Rawk Hawk.
"They don't want a handful of this! Unh-unh! There's only one champ...and it's me! Even if those González and Ibáñez wusses ever show up, what's they gonna do, huh? NOTHING!" Rawk Hawk boasted.
"But the Great González and the Incredible Ibáñez made it to the top of the majors faster than anyone ever!" Grubba argued. "They even got up there faster than you did, champ! What you got to say about that?"
"What do I have to say?" Rawk Hawk did a loud raspberry. "That's what! Who cares what these guys did to a bunch of chumps?! 'Cause now they gets rawked!"
"Very well. Anyway, let's bring out the top dogs of the majors...the Merciless and Superstar Executioners...the Little Green Ally...the GREEEEAAT GOOONZÁLEZ, the INCREEEEDIBLE IBÁÑEZ, and JERRRREMY!"
The audience gave the Mario Bros and Jeremy a standing ovation as they entered the ring and looked Rawk Hawk in the eye.
"Hold on a second!" Rawk Hawk shouted with disbelief. "It can't be! How are you wimps in the ring when you should've been dead?!"
"What do you mean?" Mario asked.
"I poisoned those wine glasses I sent to you!"
The audience and Grubba gasped upon hearing Rawk Hawk's confession. Mario, Luigi, and Jeremy didn't react.
"You only spiked one glass. Did the other two fly away from their nest?" Luigi teased.
"The other t-" Rawk Hawk stopped himself and realized why he missed the other two wine glasses. "DAMMIT! I got caught up in my training and only got one in!"
"Oh, quit your fussing, you big baby!" Jeremy scolded Rawk Hawk. "Speaking of which, were you the coward who's been sending those threatening texts about the Crystal Star?"
"Huh? I have no idea what you're babbling about now. What's a Crystal Star?" Rawk Hawk paused for a second. "No, wait. I DON'T CARE!"
"Oh yeah? Who gives a care in the world about poisoned wine?" Jeremy retorted.
"Exactly!" Mario agreed. "This is about competing for the Champ Belt! Not about poisoning people to get what they want!"
The audience cheered in response to Mario's statement.
"Just listen to this crowd hoot 'n' holler fer the challengers: Great González, Incredible Ibáñez, and Jeremy!" Grubba said. "Will their hammer of hurt 'n' harm be enough to rock the Rawk Hawk's socks?"
Mario took out his hammer right on cue.
...
"Yeah! Knock him out of the ring!" "It's on like Donkey Kong!" Goombella and Koops cheered from the south end of the arena.
Flurrie waved at Mario and friends to get their attention.
...
"Now, at long last, the battle to end all battles is here! Let's keep it clean, boys!" Grubba said.
"If this is the case..." Rawk Hawk started. "...then I think it's about time for you to FEEL THE RAAAAAWK!"
"AMICOS! (Friends!)" Mario cried over Rawk Hawk's voice.
"Three minutes to claim the treasured Champ Belt, two teams facing each other, one winner standing in the end..."
"Assemble," Mario finished with gritted teeth.
"GO!" Grubba shouted before the bell rang to begin the match.
Rawk Hawk made the first attack by lunging forward with his arms crossed. But just before he could squash Mario, the latter double-fist punched his beak, knocking him on his back. Rawk Hawk immediately stood up.
Next, Rawk Hawk jumped, forward flipped twice, and went to pound the floor with his boots. Jeremy acted quickly and ate both boots before spitting them out of the ring. Mario and friends didn't feel any shockwave after Rawk Hawk impacted the floor.
"Hey! Those were my boots!" Rawk Hawk exclaimed after seeing his bare feet.
"And those were my energy snacks!" Jeremy argued. "Pretty tasty, eh?"
While Jeremy did his joke, Mario started to swing his hammer at Rawk Hawk's side. But Rawk Hawk was quick enough to grab the hammer and bat Jeremy to the ground.
"No! The floor is even tastier! Harharhar!" Rawk Hawk laughed. Mario, already angered at Jeremy being beat down, tried to tackle him.
"YOU SON OF A-"
Rawk Hawk interrupted Mario by grabbing him and tossing him at one of the spotlight beams. The beam didn't break, but Mario hit his face on it so hard that it temporarily knocked him out.
"MARIO!" Luigi cried.
"Two down, one to go!" Rawk Hawk declared. He swung Mario's hammer back, ready to pummel Luigi too.
At the last second, Luigi grabbed the hammer, shooting a large electric volt through the hammer and electrocuting Rawk Hawk.
"DON'T MESS WITH MY FRIENDS...!" Luigi yelled. He continued to shock Rawk Hawk for a few more seconds before letting go of the hammer.
Rawk Hawk immediately collapsed on his stomach and his sunglasses fell off his face.
Mario jumped to his feet, having felt Rawk Hawk hit the ground. "What happened, Luigi?"
"Take a look, bro," Luigi pointed out before helping Jeremy off the floor.
Rawk Hawk regained consciousness and stood back up, shaking uncontrollably. "Yuuuuuurgh..." he groaned. "I... Rawk Hawk... The champ... The undefeated master... I've lost to...such losers..."
Again, Rawk Hawk fell on his stomach, exhausted from Luigi's electric attack. Everyone stayed silent for a brief moment until the audience broke the silence, applauding louder than the end of the major league qualification.
The Mario Bros and Jeremy stood in disbelief while the referee ended the match.
Did we just...? Mario wondered.
"Folks, I feel like my eyes just popped outta my head! We got ourselves a miracle! Technique versus technique!" Grubba announced. "Raw power versus raw power! A clash of superhumans! Folks, this was truly, honestly, without question, no doubt, absolutely... The most legendary, amazin', improbable, history-makin' bout of all time!"
The group finally realized what they did and started laughing with relief.
"And the victors in this match fer the ages are... the GREEEEAAT GOOONZÁLEZ, the INCREEEEDIBLE IBÁÑEZ, and JERRRREMY!"
The referee held Mario and Luigi's arms up with victory while Jeremy pumped his arms up too.
"We did it, guys!" Luigi squealed.
"Is this real?!" Mario asked.
"It is, González!" Jeremy shouted.
"Congratulations, you three!" Grubba congratulated the group. "You are the most amazing fighters we have ever, ever had!"
The referee took the Champ Belt off Rawk Hawk and handed it to Mario; Luigi also held the Champ Belt and both raised it in the air, making the audience chant their ring names.
"Thank you all!" Jeremy thanked the audience, waving at them.
Oh my God... I don't believe this... Mario said to himself; tears of joy rolled down his face.
...
Back in the major league locker room, Mario checked the final stats. For defeating Rawk Hawk and becoming the new champs, Mario, Luigi, and Jeremy each won 3,000 Coins, putting their respective totals at 6,680 Coins, 8,340 Coins, and 6,820 Coins. Mario calculated all three totals and the three 50 Coin bonuses.
Upon seeing the grand total on his phone's calculator, Mario's jaw dropped and he dropped his phone on the ground.
Luigi picked up Mario's phone and looked at the grand total too. "You're never going to believe this: all our money banks and the three bonus cheques add up to 21,990 Coins."
"That's even more than I expected!" Jeremy remarked. "What do you think, González?"
"I... I've never...been more...rich...in my life..." Mario hesitated.
"Our lives, bro," Luigi corrected Mario. "But still, that's a whole lot of money. We could use that to fund Nintendo's next big Mario game."
"That's possible."
"A Mario game?" Jeremy asked.
"Yes. It's a series of video games based on me and my brother's countless adventures," Luigi explained. "The company who makes them, Nintendo, could use some of our prize money later on."
"Interesting. Love that idea," Jeremy said.
Just then, the locker room door opened and Grubba and Jolene walked inside.
"Well, sons, you finally did it! Today's yer first day as the new champs!" Grubba said with glee. "Show me that Champ Belt!"
"Right here, Mr. Grubba," Mario responded, holding the Champ Belt in front.
"Awesome sauce! Tell you what: I'm gonna go ahead an' get you set up in the champ's room straight away." Grubba turned to Jolene. "Ms. Jolene, be a peach an' show González, Ibáñez, and Jeremy the champion's room, okay?"
"Absolutely, sir." Jolene beckoned the group to follow her into the hall. "Well then, Mr. Champions... Would you follow me, please?"
"Yes, ma'am." "¡Sí, señora! (Yes, ma'am!)" "We're coming!" the Mario Bros and Jeremy answered, respectively. They followed Jolene down the hall and into the champion's room. Its beauty had stayed the same as when Mario and friends toured it yesterday.
"Oh my God..." Mario murmured. "It's just as beautiful as it was before..."
"Congratulations again, Mr. Champions," Jolene stated. "From now on, this is where you'll stay. It's your room now, so make yourselves at home. You will use the terminal as you always have, of course. Will there be anything else?"
"I don't think so, Jolene," Luigi answered.
"Well then, have a nice day, Mr. Champions."
Jolene walked back into the hall, leaving the Mario Bros and Jeremy in the champion's room.
Mario stood still, processing what just happened. Meanwhile, Luigi and Jeremy gazed around the room.
"This is so cool, Ibáñez!" Jeremy said. "It's like a fancy hotel room!"
"It is," Luigi responded. Suddenly, he noticed Mario frozen in place and became concerned. "Bro? You okay?"
Before Luigi knew it, Mario embraced him tight, crying happily. "Mario! Too tight!" he winced.
"S-sorry...!" Mario loosened the hug a bit, letting Luigi hug him back. "I'm j-just so happy...!"
"Me too, Mario," Luigi said softly.
That's very nice, Jeremy thought, smiling big.
Suddenly, Mario and Luigi's phones went off, interrupting their brotherly moment.
"Seriously? At a time like this?" Mario asked with irritation. He let out a sigh and read the group text with Luigi, "fInD tHe VoIcE iN tHe ChAmP's RoOm. From X."
Right on cue, a distant laugh echoed from out of nowhere, startling everyone.
"Who was that?" Jeremy asked.
"I don't know, kid. But we better find where that laugh came from," Mario said.
The laugh bellowed out again, which drew the group's attention to an air vent to the right of the door.
"This way," Mario said. He reached up and pulled the vent cover off the vent before crawling inside. Luigi and Jeremy followed behind him.
"All right-y. Go slow," Mario quietly instructed Luigi and Jeremy. "Please don't make any noise if we hear anyone. Especially you, Jeremy."
"Okay."
After a few minutes of crawling through the vent, a familiar voice chuckled from the other end, "Hyuk hyuk hyuk hyuk! Well, that's in perfect condition, as usual! Yep, long as I got that baby workin' for me, this ol' bod ain't nevergonna get weak!"
"Mr. Grubba..." Luigi murmured.
"But I'm gonna have to watch my ass here fer a little bit... First I let that King K ijit walk in on me when I was with...that... An' now I can't shake the feelin' that Jolene, González, Ibáñez, an' Jeremy are onto me... Well, I guess I'll burn that bridge when the time comes. I'll just disappear 'em! Yep, just like I did to them others...like I did to Prince Mush, the first champ!"
"Wow. Mr. Grubba's behind all those missing fighters," Jeremy whispered.
"It's dead fighters. He's using 'missing' as a slang term," Mario corrected Jeremy.
"I better lock this room up tighter 'n a peanut butter jar at a squirrel convention," Grubba's voice said. "An' I'll just go ahead an' hide the paper relatin' to that in the desk drawer..."
I don't understand what he's meaning by 'that', Mario thought. Is it a secret he can't even tell himself about?
"There we go! Y'know what, though? Since I'm thinkin' aloud, here... Good fighters ain't nothin' to mess with. Even Rawk Hawk lost to González, Ibáñez, an' Jeremy. These new champs might have to disappear purty soon. For my sake..."
Mario and friends heard a door open and close, which should mean that Grubba walked away. Mario punched the vent cover in front, revealing a secret entrance to Grubba's office.
"Is he actually gone?" Jeremy asked. "I hope he is."
"Let's check his desk drawers," Mario said. He walked up to Grubba's desk and looked through two vertical rows of three drawers on either side of the desk.
In the bottom-left drawer was a diagram that resembled the diagram found in the hidden storage room within the minor league locker room. This one was more detailed with text boxes describing each feature and a gold star inside the lightbulb on top.
"So that's what the machine on the first diagram was!" Mario said. "I guess the Crystal Star powers it somehow."
"Does that mean it killed Bandy Andy and King K?" Jeremy asked. "I think their power all got drained from the machine and their bodies were shriveled dry."
Suddenly, the office door opened again and Grubba ran inside. The Mario Bros and Jeremy gasped upon seeing him.
"HOLY FRAKKIN' SCHNIKES!" Grubba shouted. "How the hell did you get in here, sons?"
"Through an air vent! Duh!" Jeremy answered.
"And yer starin' at my secret paper too!"
"It isn't secret anymore, Mr. Grubba!" Mario said. "Why'd you kill Bandy Andy and King K?"
"Whoa, nelly! This ain't good!"
Grubba ran out of the office again.
"After him!" Mario declared. He ran after Grubba alongside Luigi and Jeremy. They chased Grubba into the foyer and through the arena's front doors. The arena was completely empty with only one spotlight beam lit up, and Grubba was standing in the ring.
"Stop right there! You're cornered!" Luigi exclaimed as he, Mario, and Jeremy entered the ring too.
"I gotta say, y'all are a buncha slack-jawed idiots, sniffin' 'round my business..." Grubba stated. "Now you know my big secret, I'm afraid yer gonna have to take a li'l ol' dirt nap."
Just then, the arena shook and the center part of the ring lowered with Grubba standing on said platform.
"What's going on?" Luigi asked.
"I don't know, Luigi," Mario replied.
A moment later, the machine depicted on the diagram rose back up with Grubba standing inside the cage. The Crystal Star could barely be seen in the lightbulb.
"Hyuk hyuk hyuk hyuk hyuk! How you like my machine? Pretty nice, huh? Yep, I've been suckin' power from fighters with this baby!" Grubba boasted before he made a slurping noise. "Yer damn tootin'! An' you know why? 'Cause it keeps my bod forever young, sons!"
"We trusted you, Mr. Grubba! You showed us all that respect, and you betray us by using that Crystal Star for evil purposes!" Mario scolded Grubba. "So what? We became champs for nothing?"
"Shut up, González!" Grubba argued. "I'll use my Crystal Star however I please! Check this out!"
Grubba flexed his arms, prompting the coils to shoot green-colored electricity into his body. Within seconds, he grew as big as the cage itself and turned orange with a deadly glare on his face. His clothes ripped apart and his hat fell to the ground.
"MAAAAAAAAAAACHO GRUBBA!"
"Holy cow!" Jeremy exclaimed. "Mr. Grubba just beefed up!"
"I know, right?" Luigi agreed.
"Hoo-wee! I'm gonna smoosh you guys into guacamole an' snack on yerenergy too!" Macho Grubba said. "I'm a powerhouse now, you pesterin' li'l pieces of prairie piffle! So long's I have this here machine, my bod'll be rough, tough, an' ultra-buff!"
"You're not the only one!" Mario said.
Luigi gave Mario his Super Mushroom, which the latter used to grow one foot taller, spreading a white glow around his body.
"That don't matter!" Macho Grubba retorted. "I'll still stomp you no matter how buff you are!"
The battle commenced with Mario and Macho Grubba engaging in a "boxing-type" fight.
This is actually entertaining, Luigi said to himself. I'll be the referee for the fun of it.
Initially, Mario was able to dodge Macho Grubba's punches, yet the latter blocked his hits.
"Come on, Mr. Grubba!" Mario said in his Super form's voice. "You want to sock my face in, do you?"
"You bet I do! Keep it spicy, son!" Macho Grubba replied. Both started boxing again with Mario landing a left hook on Macho Grubba's rib.
...
Meanwhile, Luigi took the remaining items out in case the fight got too heated.
"If Mr. Grubba gets knocked down, use this Dizzy Dial against him," Luigi told Jeremy, handing him the Dizzy Dial. "It should keep him knocked out by ten."
...
"That didn't hurt, González!" Macho Grubba stated after he got hit by Mario's left hook. "Left hooks may be the deadliest, but not fer me!"
At one point, Macho Grubba started double-fist punching, making it hard for Mario to dodge or block. But he still stayed on his feet even after he took a head blow.
The boxing continued for another half-minute with Mario and Macho Grubba still standing.
"How much more can you take?" Macho Grubba asked. "I can tell you'll-"
Mario interrupted Macho Grubba's comment with two head blows and an uppercut, knocking him to the floor.
"Down!" Luigi yelled before starting to count to ten. Jeremy then threw the Dizzy Dial at Macho Grubba's head to daze him. But to their surprise, Macho Grubba got up at five, unaffected by the Dizzy Dial.
"I ain't finished yet, González!" Grubba shouted. "Ain't over 'til it's over! That's the way it goes in combat sports, son! And lemme tell you somethin'-"
Again, Mario interrupted Macho Grubba, kicking him in the chest. Macho Grubba bounced against the ropes but didn't fall over.
"No talking during combat sports!" Mario argued. "That's how the rules go!"
"Very well!"
Macho Grubba tried double-fist punching Mario again, but Mario was able to block them successfully.
...
"How about that star?" Jeremy asked Luigi, referring to the Shooting Star item.
"Sure. Let's try that."
Luigi tossed the Shooting Star in the air, sending a barrage of shooting stars falling from the ceiling. This item resembled Skolar's Star Storm move.
...
Macho Grubba was hit on the head so much that it caused him to fall on his stomach. Again, Luigi started counting to ten.
"Get up! This isn't naptime!" Mario teased.
"Urrrrrrrrgh..." Macho Grubba groaned. He tried pushing himself up only for his arms to splay across the floor.
"K.O.!" Luigi shouted, having reached ten. Macho Grubba knew this meant he lost the battle. He shrunk back to his normal size and reverted to his normal skin color. Mario's Super form also wore off.
"Noooo... How'd this happen? How could a perfect bod like mine lose to such a chub?" Grubba muttered.
"Like I said, you're not the only person who can turn Super or Macho," Mario answered.
"Oh well... Great fight there, son..." Grubba let out a disappointed sigh.
"Mr. Champions!" Jolene's voice called out from the west side of the arena. Mario and friends turned to see her walk up to the ring. "No, I mean...Mario, Luigi, and Jeremy. Please allow me to offer my earnest thanks for defeating that foul Grubba."
"He deserved it for sure," Jeremy said.
"I really have to apologize... I'm so sorry that I had to get you involved..." Jolene apologized.
"It's all good. No worries," Mario replied.
"But you must understand... I had to learn the truth about this arena by any means."
"What's the truth?" Luigi asked.
"I had a little brother once, by the name of Mush. He'd have done anything for me. Our family was always poor, so he became a fighter here to support all of us... But he suddenly went missing one day. Our family was inconsolable. I suspected foul play, so I got hired on as the manager and investigated in secret. As I looked for clues about my brother, I accidentally saw Mr. Grubba transform. Seeing what I was up against, I almost gave up hope...and then you appeared. So I decided to secretly guide you."
"Hold on... Were you the guy named X?" Mario questioned.
"Yes. It was me," Jolene replied. "Once I saw you fight, I knew you were the only ones who could challenge Grubba." She walked up to Grubba and glared at him. "You! I want answers, right now! What did you do with my precious little brother? You know exactly what I'm talking about! The first champion, PRINCE MUSH!"
"Urrrgh... Prince Mush..." Grubba said in a weak voice. "He... He...discovered the secret of my...power-suckin' machine... I had him disappear... Or die, I should say... Any which way you look at it...he ain't around these parts no more..."
"I suspected as much..." Jolene murmured. She started to tear up at the thought of Prince Mush being dead. "Oh, poor sweet Mush..."
...
"I thought Jolene was so pissed off for no reason," Luigi said. "But I understand why now."
Suddenly, the lightbulb above the cage started shining yellow-orange rather than green and the Crystal Star became more visible.
"Guys! Look!" Jeremy pointed out.
Everyone looked at the Crystal Star flying out of the machine. It started spinning rapidly and glowed even brighter. A white flash accompanied by a loud bang caused a Toad with a pink-spotted cap and a blue shirt to fall from the Crystal Star to the floor.
Then, the Crystal Star floated into Mario's hands and released giant sparks that exploded outward, engulfing him and Luigi briefly. Finally, a faint pink dot appeared below the red dot on their right arms.
Jolene gasped upon seeing the Toad lying on the floor. "MUSH!" She ran up to Mush and hugged him tight.
"What... What happened...?" Prince Mush asked. "Am I back in the Glitz Pit...?"
"It's okay, Mush. I'm here with you," Jolene coaxed Prince Mush. She stopped hugging him.
"Is that what Crystal Stars can do?" Jeremy asked. "Revive anyone from the dead?"
"Maybe just this one," Mario answered. "At least everything's back to normal. Well, with the exception of Bandy Andy and King K."
"You got the Crystal Star with you?" Jolene asked Mario. "I insist you take it with you so that nothing like this will ever happen again."
"Thank you so much, Jolene," Mario thanked Jolene, shaking her hand. "Even though it took two days of work to become so-called champs of the Glitz Pit only to have it stripped from us, we still had a great time here."
"In fact, if they reopen this place, I'd like to be the new champ," Jeremy added in.
"We'll see about that," Prince Mush said. "I'm still the one and only champ. No one else can equal the likes of me."
Everyone except Grubba laughed at Prince Mush's comment.