Turning Tables

TW: Angst ahead!

He could not stop sobbing, the angry sounds continuing to force their way from his throat and his mouth. His face was red and blotchy, covered in tear tracks. He shrieked in pure rage as he heaved another object at his bedroom wall. The sound of impact was so good to hear. Right now, he wanted—needed—to throw things around, to trash this room. Maybe later, he could trash a certain giant glove, as well.

At first, Luigi was in denial when he heard Master Hand's rant. After everything he'd done to maintain the stability of this tournament, he should've considered it below his dignity to castigate one of his Smashers. But he did. Right where Luigi could hear him. And he sounded like he meant what he'd said.

It started out as a squabble, a difference of opinion. Luigi believed that Stuart Bennigan deserved to be beaten black, blue and bloodied for insulting him, challenging his qualifications for Smasher of the Month, playing the victim, getting him suspended and getting his friends in trouble. He'd followed the Professor's powerful advice and refused to let anyone, not even the Hand of Creation, push him around. He'd defended his honor, his friends, and everything else he believed in. But to Master Hand, Luigi had picked a fight with a Smash newcomer. He'd intimidated him, made him feel afraid and insecure, and ultimately sent him into his mother's arms. He should've used his words with Stuart, rather than be so quick to settle it in Smash. Master had explicitly ordered Luigi to stay away from Stuart, and Luigi had disobeyed. Disobedience had to be punished. Which was why Luigi was currently on probation.

But Luigi had tried talking to Stuart. He'd tried using his words. He'd explained to him about how the Year of Luigi had commemorated his 30 years in the video game world. He'd talked about how seeing his brother safe had motivated him to take on ghosts. He'd tried to get the bully to apologize—a public apology. But Stuart scoffed, sneered and laughed at him, so Luigi offered to let Stuart prove his arguments against his winning Smasher of the Month in a Smash battle. Stuart shirked away at once, thinking of all sorts of ways to weasel out of it, which culminated in him putting on his victim act and later torturing the man in green by getting his pals suspended right along with him!

In the aftermath, Master Hand lessened Luigi's punishment due to mitigating circumstances, but Luigi beseeched him to end the punishment completely. Tempers flared, and their conversations grew more hostile. Finally, during one explosive argument, Luigi snapped, grabbing an expensive vase and hurling it at Master Hand before doing the same thing to anything else within his reach, screaming at him in Italian. Calmly, the glove just floated away, while Luigi stormed into the Training Area. Countless Sandbags faced his blazing fury as he set his playlist to the edgiest songs he could find.

It was then that he heard the words.

"I wish I'd listened to everyone else and just left him out! He's proven that he's not fit to be in this type of thing! He should've just stayed home, where he belongs! Nobody would've cared, anyway—he's always second fiddle to Mario, and that's all he'll ever be, anniversary or not! He gets a stupid vacuum on his back, a few games under his belt, some fanfare and a move to the starting roster, and he thinks he owns the place! Disobeying me, instigating others, destroying property, throwing tantrums and back-sassing me—I've just had enough, okay?!"

"Wh-what are you trying to say, Bro?"

"He never should've been in this tournament to begin with! If I'd known that he'd become like this back in 1999, then I honestly would've denied his application, regardless of Mario's feelings! A line has been crossed today, Crazy—the second he grabbed that vase and flung it, it was over for him! He's out! Done! Finished in Super Smash Brothers! I'm dumping him back to his universe first thing tomorrow morning!"

More sobs tore from him as he kicked things over and sent stuff flying off of tables. Nice to know how Master Hand really thought of him. He only invited him because of Mario, eh? He didn't give two [bleeps] about him, eh? Well, that was just fine! There were some people who terrorized him here, anyway! He'd be better off without them! He'd find some other tournament to fight in!

"You heartless demi-god!" Luigi choked out, kicking over one last chair and collapsing onto the floor. "You're nothing but a sadist! You love watching us beat each other up! You pretend to care about our well-being and pamper us, just so we won't leave! You have no idea what I've gone through in the past 16 years! You think you're a celebrity but you're a tyrant, a no-good, self-righteous tyrant! Well, fine! You want me to go? Then I'm going. You don't have to do it for me!"

He got up from the floor and tidied his room, beginning to calm down. A cold smile wormed its way onto his tear-soaked face. He wasn't going to leave just yet. There were just a few things he needed to attend to before saying sayonara to Smash. Heck, he wasn't going to start packing until later! So, Master Hand wanted to play things his way? Fine. He'd play his little game. But he was going to make up his own rules.

Luigi washed his face and smoothed his hair before changing into a new pair of clothes. He wanted to look nice and handsome before his final bow, right? Lastly, he applied cologne, strapped on a sports watch and headed out the door.

"I get the last laugh, Master Hand," he snapped as he marched toward the sign-up booth for 3-Minute Smash.

"This isn't the featherweight division, small fry," chuckled the diminutive Mii manning the desk. "Next!"

"I'm serious about this. Sign me up."

The Mii must've deduced the storm signals, because he caved in seconds later. "Do you understand that we aren't responsible for any injury you may and probably will sustain while participating in this event?"

"I do."

"Are you participating of your own volition?"

"I am."

"Okay, then. Down the hall, take a left, and then go up the stairs to the portal. May God be with you."

Luigi squared his shoulders and proceeded as instructed.

"I'll show you, you greedy, sadistic glove. I'll show you…"

Yikes, that was intense. Please leave a review.