A/N: Previously, Luigi and his friends reached the Chemical Plant Zone, but not before he struggled to keep his emotions at bay. They also had a fierce encounter against two more of Myster Edge's minions: Proto and Scythe.
Now, it's time for Luigi to survive another boss fight. Can he persevere and recover the penultimate Dark Moon piece?
Disclaimer: Is it necessary to repeat this? Probably not. Regardless, I don't own anything related to Mario or Sonic.
Chapter 40: The Taming of the Shrewd (1)
Location: Edge's HQ
Myster Edge resided back to the Vanilla Dome to reevaluate his next approach on manipulating Luigi. He was sitting in his large chair, staring at the supercomputer with a blank expression. He kept moving his fingers around the scepter while rubbing his left hand over his chin.
"Hmm… What to do, what to do…"
He was thinking of another attack on him like he's done for the past three times. (2) He wasn't going to let the plumber off the hook despite all the torment he caused. After all, the malicious villain enjoyed it whenever Luigi suffered under his hands. Or rather, from his staff with the seven Chaos Emeralds inside. He had grown more potent with the energy of the Dark Shards that helped construct the Oblivion. Edge felt that he was basically unstoppable at this point. He believed no one could overthrow him or his master plan.
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his chamber door. He looked at the security camera and responded through the microphone. "Alpha, come on in." The red door opened for the robot to enter. He rotated his chair and stood up to face him.
"Myster Edge. I have come to report some news."
Edge made a face where he looked conflicted. "Good or bad?"
"Both, sir."
Lowering his eyebrows, he replied, "Tell me the bad news first."
Alpha nodded. "My sensors indicated a setback that took place in the Chemical Plant Zone. The Shadelings you instructed to take the prisoners to that location, which included two from your main line, Proto and Scythe, were defeated by the man in green. It's also likely that he received backup from his friends. More specifically, those prisoners who were held captive here."
Even though Edge was furious internally, his face voided any signs of expression. Frankly, he was somewhat surprised of the outcome. Key word, somewhat.
"Continue…"
"Most of the robots who were guarding the zone were part of that loss. So that branch of the army was cut down by over half. The remaining ones are still in Chemical Plant, waiting to stall your enemy. But, in my opinion, I have a feeling that he and his friends will take down all of them. And, he will likely surmount against Shrewd. Considering he's already captured the first three Possessors, there's a solid chance that the fourth will not be successful in defeating the man in green. At this rate, he will encounter the Tough Possessor, catch him, and eventually confront you at the most inopportune moment."
"Hmph… He can have the power, tools, and abilities to stop the ghosts. But even with all that, it is impossible for him to defeat me."
"I just wanted to stress this out though. What if he learns about the powers of the Chaos Emeralds and the Dark Moon pieces combined? From what I heard, he transformed back at the Giant Skewer Tower. What if he finds out about the reason why it happened?"
"There are two reasons why it happened. One of them is related to his past. The other makes him become stronger than normal. That's how he was able to take down those incompetent Koopas. However, if he does learn the cause behind that secret, I'll make sure he doesn't utilize it against me."
"Sire, not that I'm jumping to conclusions or foreshadowing the future, but… what if he does use his surprising powers to overcome you?"
Edge slammed the pointed end of his staff onto the cavern floor. Alpha didn't flinch, but he could tell his master was stubborn. "As I stated before, it is impossible for him to defeat me."
From that, the robot couldn't tell if he was being arrogant or serious. Maybe both, but more towards the serious side. Although he was somewhat bothered by his overconfidence, he didn't express anything negative. "Whatever you say, my lord."
The Shadow Spirit narrowed his eyes, feeling displeased from his minion's response. He didn't comment on it though. "Are you finished speaking with me?"
There was silence for a few seconds before Alpha answered. "I suppose so."
"Then take your leave."
Edge reopened the door, and watched the robot walk out of the headquarters. After locking it up, he returned to his control panel. Slouching back in his seat, he stared at the photo of his deceased friend on the small screen.
"That inept plumber is getting closer to saving all his friends. He may appear to be a hero, he may be considered as one based on past experiences, but he won't be capable enough to overcome my ultimate form. Not even he or his little companions can stop me from bringing you back, nor will they trounce you once you do return. I'll eventually destroy him and everyone else. His friends, his ghost pup, his family…"
Family.
"Wait a minute…"
An image of Mario popped in his head.
"Ah, yes. The older brother. The short, red, plump man. The one who's more famous and popular since he's usually the hero of this damn world."
A light bulb lit up. A sinister smile appeared from his lips, showing his white teeth.
"Maybe I shouldn't have sent him to Chemical Plant. However, if that green guy does happen to rescue him and the others, I guess it can sort of work out in my favor."
A wicked chuckle came from the villain as he shifted his eyes at the picture of Luigi found on the monitor left of the dead individual. He had already devised another ambush. But this time, it wasn't towards his primary target.
Location: Chemical Plant Zone
As the group entered the beginning section of the zone, they came across another round of Shadelings. They got into position and charged at their opponents. While Luigi and Colombo focused on defense, the girls shouted battle cries as they clashed against the androids.
"Urgh! Take that!" Rouge slammed into a Shadeling's head.
"Oof! Gotcha!" Blaze torched a separate one.
"That's another one down!" Daisy yelled after crushing her parasol into a small, gray minion.
"Swing and a drive, and he's outta here!" Amy watched the robot fly into the distance from the impact of her hammer.
A few more mechs were taken down. Meanwhile, Luigi was on the cautious side since his left arm remained stinging in pain. He tried his best not to aggravate the injury. At one point, he activated the Poltergust and sent a Shriek Shield to Peach when she almost got ambushed by an incoming Shadeling from behind. Colombo helped the rabbit and Chao turn invisible when they, too, were nearly waylaid. Because of their temporary invincibility, they cleared the rest of the baddies.
"Yeah! We got rid of those bad people!" Cream cheered as Cheese squealed with joy next to her.
"Nicely done, everyone!" Peach complimented. "Let's move on!"
"Arf! Arf!"
Along the way, they had to travel at high speeds to avoid being crushed by the machines or the other technological mechanisms that were built in the cityscape. With intertwining paths, large loop-de-loops, spring platforms, and tubing networks, this was one of the toughest and most complex areas to traverse through, especially for the Mushroom Kingdom inhabitants since they had little to no experience about the place. However, everyone was unscathed during that portion.
After passing through a corridor with floating, blue chemical bubbles, Rouge glided ahead to scope out the land in front of her. And within a range of five miles, she spotted something. Other than the Oblivion that was slowly rotating in the sky, she saw two suspended cages in midair.
"Everyone!" she called as the gang caught up to her. "I think I found them!"
They turned their heads in the direction she saw the prisons. Within one of them, there was a mix of red, light green, blue, and yellow. In the other was a combination of yellow and red.
"It is them! We're almost there!" Amy jumped off the ledge and ran. She was followed by Cream, Blaze, and Cheese while Rouge coasted with her wings.
Colombo hopped down and waited for the plumber and the princesses. After Daisy and Peach landed, they looked up to see Luigi, his face looking back at the hallway.
"Luigi, come on down already," said Daisy.
The younger brother didn't budge though. He was distracted by something.
"Luigi, what's wrong?" Peach asked. Colombo whined and tilted his head, wondering what was on his mind.
He continued to stand and stare at nothing. It made the others worry considering he hasn't said a word since the fight against Proto and Scythe.
"Why do I keep getting that same feeling that someone's watching me?"
"Luigi! Answer us, please!"
He turned around at Daisy's plea. Seeing the three at the bottom of the five-foot wall, he swallowed the lump in his throat, and pulled on the collar of his shirt with two fingers, scratching his neck. He also adjusted the vacuum on his back as it was in an awkward position because his left arm felt weak.
"Why aren't you speaking to us?" the flower princess prolonged her interrogation.
He breathed deeply through his nose, and let out a long exhale. He descended to the ladies who maintained their anxious looks. "I'm sorry. I was… I…" he stuttered with hesitation.
"You were what?"
He couldn't think of a legitimate answer. "I… Uh- Never mind. J-Just forget it." From the denied response, Daisy was visibly upset. Peach was not as agitated as her tomboy friend, but she felt empathetic towards him.
"Are you still hot and bothered from your arm, Luigi? If you aren't, and you're not bleeding anymore, we can take the gloves off and dispose them."
Luigi shook his head at Peach's offer. "Oh no. It's sore, but I don't feel dizzy or unconscious whatsoever. Just fatigued."
"Is that why you hesitated when we called for you?"
"No, Daisy. I just… thought I heard something."
"And what was it?"
"I don't know. Maybe my mind's playing games with me."
"Bark! Bark!" The Polterpup got their attention to tell everyone they're falling behind the Sonic gang.
"You're right, Colombo. Come on, guys. We need to catch up to them," said Peach.
"You ready, Luigi?"
His eyes said 'not really', but what came out of his mouth was, "I guess so."
Daisy frowned at Luigi's lack of confidence. But there a small glimmer of hope where she believed he was strong enough to continue their mission. By then, the four ran forward to find Amy, Blaze, and the others.
But as they left, a figure arose from the shadows of the machinery. His glowing eyes focused on the green clad Italian. He made a sound to indicate that his prey was approaching the prisoners. He made his next move, flying through a different section of the zone to avoid being detected.
"Over here!" Amy called to the four who ran up to them. "We were wondering where you were since we didn't see you guys from behind."
"Sorry. That's my bad," Luigi apologized.
Cream walked up to him. "Is your arm still hurting, Mr. Luigi?"
He levitated his arm and slightly bent his elbow. "A little, but don't worry about it."
"If you say so."
"Come on, guys. Let's keep walking," urged Blaze. She led the line with Amy as Cream, Cheese, and Peach followed, with Rouge, Colombo, Luigi, and Daisy behind at the caboose.
"We're almost there, Green. Just hang in there," the bat winked at him. Embarrassed, Luigi tried hiding his blush, causing the orange princess to raise an eyebrow.
When Rouge decided to fly up to Blaze and Amy, she whispered to the man. "Sounds like she's flirting with you. Kinda weird, don't you think?"
"W-What? N-No. She was probably offering moral support."
"Are you crushing on her?"
Luigi sputtered with disbelief. "What?! D-Daisy! I am not!" Thankfully, he didn't burst out loud for the others to hear him.
"I'm just kidding, Weege! Come on, let's go," she ran forward next to Peach.
Luigi, who was strolling slowly beside Colombo, moaned and facepalmed his forehead. "Mamma Mia…"
Colombo could only react with a tilted head, filled with confusion.
A few minutes elapsed as the party reached the far limits of Chemical Plant. After crossing a river with moving platforms, they reached a large, circular dome. It drew comparisons to the rock stage in Vanilla Dome where Luigi fought the Grouchy Possessor. Except they were on a solid metal platform surrounded by lethal water that waded around surface level, with ground segments that could make them fall below if they stay on too long or fail to watch their step. Right in front of them, floating high in the cells, were the captives.
"Mario! There are you!" Peach shouted from below.
The red plumber turned around in surprise, his heart pounded when he heard the princess' voice. The rest of the hostages looked outside to find Luigi, Colombo, and the girls standing from ten stories underneath them. "Peach!" His heart leapt again when he saw his brother. "Luigi! Everyone, you're finally here!" However, his smile went to a frown when he noticed his bloody arm.
"We're here to set you guys free!" Daisy hollered. Cheese and Colombo made eager sounds to follow up on her statement.
"About time, too!" Sonic exclaimed.
"How did you guys get trapped like this?" Luigi inquired.
"They put us in these cages and suspended us like this. I may be okay with astronomical heights, but this feels unorthodox since we're stuck," Tails explained.
"The question is, how do we get you down from up there?" Blaze wondered.
Rouge soared to the prison holding Eggman, Knuckles, and the robots. "Hmm, these chain links sure are strong," she inspected while giving it a few tugs. "I don't think we can cut through them even if we had something sharp."
"I was thinking about spin dashing the bars to swing the cages and disable the chain. But I didn't want to risk anyone getting hurt if we took a large fall into the river," mentioned Sonic.
"Do you know how we can bring you down?" asked Cream.
"Yes, it's quite simple, actually. There's a switch on that wall over there," Orbot pointed at a bulky handle down below and to his left. However, it was separated by a gap so wide, not even Luigi could make a far enough jump to make it. Not only that, but it was encased in a glass case with a lock.
"But the thing's out of reach, as you can see. Plus, you need the key to unlock the barricade that's blocking it, as well as the keys to our prisons," Cubot said.
"You're kidding," Daisy huffed.
"That's it? Just a lever?" Amy sounded disappointed. "That's as pathetic as a button Harsh used to detain me, DK, and Diddy in the Monkey Mines."
"But pulling the switch should allow the chains to unravel from the ceiling spools. That has to bring them down, right?" Peach asked.
"Correct, even though it was obvious from the beginning. Now go find the keys!" Eggman ordered.
"Geez, you're so impatient, Eggman. Your character still hasn't changed one bit," Rouge taunted from outside the metal columns.
"I don't have time to hear more sass, even from you, Ms. Batty Eyes!"
"Hey, guys. Are you also aware that Edge has now summoned that dark, scary hole in the sky?" Yoshi brought up.
"Unfortunately, yes," Luigi answered. "We don't have much time before we-"
"Luigi, look out!"
Mario's warning made his brother shift his body around, only to be shot in the chest by a laser.
"AAHHH!"
"LUIGI!" Peach and Daisy yelled in shock. Everyone saw the green man land on the ground, his Poltergust cushioning the fall, but not in a good way. Mario was instantly worried.
"Oh my god! Are you alright?" Amy concernedly asked as she and Blaze pulled him up. Thankfully, it wasn't a fatal shot because he was breathing. Scratch that, he was wheezing.
"Ugh… No… I don't- Ow!" He winced in pain. He leaned forward to support his hands on his knees while catching his breath.
"Where did that laser come from?!" said Tails.
"I think I know who," Sonic growled. "Come out here, you faker!"
"Faker?" Yoshi, Knuckles, Orbot, and Cubot repeated.
Soon after that, everyone heard a mechanical sound. Although they've heard many of those within this setting, this one was more distinct and recognizable. And all, but Colombo, has heard of that noise before.
By then, another laser shot out of nowhere. The girls promptly jumped to the sides as they evaded the projectile.
"Goodness!" Peach cried.
Cream hugged Cheese tightly. "That was close!"
Amy stood up, got out her mallet, and looked back at the blue hedgehog. "Sonic, who were you talking about when you said 'Faker'?"
"Don't you usually call Shadow that?" Rouge thought.
"It's not Shadow. It's my other doppelganger. Metal." (3)
On cue when his name was stated, the antagonist flew into the stage, confronting Luigi, Colombo, and the girls. He slowly lowered to the ground from his flying ability.
"It is Metal Sonic!" Orbot was surprised.
"How did he manage to get here? I thought you were fixing him up for repairs after Sonic whooped him into next week!" Cubot directed as his master, earning another grunt from him.
"I was supposed to fix him. But I had my own matters at hand."
"Such as being a terrible leader, stuffing your large stomach until it explodes, and trying to find ways to defeat me, only to end up in total disgrace?"
"Would you screw off, you blue, spiky mouse?!"
"Ugh… And there he goes with the whole 'rat' thing."
"Give it a rest, Sonic," Knuckles muttered.
Rouge flew back down to the group as they got into fighting positions, save for Luigi. Daisy narrowed her eyes. "So, you're the one who hurt Luigi, isn't that right?"
Although Metal Sonic did not speak, he responded with an electronic beep. (4) His red, glowing eyes with the black sclera expressed an intimidating stare towards the princess. It didn't scare her, but it did frighten her significant other.
Luigi gulped as he slowly composed himself from the first laser. Taking a close look at him, this Metal Sonic wasn't the one back in the Olympics where he tried to exploit his skills and speed for gold medals. He looked like the version where he was intended to destroy Sonic and claim how superior he was compared to the Mobian hero. The only slight difference was based on his appearance. From the yellow depression in his robotic chest, it was usually black in the center. There was also a trail of smoke emitting from inside, likely from the two lasers he deployed. However, a purple glow shined brightly in the same spot. That could only mean one thing…
"It's the Shrewd Possessor."
Blaze turned to him. "Shrewd?"
"But that's Metal Sonic! He doesn't look like a ghost," Cream whimpered.
"Yes, but he must've infiltrated Eggman's base after entering this world. You see that purple light? That has to be from a Dark Moon piece. He's taken possession of the robot. The Possessor must have revived him in that sense. So that means Metal is alive, but controlled by an evil spirit," he assumed.
"Well either way, we're gonna have to give this robot a beating!" Amy declared.
"Hey! Don't you dare try to dismantle my enforcer!"
"You rather to be stuck here for the rest of your life? Or at least until you wait for the Oblivion to swallow you whole?" Knuckles crossed his arms at Eggman.
"Grr… Fine! Obliterate him by all means! Just make sure you don't demolish him into a million pieces!"
"Honestly, I'd be 100% down with that," Sonic gave a cocky grin.
"Guys, please be careful!" called Tails.
As the green clad man stood up straight, Daisy got his attention. "Luigi, leave the offense to us! Just focus on the Possessor once we force him out of Metal!"
He nodded and grasped the hose of the Poltergust 6000. Despite the singed overalls and shirt, as well as his feeble arm, he needed to defeat Metal and Shrewd. He didn't have a choice to surrender. Colombo was by his side, leaning back on all fours and growling at Sonic's clone. Plus, they were playing with power. (5) Girl power. And a Chao. Altogether, they were not to be underestimated.
Peach and Daisy decided to use Ice Flowers for this battle. Their dresses transformed into different shades of white and blue. Blaze, Amy, Rouge, Cream, and Cheese prepared themselves to utilize their own physical traits. All of them had to be on their feet without fail as they faced a formidable, menacing enemy who's known for his ruthless demeanor. Technically it was a ghost within his body. But for sure, they all knew this match was going to be as tough as or probably harder than the fight against Proto and Scythe.
Metal Sonic made the first move, and rocketed towards the heroes. Peach and Daisy dodged to the side and shot a few ice balls at them. Metal easily avoided them as he focused on Luigi.
When he wasn't looking, Rouge gave a mighty kick in the back of Metal, pushing him into range of Amy who swung her hammer. Metal's trajectory went towards Blaze who threw a blazing fireball at the metal double. It hit the chest, but it wasn't too severe. As he landed back on the ground, he shot lasers, exclusively at Luigi. The man had to roll and duck as he ran around the stage. Cream threw her partner at the head, and the Chao rebounded off him, avoiding the sharp spikes. Cheese caused a small nudge, but it barely fazed him. Colombo clenched the robot's leg with his mouth, yet Metal shook him off. The princesses took the chance to throw more ice at Metal to freeze the red shoes. Unfortunately, he broke through the solid blocks in a cinch.
"I don't think our ice powers will suffice!" Peach yelled at her friend.
"Then let's break out the umbrellas!" Daisy charged at him.
Luigi heard a disturbing sound coming from Metal Sonic. Taking no chances, he shot two Shriek Shields at the princesses as they ran up to the robot. And as he predicted, the robot aimed his silvery metal claws to injure them. But the Shriek Shields got there in time as they approached Metal. The enemy slashed the impermeable barriers that surrounded Daisy and Peach. While invincible, they simultaneously whipped their weapons to whack him. But, he recovered instantly. He zoomed at high speed, forcing the party to split up and dodge again.
"Darn it! How much damage does this guy have to take to get that ghost out?" Rouge bellowed.
"I don't know! But there has to be a way!" Blaze threw more fire.
"Aah! This is too scary to be a part of!" Cream terrifyingly yelled as she ran behind Amy.
"Chao!" Cheese whimpered.
"I know this is dangerous for you, Cream, but we're gonna stick together! We can't back down now!" the pink hedgehog emphasized.
Luigi continued to run around the stage, entranced by Metal's glare with his red pupils. Mario, watching from high above, was scared. No. He was extremely terrified. Much more than any of the previous times he saw him fight a Possessor. Like in every other case, one bad move and Luigi could actually be in peril. Or worse.
"Do you think leading him into the chemicals will work?" suggested Tails.
"But he's waterproof! How else would he have competed in the swimming events?" recalled Sonic.
"Maybe it's worth a try, though," Luigi thought as he evaded what was a laser shot at him for the umpteenth time.
"What are you talking about, Luigi?" Peach wondered.
Hoping Metal, or rather Shrewd, wouldn't hear, he whispered to her. "Metal Sonic isn't vulnerable to the chemicals, but the Possessor itself might be. I'll try to lead him to one of the unsafe squares. Find an opening to attack so he can fall into the water."
Peach understood the plan, and ran to the others to pass the message. Meanwhile, Luigi stuck to his intentions, running around to avoid Metal Sonic's lasers and waiting for any moment to defend his allies with the shields. As the girls got word of the strategy, they continued their onslaught. Rouge used physical hits, Amy, Daisy, and Peach provided their weapons, Cream and Cheese teamed up as an underdog duet, Blaze controlled her psychic fire ability, and Colombo was available for his own strengths, including invisibility.
The Sonic duplicate soared downward to run into Luigi, avoiding all the girls. However, the plumber shielded himself as soon as he got close. Metal rushed into the barrier, pushing Luigi in the process, yet he stayed safe. The robot stopped onto the surface, conveniently on top of a bad segment. Metal was about to blast another beam until Daisy and Peach slammed their umbrellas on his shoulders.
As he was caught off guard, Rouge thumped into him, Blaze shot fire in his chest, and Cream and Cheese performed a jump on his face as he laid on the segment. Staying idle for a few seconds, the section fell apart. The robot splashed into the bubbling liquid.
After a few seconds, everyone saw Metal emerge from below, his metallic frame blazed in red as he overheated. And it was the right call as Shrewd exited Metal's body, leaving the robot as if he was shut down. The Possessor shook his head, revealing himself for the first time. Four horns were shown on his head, two extending to the side and two facing outward. White lines were found all over his figure. And the purple glow from the moon fragment was the center of attention.
He charged up his homing attack. Luigi, however, knew this was a problem. Because the edge of the stage was far away from the surrounding wall, if he were to run into it, he might not be in range to stun him with the Strobulb. So, he gambled on a tactic.
"It's worked in the past, so I'll do it again."
He stood his ground without moving a muscle. Colombo and the girls, however, moved out of Shrewd's path.
When Daisy saw that Luigi wasn't running away, she was wondering what he was doing. "Luigi, run away!"
Mario heard this and saw the same scenario. "Weege! Get the hell out of dodge!"
But he didn't listen. Everyone felt tense, even Eggman when he didn't show it. He lingered, his right hand grabbing the 6000's hose.
"Almost there…"
Once Shrewd was about to ram into him, Luigi pushed the green button to protect himself a second time. The boss collided into the barrier and was effectively dazed. He stunned him with the Strobulb and turned on the suction power. He dragged his feet against the floor as Shrewd resisted. He also jumped when the Possessor led him to the open hole in the floor, losing his maximum power. But he refilled the gauge and removed the white layer of the ghoul's skin.
"Yeah! Great job, Luigi!" shouted Yoshi.
"One down, two more to go!" Sonic raised a fist in excitement.
"You can do it, Luigi!" Tails cheered.
Shrewd re-entered Metal Sonic's body, which was cooled down. The two red eyes lit up again. He rose into the air and immediately shot more purple rays at the protagonists. They did the same strategy, only Colombo got into the action when he bit Metal's left leg. He pulled him down to the ground, allowing the princesses and Amy to slam their arsenal at him.
Metal Sonic soared across the stage and fell onto another loose segment. Falling into the chemicals a second time, Shrewd left the robot, feeling angrier than before. He repeated his actions, except he rushed at the girls.
With six shields left, Luigi shot three of them. One secured Peach and Daisy, another protected Blaze, Rouge, and Amy, and the last defended Cream and Cheese. They ran in close proximity to keep the shields intact. Colombo concealed his owner by touching him with his paw. Shrewd happened to run into the princesses' barrier. Peach and Daisy got bumped, but they barely avoided falling into the water.
"Oh! That was close!" Peach shrieked.
"Luigi, get him now!" Daisy commanded.
He reappeared and ran up to the dizzy Possessor. After shining him with the flashlight, he sucked up the second coating. The red-skinned ghost went to desperate measures by the time he revived Metal Sonic.
In the meantime, more Shadelings entered the arena to divert the girls who were susceptible after their shields disappeared.
He fired another set of lasers from his chest. One of which landed two feet in front of Luigi as he was running. He was surprised that he tripped from his poor traction. He fell forward and landed on the metal surface.
"Luigi! Hurry and get up!" Mario warned.
However, he lifted his head to see Metal Sonic land in front of him. He grabbed him by the neck and started to choke the Italian. For dear life, Luigi placed his hands over Metal's claw that squished the throat, starting to lose his breath rapidly. He wasn't strong enough to pry his hand off him.
"Luigi!" Mario started panicking, which was unnatural of him.
Daisy was infuriated that she ran behind and aimed at Metal Sonic with her parasol again. "Don't worry, Luigi! I'll get him!"
He rotated his head to notice her. With his quick instincts, the clone stopped her with his other claw, catching her by the waist.
"Hey! Let me go!" she struggled in his clutch.
"Daisy!" Peach extended a hand in fear.
"D-Don't… y-you… d-dare hurt… her," Luigi struggled to say as he was being choked.
Metal slowly turned back to the helpless plumber. Expressing no emotion and emitting another careless beep, he aggressively threw Luigi across the gap. He slammed into the wall very badly.
"LUIGI!" Mario and Daisy yelled.
Colombo and the rest of the girls were shaken. Knuckles, Tails, Sonic, and Yoshi all cringed from the impact. It's like they could feel the excruciating pain he suffered. Eggman was indifferent, but he didn't comment on the scene. Neither did Orbot or Cubot, but they were more sympathetic and startled.
As Luigi fell down, he was about to plunge into the pink waters. But not until a little bit of help came his way.
"I got you! You're not gonna leave us now!" Rouge carried him in her arms. She set him down far away from Metal, who was trying to shoot the other heroes as they tried to keep the Shadelings at bay. "You okay?"
Luigi slowly opened his eyes and groaned. "No… H-Hand me a… Mushroom… In m-my p-pocket…"
The bat obliged and dug her hand in the overalls, finding the red fungus. She gave it to him, and he quickly swallowed the item. Feeling slightly invigorated, he returned to his feet.
"Okay," he gulped. "Let's get back."
Rouge nodded and they returned to the fight. The girls managed to stop the Shadelings who interfered. When he saw Metal holding onto his special one, Luigi was agitated and cross.
"Glad to see you're back. We've almost got him," told Blaze as said robot was flying in the air with Daisy, shooting ray after ray.
Eggman was impatient. "Are you gonna get rid of that stupid ghost or not?!"
"Don't rush Luigi, Egghead! He's only human, Egghead!" Amy defended him.
"So am I, but if I was in his shoes, I would actually use my intelligence to take him down more easily and quickly than how he's doing!"
Luigi overheard the backtalk, drawing comparisons to when Bowser was criticizing him.
"Would you lay off of my brother?" Mario barked at him.
"Well maybe if he wasn't so incompetent, he would've defended himself!"
"Didn't you see him with an injured arm? Are you blind through those horrible glasses of yours?" Sonic snarled.
"It doesn't hurt to play defense to fight someone," Tails reasoned.
"I'm just saying that he looks pathetic down there. I've seen my Badniks be more resilient in battles!"
A strong, threatening sensation piled up in Luigi's heart.
"Of course you would bring up your robots in this discussion," Knuckles rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"Orbot! Cubot! Back me up here! Aren't my robots strong and powerful?!"
"Um, I wouldn't exactly agree on that."
"And Sonic's a lot more skilled than them anyway. Why else would he easily defeat them?"
"You two are pathetic!"
"Give it a rest, already. What you said can be debunked and you know it," Tails grunted.
"Well there's something else everyone should know. We wouldn't be here in the first place had Green 'Stache did something besides getting shocked by that insolent shadow!"
"AARGHHH!" Luigi silenced everyone when he snapped.
Mario glanced at him with widened eyes. "Is he…" He saw his brother glowing, in the same state he was back at the Giant Skewer Tower. Sonic and Tails were also staggered by the sight of Luigi.
With white eyes, purple light, and electrical volts around his fists, he extended his hands out to send two bolts at the enemy. Metal Sonic released Daisy, and she landed in Luigi's arms. She was frightened out of her mind as she looked away from his deathly stare. Metal Sonic cried out malfunctioning sounds as his body twitched from the currents coursing throughout his limbs.
By then, Shrewd was forced out a third time while Metal Sonic's corpse was obliterated and torn apart before it sunk in the liquid. As he saw him charging, Luigi set down Daisy without saying a word. He just stood there. Shrewd came in fast. Luigi effortlessly extended his hand to send another bolt of thunder at the ghost. He didn't even use a Shriek Shield. Shockingly enough, Shrewd stopped in his tracks from the surprise assault. The man had him in the bag. The Strobulb lit up, the Poltergust sucked, and the Possessor was no more. He was trapped in the vacuum as it shook heavily. The fifth Dark Moon piece popped out of the nozzle, alongside a ring with three keys on it.
He put the hose back in place and ambled silently towards the fragment. He picked it up, examined its corrupted state, and put it in his pocket without saying anything, not even a celebratory 'Yahoo!'.
Rouge grabbed the keys off the floor and opened the case with the lever. Once she pulled it, the cages descended to the stage. She flew back to unlock the cells. Sonic, Tails, and the prisoners ran out to the rest of the group who stood there watching Luigi, his back facing them as he remained glowing.
"Luigi?" Mario walked up to him. "Weege, are you alright?"
Daisy followed behind. "Luigi, it's us," she pleaded.
He didn't respond. He only shifted his head to face them. His eyes, filled with pure white, were very unnerving. His entire face, with lowered eyebrows and a frown, was devoid of any emotion. But then, he closed his eyelids. Mario tilted his head in confusion.
When he reopened his eyes, the aura around him subdued. His pupils reformed to a bright blue. The two were relieved at first, up until he blinked once before slowly closing them as he lost consciousness.
"Luigi? Luigi?!" Mario fell on his knees and shook his brother. "Fratello, answer me!" He searched for a pulse. It was present, but faint.
"Mario?" Peach joined them, only to see the lying figure of the green man. She placed her hands over her heart.
"He's alive. But not in good condition," he said without looking up.
Sonic was the next to speak up. "Let's get him to Station Square ASAP. We don't have a lot of time."
Mario simply nodded as he and Daisy carried him by the arms. He prayed to himself. "Don't leave us now, bro. We need you. I need you. I just hope you're there for yourself as well."
With that, the reunited party started the long trek back to the city. The red man couldn't help but repeatedly stare at his unconscious sibling. He was absolutely nervous, for Grambi's sake. But there was yet another thought on his mind.
"What was that all about?"
END OF CHAPTER
This was another long, stressful chapter to write since I've been dealing with college. Luigi is very close to recovering the entire Dark Moon. However, that boss battle finished rather unexpected for everyone. What will become of Luigi this time? Does Mario or anyone else have any idea on what occurred? And what exactly is Edge formulating?
Thanks for reading as usual. Be sure to follow/favorite, leave a review, and I'll see you guys in Ch. 41! This is TGN, signing off.
Post-Chapter Notes:
(1): This title is a pun based off one of Shakespeare's works, The Taming of the Shrew.
(2): Prior to this, Luigi has been hurt by Myster Edge in Ch. 11, 24, and 34. I'm not including the time he got harmed in Ch. 30 because that scene took place in one of his nightmares.
(3): GreenSwitch had the intuition that Shrewd would possess a Sonic character, and she was right on the money! Like I did with Gooper Blooper and Overset, the Possessor took control Metal Sonic because I wanted to integrate him into the story. But since he's a character on his own, I had to add some limitations for this scene to work.
(4): I've read a couple fanfictions that feature Metal Sonic where he does not have any dialogue, while others do give him text to speak. For this story, I decided to make him the silent type since he canonically doesn't talk in the games.
(5): The NES had a catchphrase where the people were 'playing with power'. I just wanted to make a small reference.