Chapter Thirty-Seven:

The Defense's Case

As everyone reassembled in the court room, each every member of Team SMG4 and Team Nintendo feeling slightly disoriented, Kirby banged the gavel and looked over the groups as he thought about the matter.

"You've all fought well..." The puffball said, "But this is such a hard decision..."

Mario stood up straight in his exhibit, rubbing his head. Then he noticed he was aware of his own actions, realizing that he was in control of himself. He leaped up in the air with glee and proclaimed, "YES! MARIO HAS CONTROL AGAIN!"

Lawyer Kong short-lived the mood. "Not if I can help it!" He yelled, reaching into his briefcase to fetch a contract. Meggy saw what her opponent was doing and jumped in front of Mario to defend him.

"BACK OFF!" She yelled.

Kirby banged the gavel. "SILENCE!" He yelled; everyone turned their attention to the judge.

"I think..." Kirby said, "...it's time for the closing statement. Defense?"

"Wait, wait!" Lawyer Kong pleaded.

"You heard the puffball!" Mario grabbed a microphone and joined SMG4 and Meggy's side near the Team SMG4 booth, Mario and SMG4 smiled at each other and elbow-bumped one another. It was time for one last stand!

"Time to break it down for you!" SMG4 said, pointing at Lawyer Kong.

Meggy cleared her vocal cords and got her paperwork together. "Here's my case!" She said, "You're saying my clients are a vicious lot, but in actuality, Your Honor," she turned to Kirby, "They're just a bunch of lovable goofballs enjoying silly adventures. We have our disagreements, but we're all good friends in the end."

"HOLD IT!" Lawyer Kong shouted, "Don't even start to lecture me, your argument is unfortunately already invalid since your defendants are vile and bring a world of pain."

"Not true!" SMG4 interjected, "Our intent is not to cause trouble, we're about fun and fulfilling dreams such as having adventures or becoming a great sports champion. And we bring smiles through the magic of memes. Sure, you can get attacked by Teletubbies, but it's all about love and hilarity on our wholesome show."

"You're still causing trouble though." Lawyer Kong said firmly.

Mario cut in, "Sure, we break-a the law, but that's-a insignificant. Ignore the things we've set aflame or blew up, our mission is to inspire laughter and happiness, which is what SMG4's been-a doing for years and-a Mario's been happy to do that with him while-a also making-a games with-a Nintendo."

"Either way, your days are over..." Lawyer Kong remarked with a grin, "...especially since your antics are too extreme and have led to nothing but insanity and apocalypse-level events involving viruses and meteor showers."

"OBJECTION!" Meggy shouted, everyone was silent and faced her firmly, "Think about what YOU'VE done to us and the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom in your campaign to get rid of SMG4's influence, Lawyer Kong. Separation and violence, no negotiation? Is that the kind of peace our nation wants."

"Yeah, you guys bring peace?!" SMG4 laughed, "That is bogus, sure you can walk the walk, but can you talk the talk? You truly are a big monkey-headed monkey with no concept of reason."

"GAH!" Lawyer Kong shrieked.

"Lawyer Kong..." Judge Kirby chided, "I didn't think you'd step outta line with what you did despite having authority from Nintendo to do what you did..."

A bright light flashed, it came from the spot where the Super DMCA sat, a handful noticed that its casing has started to crack. As it did, its counterpart, the parody contract, gave off a majestic golden glow of power.

"And our only crimes, we've saved the world from every threat imaginable." Mario piped up.

"Yeah, threats such as eldritch monsters..." Meggy clicked her fingers.

"WHICH YOU BROUGHT ON THIS WORLD AND THREATENED THE EXISTANCE OF OUR MASCOT…" Lawyer Kong shouted, "...REGARDLESS OF THE FACT THAT YOUR GROUP PLAYED A ROLE IN OUR SALVATION!"

"Order, I will have order!" Judge Kirby cried.

"And let's not forget greedy wannabe-machinamists out for fame..." SMG4 pointed to SMG3.

"Guilty as charged, even though I wasn't out to destroy the world as I was only out to have SMG4's YouTube channel." SMG3 quipped sheepishly.

"Don't forget my reign of terror that was brought about because Master Hand didn't let me join the roster of Smash Fighters!" Waluigi yelled, "I bet you all forgot about that one even a few years after what I put you through back then..."

"And we saved-a the Inkling race from a crazy anime-loving chameleon who wanted to-a use a magic pen to turn the world into an anime with the Inklings' as-a fuel..." Mario said, "Which-a led to-a Meggy becoming-a the human you-a see here."

"I eVeN lEd A rAp CaReEr FuElEd By SeLfIsH gReEd, LOL!" Bob called, "AnD tHaT wAs ShOrTLiVeD wHeN mY rEaL cOoL aNd BaDdAsS fRiEnDs MaDe Me ReAlIzE mY wAyS wErE wRoNg! I bEt YoU nEvEr SaW tHaT sInCe I wAs AlL oVeR TV."

Meggy and SMG4 smirked at Lawyer Kong who blurted out another objection while slamming his fist on the desk with slight annoyance.

"Don't get too overconfident..." He said, "We're just getting started and you'll be banned just as intended..." The monkey lawyer brought out a glowing contract that put certain people on the Nintendo side under mind control again, "Witnesses to the stand!"

"What we're doing makes no sense..." A hypnotized Luigi said, "You're making us look stupid..."

"It doesn't matter!" Shroomy piped in defensively, "SMG4 is all about comedy where your neutral special in Smash can involve guns."

"YoUr ViDeOeS aRe HaRdLy FuNnY aNd It LoOkS lIkE yOu WaNt To MaKe MoNeY oFf Of MaRiO!" Bob remarked under the contract's spell.

"HEY, no one ever asked for a take like that!" SMG3 hollered, "L + Ratio, you look like a minion..."

Fishy Boopkins raised his hand and looked at SMG4 in the eye. "Um, I have something to confess..." The young Spike said, "All of your story arcs about what we've gone through always give me a case of depression."

Melony came over and hugged Boopkins. "It's okay, Boopkins..." She said, "But while we've experienced sorrow during those, those adventures have helped us develop and strengthened the bonds of friendships more than ever despite the losses of many great friends along the way."

"We'll never forget Desti..." Meggy spoke with a hint of solemn remembrance.

"Greg." Mario nodded.

"Axol..." Melony spoke again.

"Terrance..." SMG3 removed his hat.

"Ugh, can you guys stop?!" Karen exclaimed, "Living my life is already hard enough as it is!"

"You heard us!" Meggy told Lawyer Kong, "We're innocent with no criminal charges of any kind aside from the times we've broken laws and landed in trouble with the authorities, so let us off the hook if you please..."

"HOLD IT!" Lawyer Kong laughed, "Oh do I hate to break it to you, but your persistence is futile. I've already had this cased closed from the start and your attempts are of no avail, especially as your use of Mario is very copyright-infringing and foolish..."

"OBJECTION!" Lawyer Meggy cried, "Halt your litigations there, Lawyer Kong, especially since parody citation refutes your actions. Fair use states that parody of a particular style can hold water in a courtroom, stupid exaggerations and fun imitations prove that we are safe. No objection there!"

"Yeah, because our Mario is silly and dumb, so IP robbery as you accuse us of is null and void." SMG4 agreed.

"Whaddaya gonna do, ya big monkey?!" Mario taunted, "I'm not your hero, I'm just a dummy with an IQ of zero..."

"But Mario has still done heroic things." Tari pitched in.

"Oh yes, that is true..." SMG4 said with a grin, he and Meggy glared at a shocked Lawyer Kong as the monkey dropped the contract he was using to put their Nintendo friends under mind control, "There's no escape, monkey boy, and now your time is up, looks like it's time for the judge to hand down the verdict."

"You're absolutely right, SMG4." Kirby banged the gavel.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Lawyer Kong pleaded with the pink puffball, "You can't agree with them, they don't even have a degree. Stop before you make a mistake, think of what will happen if they go free, we'll have another apocalypse brought on by them. We'll..."

Kirby banged the gavel again, cutting off Lawyer Kong. "I can see clearly thanks to these fun and wonderful people..." He said, "And I, Judge Kirby, have decided that the defendants are..." He banged the gavel again and the Super DMCA vanished with only the parody contract remaining...

"NOT! GUILTY!"