Disclaimer: Assets of the Mario Movie belong to Nintendo and Illumination.

Chapter 4: Pipe Dream

Mario kicked a can in frustration as he and Luigi trudged on home after a disastrous first day on the job. He couldn't believe what happened. First was meeting Foreman Spike after many years, who hadn't changed one bit. Why was he still running a business? Well, there was no use answering that question considering how much money the bastard made every year.

Then was their first customer which they screwed up royally. Mario and Luigi had saved up tons of money to open their business, and the moment they got one, things immediately went to hell. He kicked the can into a lamppost, destroying the light. Why couldn't anything go his way for once?! Did life have some sort of plan for him, or did it love to just taunt him at every corner? It was so frustrating how much money, energy, and time he put into growing his business, and it immediately crumbled all because his brother stepped on a dumb bone. A dumb freaking bone! He didn't blame Luigi, of course, but one wouldn't imagine that the dog would act so violently towards one simple act when he had hundreds more hidden somewhere else. But the dog didn't care. His bone was destroyed, so he chose whether Luigi was worth being alive or dead, and considering he chose the latter, Mario had no choice but to step in, just like any other time.

After the incident, the brothers didn't receive another call, most likely because word spread fast and as Mario checked the company website, he didn't find it surprising to see hundreds of negative reviews of people shaming and belittling them for their actions. Now, their company was doomed for failure, and the bros hadn't made a single buck. "It's all my fault," Luigi said. "If I hadn't stepped on that dog's bone, then maybe things would've turned out different. Why did I do that?! Why does everything I do come to ruin?!"

"Bro, stop."

"But it's true, Mario! You've come to save me countless times and are forced to fix my mistakes and inherit my consequences! It happens every dang time, and I'm sick of it! Why must I be the burden time and time again?! Why can't I-"

"I said shut it!" Luigi whimpered. Mario took a deep breath. "I'm not blaming you. We didn't know that was gonna happen, but it did, and now we've dug ourselves a hole we can't get out of. I…" He paused and sniffled. "I don't know what to do anymore."

"Maybe I shouldn't have joined this company. I'm nothing but a pathetic weakling who can't stand up for himself. You've always come to save me, but the truth is that I'm nothing but a burden. Sometimes, I wish I was never born."

"Don't even say that. Do you even hear yourself?"

"But it's-"

"Not true! Sure, I might've saved you a lot in the past, but what choice did I have? Sometimes, the choice is on a situation basis, but just because I save you doesn't lessen your value of life."

"But what is my value in life?! Please, Mario! I don't understand! Please tell me what that is because I don't know!"

Mario sighed. "I don't know, either. Maybe this company of mine was nothing but a fantasy. Maybe I was striving for things outside my reach, but I wanted to do it because that was what my heart desired. I don't know how much damage control I can do. We're lucky we didn't get sued, but all our savings is the price for that. But I will not stop on my dream. If you need to quit and do more soul searching to figure out what your purpose in life is, our friendship won't change that. Right now, I'm tired and I just wanna go home." He didn't say another word after that.

The Mario Bros hung their hats on the wall, chatter echoing from the kitchen as Mario dreaded to face his parents. His family, especially his dad, was another obstacle to his dream. Mario's dad had spent countless days trying to talk the plumber out of it, often saying different things like "You should do something that's more fulfilling in life than fixing pipes. Become a doctor like me." and "What happens if this company fails? Have you thought of that before?" Mario had never been swayed by those thoughts because only he knew what he wanted, and the only one who was supportive of his dream was his mother, so there was a silver lining in this situation, even if it was a slim one.

"Ah!" Mario's mother said, greeting them with a hug, "There are my boys!"

"Ma," Mario said. "Luigi and I are 25. No need to call us boys."

"I meant in a figurative sense. Now, come! You have to tell us all about how your first day went!"

"Did you-a see the news?" Mario's uncle, Arthur, said. "The newspaper said there was a small flood in someone's mansion earlier. I'm willing to bet 1,000 lira it was you two. Come on! Don't be shy! Tell us!"

"Don't-a harass them, Arthur! They had a long day!"

"I don't find that a surprise." Mario's eyes darted at his father as he delicately ate his food. "What? Don't look at me. I'm only stating the truth. Be a good boy and eat your food."

"I knew it!" Mario's mother whacked Arthur. "Hey!"

"Our boys are going through a tough time right now. They need-a encouragement, not harassment." She hugged Mario and Luigi. "I'm so sorry, mi amorini. I know you had a rough day but let me make it all better with some love from tua madre."

"Just stop!" Mario hissed. "I'm not in the mood to be cooed, so just leave me alone!"

Mario's father shook his head. "I can't say I didn't warn you. We had this conversation many times, and yet you didn't heed to my warnings, figlio. I told you shouldn't have pursued this plumbing dream of yours, and now look at what happened. If you only did what I told you, then we wouldn't be having this conversation, now would we?"

"But it was always about what you wanted rather than what I wanted! Have you ever thought about my feelings?! First, you get on my butt for leaving Wrecking Crew, and now you're on me just because I finally got to pursue my dream?!"

"Son, I've always had your best interest at heart. I understand you're angry, but if you had done what I asked, then you wouldn't be where you are. You may be an adult, but every decision I've made was to benefit you. Nothing else. Please understand, son."

"No," Mario hissed. "No one understands how I feel! You all think I'm a joke! You think you have to baby me because I can't make decisions for myself! Well, you're all wrong! We moved here so we could have a new start and I could have my own life, but you all have done nothing but force your agenda down my throat! Well, I'm done! You don't even know me at all!" He stood up from his chair and stomped out of the room.

He tried to go after him. "Mario? Mario! This conversation isn't done!"

"Yes, it is, Antonio," Mario's mother said. "Leave him alone."

"But, Isabella, I only want what's best for my child! Why can't he understand that?!"

Isabella sighed. "Mario is a full-grown adult who can make decisions of his own. He's 25. Leave it at that." Antonio sighed, not bothering to breach the subject even further.

Mario slammed his door and screamed into his pillow in frustration. His father didn't understand him. Nobody did, and all the support he got was getting cooed from his mother, which was something appropriate for a five-year-old. Why was his father stuck in the past? That was how he was since Mario was little, even when they once lived in Italy before migrating to the United States for better opportunities. Mario had heard many stories of how free the US was, and he craved that same freedom, but his father kept him on a tight leash like a bird trapped in a cage. What was gonna take for him to get away from his parents? Clearly based on what happened earlier, moving away wasn't an option when the bros were running low on money, especially since they had to pay back the couple for the damage. How long was he gonna have to wait? Well, it was clear life had him on a leash for a bit longer, but he needed to get his mind off things, so he booted up his old NES and played Kid Icarus, a game system that still worked to this day.

There was a knock on the door. "Leave me alone!"

"It's-a me, Luigi."

Mario sighed. "Come in."

The green plumber opened the door and sat on his bed as Mario silently played his game. "I'm sorry about earlier," he said.

He turned off the game. "It's just that they don't understand how I feel. No one does. I even tried to appease Father with the dumb accent in the commercial just to try to win his approval over, and yet nothing's changed at all. How can you be OK like this?"

"Well, Mario, they've been kinda protective of me because of who I am. I have nothing but a coward persona, so they protect me when they can, just like you. But in your case, you're more capable, so I truly don't know. We just seem to have a lot of bad luck, huh?" Mario nodded, not wanting to say another word about the matter. "How about we watch something together, get our mind off things and just relax?" Mario nodded once more, and Luigi turned on the TV only to be bothered with a breaking news announcement, something that didn't give Mario good vibes.

"We come to you live with a breaking news report whereas a few moments ago, a flood has been discovered on the streets as water covers the entirety of roads, making travel dangerous," said the announcer. "Recent reports claim that the flood started because of a new plumbing company named Super Mario Bros. Plumbing had caused a major accident in someone's home, which caused damage to the sewer system below. Here's what Pauline, the mayor of New York City, had to say."

"Attention, all citizens of Brooklyn," she said. "I understand this is an urgent matter, but our workers and law enforcement are working on the cause and solutions as we speak. Make sure you get to higher ground as the flood is expected to make it to some homes and businesses. We will get the situation resolved as quickly as possible. That is all." Mario shook his head. Of course there had to be more to the situation. Not only have they caused damage to someone's mansion, but now the whole city? And what was worse was the fact the announcer just name-dropped the company for the whole city to know who was to blame.

"I'm sorry, bro."

Mario growled and stood up. He was tired of everyone pushing him and his brother around, saying how dumb and useless they were. Mario thought that the success of the company would speak for itself to tarnish all those who berated him, and Mario wanted to change things. It was time he truly set the record straight and fix his company's reputation. "Luigi, grab our stuff."

"Mario?"

"I think it's time we show the world that we aren't just some pathetic jerks. We need to show the world what we're made of and make every person who ever questioned us have them eat their own words. We're gonna save Brooklyn."

"Wait. You aren't suggesting what I think you're suggesting, right?"

"Do I really need to answer that?"

"But Mario, how can we fix a problem on a much grander scale?! We normally fix clogs in sinks! How are we supposed to handle a problem that affects the whole city?!" Luigi did raise a good point. Searching for the root of the cause was gonna be like finding a needle in a haystack, but he wasn't deterred. He knew the problem lay underneath the city, so all they had to do was start with where the flood started and pinpoint the problem from there. He turned on the TV, studying the news report to pinpoint that location, and within a few minutes, he knew where his target was.

"I now know where to go. Come on, Lu!" He grabbed his stuff he needed and ran out of the room, drowning out Luigi's protests, but he followed Mario regardless. As the two headed towards the door, Antonio glanced at them.

"Mario!"

"Sorry, Dad, but I don't have time to talk. We have a problem to fix."

"What?! At this time of night?!"

"Can't explain. Come on, Luigi!" The green plumber nodded as the two ran down the streets, gazing at the flood that flooded the streets. "It's relatively nearby!" he yelled to Luigi, pointing to the waterspout pouring out of the manhole as the workers tried to plug the hole. "Quick! Give me the crowbar!" Luigi searched through the bag and handed said tool to him. Mario stuck the crowbar under the water, trying to find another manhole and lifted the crowbar with his might when he did, the water draining from the streets. "Now, down we go!" He jumped in. As he emerged at the bottom, a pressure valve was shaking violently as the steam from it caused it to hiss as the steering wheel was about to break. He pointed to the machine as he turned to Luigi. "We need to turn that pressure valve! Right now, there's too much pressure in the pipes and if we don't get the pressure under control, the whole sewer system might blow!"

"But how are we gonna get there?!" The only way across was a lone pipe that connected to the pressure valve.

"Well, there's only one way. Luigi, stay behind as this pipe can't hold us together. I'm gonna try to turn that wheel."

"What?! You'll die if you do that!"

"That's why I had you come with me," Mario said calmly to his shaken brother. "I needed your help one way or another. If the pipe starts to break, then I need you to catch me when I start to climb up. It's the only way."

The green plumber sighed. "OK. Please don't die on me."

"I won't. That's a promise." He took his hat off as he began to traverse the pipe upside down monkey style as he inched his way towards the wheel as Luigi watched in anticipation. When he got close enough, Mario tried to reach the wheel, but it broke off as he yanked on it, falling into the depths below. The bad luck didn't end there as the pipe started to break as Mario inched closer towards the depths. He scrambled to climb up it as Luigi extended his hand. Mario jumped and nabbed it as the pipe collapsed before crashing below with a clanging sound. Luigi struggled to pull him up, but as Mario went to grab the edge, the two fell towards the black abyss with their screams fading.

Here are the translations for the Italian: mi amorini=my little loves, tua madre=your mother, figlio=son.

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