1-1: MK: Reach the Flagpole
Master Hand warped Luigi to a very familiar course. World 1-1 of his home universe, the start of a quest which usually ended with great big hoopla for Mario and very little for Luigi. At least Peach kissed him on the cheek or nose. The man in green blinked that thought away and focused on the level at hand.
"You must clear this course within seven minutes to advance to Part 2 of this stage," said Master Hand. "Halfway through, you will battle a team of 10 lightweight but aggressive opponents. Are you ready?"
Luigi took a deep breath. "Yes, I am."
"Good luck, L," sang out MH as he floated away.
READY…GO!
Luigi hit the course at a full sprint. It was lovely weather for an adventure—nice and warm, with a light breeze to prevent it from getting too hot. There were the familiar bricks and "?" blocks which sometimes yielded items, and not just Mushrooms, either. Goombas, Koopa Troopas and Koopa Paratroopas rushed to impede him, but Luigi knew how to defeat them. He didn't have to lay a Smash attack on them if he didn't want to—he subdued them the classic way—by hopping on them. He'd take the shell of a KT or a KPT and kick it into crowds of his longtime enemies. Or, he'd use his fireballs to prevent taking unnecessary damage. His high jumps vaulted him up platforms which took him to the second portion of the course.
After a while, Luigi reached a platform with a Super Mushroom symbol on it, at which point the stage became locked. A Toad marked the checkpoint by racing back and forth. Remembering MH's words, Luigi put up his dukes, ready for a fight.
"Yoshi!"
Luigi looked up and smiled. He remembered facing the Yoshi Team two years ago during his trek through 1P Mode. Though their ranks decreased slightly, they were more aggressive than last time. Clearly, this was no time for fooling around.
As the Yoshi Team descended on him, Luigi launched into the fray at once. He dodged sticky tongues, headbutts, rapid flutter kicks, eggs and Ground Pounds. Green fireballs weaved lazily through the air, hitting this Yoshi and that Yoshi. He lit into the dinosaurs' flanks with his punches, roundhouse kicks and new attacks. This time around, he was further differentiated from Mario. His strong up was now an overhead swipe, and his strong down was a low heel kick. His forward air stung like a bee as a fierce karate chop. His forward smash was one of his most favorite moves, nicknamed the Trowel Stab. And the introduction of side specials introduced another purely Weegee move—the volatile Green Missile!
But more on that later.
A few Cyclone attacks cleared the remaining Yoshi Team from the area, allowing Luigi to continue on. He was hardly even breaking a sweat. A few more groups of enemies awaited them, which the man in green fended off quickly. There were also trophies scattered about the area, which he snagged. Now he was starting to feel as if he was actually venturing through World 1-1, with a few twists here and there.
And with the relative ease of the course, Luigi began to think, to remember…
It was a highly anticipated, five-stock match on the Battlefield, drawing a full house. The tension was so thick that you could cut it with a knife, if you'll pardon the cliché. On one side stood Luigi, clad in his Wrecking Crew colors, one outfit which really brought out the nostalgia. The slight, golden hue on his skin stood out against the soft pink of his shirt and the deep crimson of his overalls. He cut a striking figure against the ambience of the stage, blue eyes sparkling, facial expression intense as he stared down his opponent.
Said opponent waited on the other side, smirking at Luigi. His claws, horns and spines winked dully in contrast to the glow surrounding his foe. Amusement colored his eyes beneath his bushy, red brows. King Koopa had waited for this moment for a very long time, and he knew that Mario was watching. Defeating his green bean brother right in front of him would surely break his archenemy!
The designated official directed the two fighters to approach each other at the center. He went through the whole rigmarole of wanting a clean fight—as if that was possible. At the end of the brief speech, Luigi drilled his stare into Koopa as he held out his hand. Rolling his eyes, Koopa shook it.
"Good thing you brought you brother with you, Greenie," the hulking reptile chuckled, "so you can cry on his shoulder after I win!"
Luigi said nothing, determined not to react. He could feel something ignite deep inside of him. Blue fire ignited in his eyes, and his jaw muscles tensed as he awaited the countdown.
Wait and see, you turtle. Wait and see…
Powerfully, Luigi smashed a few of the bricks overhead with his fist, startling a few enemies. Wildly flailing his fists, he charged into them, knocking them every which way. He attacked the last group of enemies more aggressively than when the level started, seeking to push the memories away. Ahead, he noticed the finishing point flagpole with another Toad running back and forth. Dashing in, Luigi tagged the pole, replacing the black Koopa flag with a green flag with an L on it.
COMPLETE!
He closed his eyes, willing the last of his anger to ebb. Don't worry, L. You'll get your chance. But for now, just try to focus.
"You okay?" came MH's voice.
"Yeah. I'm fine," replied Luigi.
"Good. You may now proceed to Part 2 of this stage, a battle against two opponents you know quite well."
"Let's-a go," Luigi said quietly.
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