-Chapter 23-

Dog Days

Toad House

After finally managing to escape from Boom-Boom, the Toad brigade took refuge in a large mushroom-shaped house that was hidden in a small outcropping of trees. They dumped Luigi onto a large couch, with Yoshi doing the same for Mario. As the brothers collapsed onto one another, Yoshi flopped onto the carpet, exhausted.

"Yoshi... need... nap…" he muttered, tongue sticking out.

"Ditto…" Toad collapsed himself. "Whew!"

The purple Toad handed him a bottle of water, which he eagerly took.

"Thanks, Post T," he let out, taking a swig.

"Mama Mia…" Mario managed, rubbing his shoulder. "What was that thing?"

"I wanna go home," Luigi groaned.

"Count yourselves lucky," Migh T. told them. "Not many people cross paths with Boom Boom and live to tell the tale."

"Actually, Captain, I think they're the first." said the bespectacled blue Toad.

Mario blinked, looking around confused. "What the heck? Where are we?"

"Our hideout. Now that we're out of danger, allow me to introduce myself," Migh T. saluted. "I'm Captain Migh T., and this is the Toad Brigade."

He gestured to each one in turn as he introduced them.

"This is our messenger Post T.," the purple Toad gave a two-fingered salute, "our smart guy/strategist Smar T.," the blue toad waved, "our fix-it man and money manager Stingh T.," the green Toad brandished his pickaxe with a smile, "and our… spare member, Sunn T. (1)"

From a position on the floor, a yellow Toad was laying down, hand on his chin and snoring peacefully. Migh T. sighed, holding up a finger before going over to him.

"If only he spent half as much time doing his job as sleeping…" he muttered before scowling. "Get up, you lazy cuss!"

He whipped out an airhorn, blowing it in Sunn T.'s face. The yellow Toad sprang up with a panicked stream, shooting into the ceiling.

"Ow…" Sunn T. groaned before falling down. Migh T. rolled his eyes before turning back to the Bros.

"And you must be Mario."

"That'd be me," Mario confirmed.

"Can we just say what an honor and privilege it is to meet you Mr. Mario, sir!?" Smar T. exclaimed. "That is how your last name is pronounced right? MAH-rio, not MEH-rio?"

Mario nodded. "That's right…"

"I knew it!" Smar T. cheered. "Pay up, Stingh!"

Stingh T. grumbled, forking over some coins.

"What's going on here?" Luigi asked.

"Yoshi think mushroom men like green and red men," Yoshi offered.

"They'd like you too if you saved them from living under a tyrannical regime," Toad turned to Migh T. "Thanks for the save, Migh T. We owe you one." He shook his head. "Still can't believe the Koopa Troop was crazy enough to set him loose."

"Yeah…" Migh T. sighed before perking, looking him over. "Hold up… do I know you from somewhere?"

"I'm Toad," Migh T. raised an eyebrow, Toad sighing. "Toadette's brother?"

"Hmmm…" Migh T. perked. "Oh yeah! I remember you! Hey Pinky, your bro's here!"

"What?!"

Footsteps echoed through the house. Down the stairs came a female Toad wearing a sleeveless pink dress with a thin white line near the bottom under a bright red vest with light gold trim, white pants, and brown shoes. Her mushroom cap was pink with white spots, from under which extended two pink braided pigtails that ended in two sphere-like decorations that matched the design of her cap. Behind her was a brown dog with a white muzzle and a black spot over his eye.

"Big Bro!" the female Toad grabbed Toad in a hug. "It's been way too long!"

"Yeah," Toad returned the hug. "Sorry for just up and vanishing like that a while back. Things got...nuts."

"No more running off like that!" Toadette lectured. "At the very least leave a note! Do you have any idea how worried I was?! Family doesn't do that!"

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry!" Toad perked, seeing the dog. "Oh, I see you guys got a new mascot."

At Mario's look, Migh T. shrugged. "Right. That's Toadette. Our newest member and archivist."

Luigi approached the dog, smiling. "He's absolutely adorable. What kind of dog is he?"

"Well…" Toadette scratched the back of her neck, "Technically he's a hillzone sheepdog, but he's also…"

"Hello, Poochy," Luigi offered a hand. "C'mon. Shake?"

"I ain't gonna smell it if that's what you want," the dog replied in a thick London accent. "Also, my name is not, nor will it ever be, Poochy."

A dead silence followed as everyone took in what just happened before Luigi screamed in shock and fell backward.

"It said something!" he exclaimed. "That dog is talking!"

The dog looked utterly offended. "I am not an it. My word, you are a rude one."

"Right," Migh T. stepped forward. "Mario Brothers? Meet Baron Bello."

Mario and Co.'s eyes widened as the dog bowed its head.

"Wait…" Mario let out. "Baron Bello!? The guy who rules the Grasslands!?"

"In the flesh," said the Baron. "Or fur."

"Land of Grass ruled by doggy-dog?" Yoshi questioned.

"I was not originally a dog. I am actually a humanoid."

"Right... let us explain," Toadette headed into the kitchen. "The tea should be about ready."

Bowser's Castle

Mary Pat sat on her hospital bed, hat twisted backward and looking serious. Most of her bandages were gone, but she was still kept under observation. Across from her was Junior, looking equally serious and with a stack of cards in his lap. He looked them over as if mulling his choices, then nodded.

"Alright Mips, ready?"

Mips nodded. "Ready Junior."

"Okay!" Junior held up a card with a picture of a brown mushroom with stubby feet, a mouth with two sharp fangs poking out, and big eyes."What is this kinda baddie?"

MP chewed on her lip, trying to remember. "Um…. a… a Goomba!"

Junior grinned, lowering the card. "You got it!"

"Good. Though I gotta ask: how do they do anything without hands? Or arms? Or… actual appendages."

The young Koopa just shrugged. "Nobody knows…"

"Now even Bowser?"

"Not even Iggy, and he's a genius."

Mips just nodded slowly. "Right. Weird. Anyhow, next!"

Junior held up the second card, this one with a yellow turtle with a green shell. Mips chuckled.

"Oh come on, that one's easy. It's a Koopa."

"What kind of Koopa?"

That made her pause. "Um… Trooper?"

"Close." Junior lowered the card. "It's a Koopa Troopa."

"That's what I said."

"No, you said troop- er. It's troop- uh."

"Oh." MP paused, mulling over that. "I just assumed that was an accent thing."

Junior shook his head, then grabbed the third card. This one showed a creature with a large, dome-like shell that was walking on all fours with red eyes glowing from the shadow of its shell. MP went wide-eyed and seemed to be legit struggling. After about a minute, Junior made a noise akin to a game show buzzer.

"Too slow! This one's a Buzzy Beetle."

"Ugh…" MP flopped back slightly. "That one makes no sense to me. I mean, why is it called a Buzzy Beetle when it's not electric, nor does it buzz?"

Junior just shrugged at that. MP just groaned and sat back up, patting her cheeks. "Right. Anyway. Next one."

This time, Junior held up two cards. The one on the left showed a Koopa, only this one had a red shell instead of green and had small wings coming out of its back. The one on the right showed a smaller turtle with a rounder face and glasses. It was riding on a cloud with beady eyes and curves that made it look like it had a mouth.

"Alright, which one of these is a Lakitu?"

MP pointed at the one on the right. The one on the left was obviously some variation of a Koopa.

"Correct! And what type of Koopa is the other one?"

"Umm…" MP snapped her fingers about three times. "It's… a… Koopa…."

"Paratroopa," Junior supplied.

"Right! Paratroopa like parachute!"

Junior smiled at that, smiling at her. "You're doing really well. You've gotten most of them at least."

"Thanks for helping me with this Junior," MP told him as she made herself comfortable. "I figure if I'm gonna be stuck in this world for a bit, I should know about the kinds of creatures I'll be running into. Identifying the dangerous ones is very much at the top of my list."

"I still remember how pale you went when I told you about the Bullet Bills and Missile Mikes."

"Hey! In my world, bullets are very tiny and still incredibly deadly. Having sentient bullets the size of my head is terrifying!"

"Wait till you see a Banzai Bill. They're about the size of three Marios stacked on top of one another."

MP quickly brought up that mental image, imagining a Bullet Bill that size. As she did, she turned completely pale and squeaked.

"Crap!" The two perked. "Crap! Crap! Crap! Crapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrap-CRAP!"

Larry suddenly burst into the room. "Junior! Where are the extra-super-durable monster restraint doohickeys!?"

"Why? What's going on?"

"Boom Boom is running loose in the Grasslands!"

"Oh, so you're the guy who unleashed the monster guy that Dry Boned that Koopa's arm," MP mused.

"Really, Larry?!" Junior shrieked. "Are you crazy or stupid?! 'Cause that's Iggy and Roy's job!"

"I remembered how unpredictable and strong he is, and thought he'd be a good way to keep Mario and Green 'Stache occupied while the spell I cast on Baron Bello did its work!"

"Dude, how dumb are you?" MP demanded. "If you release a monster, make sure you can lock it back up again!"

Larry rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"It... seemed like a good idea at the time," he sighed. "Ohhhh...what am I gonna do!? I am so dead!"

"Well, you can always trap him," MP suggested.

"How the heck am I supposed to do that!? Boom-Boom's a freaking killing machine!"

"Maybe… but still, you're not out of options." MP tapped her chin in thought. "Listen, you were able to contain him before, yes? Just lure him back in with whatever he likes to eat. Then slam the door."

"Of course…" Larry facepalmed. "Wow… I am stupid."

"Yeah," MP nodded. "It's what Pa did when coons got in the workshop."

"Right… right," Larry began pacing. "Okay, so I grab a stack of candy, set up the Nintendium box, and get him to come to it. Simple enough."

MP raised an eyebrow. "Nintendium?"

"The strongest metal in the Mushroom World," Junior explained. "Even Dad can't put a dent in it."

"Huh. So it's basically Mithril. Good to know."

Larry gave her a thumbs up. "Thank you, Mary Pat! You just saved my shell!"

"No problem."

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a big, dumb monster guy to capture. Seeya!"

"Good luck!" MP called as Larry ran off.

As the door closed, Junior picked up the cards. "Now, where were we?"

Meanwhile…

At the Toad House, everyone watched as Bello lapped tea from a porcelain cup.

"So the Koopa Troop did this to you?" Mario asked.

Bello nodded. "It's another way Bowser used to expand his territories. Take a magic wand, and transmogrify the rule into something helpless. Afterward, he'd put one of his Elites in charge of the territory until he decided the poor fool had learned his lesson and submitted to his will. Though, this time he decided to send one of his wretched children to do the deed in his stead." He let out a whimper. "Larry."

"That's terrible!" Luigi exclaimed.

"Indeed! I mean, what kind of monster names their son Larry?"

Luigi shook his head. "No, I mean what he did to you!"

"Oh yes, that," Bello cleared his throat. "Being a dog isn't the simple life of eating, sleeping, and pooping

they make it out to be. The tail, I could live with. But the fleas? They're murder."

He scratched behind his ear with his hind leg for emphasis.

"So how do we change you back?" Toad questioned.

"Ah yes, that," Bello nodded. "It's quite simple, really. All you need to do is-"

His words were suddenly cut off by barking and whimpering. He perked, surprised.

"What?" Mario asked. "What do we need to do?"

Bello placed a paw on his throat as he tried to speak, only for more barks and whimpers to escape.

"Oh, no!" Migh T. exclaimed. "The spell's fully taken effect!"

"Now what do we do?" Luigi asked.

"We need to figure out how to break the spell and fast!" Toadette exclaimed. "If we don't, it will keep progressing until Baron Bello turns into a dog outside and inside!"

"You mean, he'll become a dog mentally?!" Toad let out.

Smar T. nodded. "And once that happens, he'll be stuck like this forever!"

"This Larry Koopa turn him into doggy, right?" Yoshi questioned. "Perhaps Koopa boy knows how to change doggy back."

"The wand," Everyone turned to Mario. "When we faced Larry at the castle earlier, he had a magic wand. The Baron himself said that they used magic wands for transmogrification spells. If it can turn him into a dog, it has a reverse setting."

"But we don't know where Larry is," Luigi pointed out. "We sent him flying out of Toad Town, remember? He could be anywhere! He could even be in Dark Land by now!"

At that very moment, a shadow passed overhead, blocking out the sun. They looked out the window to see an airship pass by, heading for the spot where they left Boom Boom.

"Or he could be right there," Toadette said.

"How can you tell?" Toad questioned.

"Because the figurehead on the bow is literally his face."

Toad squinted. Indeed, the figurehead was Larry's face. Everyone else took a look.

"Okay, he's definitely Bowser's kid," Mario mused. "Is it some unwritten rule that every member of the Koopa Troop has to plaster their face on every nook and cranny?"

"Question their design choices later!" Toadette ordered. "We've gotta get on that ship, or the Baron's done for!"

"Right!" Mario pointed. "Everyone, follow that ship!"

As they ran out of the house and gave chase, Yoshi turned to Mario. "How we get on flying ship, red man?"

"...Not sure," Mario admitted. "Kinda making this up as I go."

A bit later…

Boom Boom snored away, still where the Toad Brigade left him. Larry's ship landed.

"Prince Larry!" a Koopatrol said. "We've located Boom-Boom!"

"Alright, what's he doing, and how ticked off is he?" Larry asked.

"Well…" the Koopatrol was spared the effort of an answer when Boom Boom's snoring reached their ears. Larry blinked.

"Is...Is he sleeping? Is he SLEEPING!? " Larry threw up his hands. "I go to all that trouble to work out a food-and-box trap, and he's just freakin' sleeping?!"

"Shhhhh!" the Koopatrol clapped a hand over his mouth. "With all due respect, Prince, if you keep screaming like this, he won't be for long... and I don't want to be around when he comes to."

Larry sighed. "Just get the forklift."

A forklift slowly rolled out as they set Boom Boom's crate down. Working with the care of specialists defusing a bomb, they hoisted Boom Boom up on the lift before depositing him into the crate.

"Alright, slowly. Slooooooowlyyyyyy..."

Meanwhile, Mario and co. were watching from the bushes.

"Alright, we're here," said Luigi. "What's the plan, Mario?"

"Hmmmm...lemme think." Mario looked around carefully, then saw the anchor. "There. We climb up the anchor."

"The anchor!?" Luigi practically shrieked.

"Shhhh!"

"The anchor!?" Luigi let out, much quieter.

"It's the only way up that isn't being watched! C'mon!"

Mario snuck over, the others following. At that moment, a grunt reached their ears as Boom-Boom opened his eyes.

"...Oh, shiitake," a Koopatrol cursed.

Boom Boom let out a feral growl as they shook. Larry took a deep breath.

"Calm down… keep calm… she said this would work," Larry held out a large piece of chocolate, suspended with his wand. "Boom Boom! Look! Chocolate!"

Boom Boom's eyes widened. Larry waved the chocolate bar back and forth, the burly Koopa's eyes following before Larry flung it into the box.

"Go get it!"

Boom Boom let out a loud noise, diving into the box. Immediately, the Koopatrol slammed the lid shut, locking it.

"That was too close for comfort," Larry let out a sigh of relief.

"Sir…" the Koopatrol let out. "It worked… the plan worked!"

"Right," Larry smiled. "Remind me to thank her when we get back to the castle. Alright, load him back up. Let's get outta here."

"Sir, yes sir!" The Koopatrols saluted before loading the crate into the ship. As it took off, none of the Koopa Troop was aware of the stowaways clinging to the anchor.

"Mama Mia…" Luigi sighed, "Why do I let you talk me into things like this?"

"Look at it this way," Mario replied. "You could be on the ship where they could see you."

"I don't know which would be worse."

"ANCHORS AWAY!" Larry called. "WE MAKE FOR HOME!"

As the anchor was hoisted up, Mario and Luigi quickly climbed up the chain, hopping up and finding themselves on the bow of the ship.

"Leaving so soon, Larry?" Mario asked.

Larry perked, spinning around to see the Bros. and Toad Brigade standing there.

"What?!" he exclaimed. "How did you-?!"

Mario jerked his thumb at the anchor. "Now, hand over the magic wand so we can fix Baron Bello, and this won't have to get ugly."

"So, it's come to this, eh?" Larry mused. "A fight to the death. Mano-a-mano. Man to man. Just you, and me… and my GUAAAAARDS! "

Every enemy and mook on the ship turned to the group as Larry made a break for the bridge. Mario scowled.

"You spineless, chicken-hearted SNAKE!"

"It's called strategy, you obese pasta slurper!" Larry retorted as he fled.

"Mario!" Migh T. batted a Goomba away with his pickaxe. "You get Larry! We'll handle these guys!"

"You got it! C'mon, bro!" Mario grabbed Luigi's wrist, giving chase to Larry. They jumped over boxes, dodging Bullet Bills and other assorted enemies before finally making it to the main cabin, diving down the Warp Pipe to find Larry seated in the captain's chair.

"So... you made it through the airship and found me," Larry turned to face them. "But you'll get this wand when you pry it from my lifeless claws!"

"If that's what it takes," Mario got into a runner's position. "Let's-a go!"

Larry waved the wand, unleashing a ball of cyan-colored fire. Mario jumped over it, coming in with a flying overhand punch that knocked Larry on his back. Before he could keep it up, Larry ducked into his shell and rapidly spun around, knocking him back.

"Ha!" Larry taunted. "Not so easy to take on a Koopa that fights back!"

The Bros. clashed with Larry furiously, double-teaming him and pummeling him back and forth. Finally, Larry was knocked back, dropping the wand, which Mario scooped up.

"Okay, so you got the wand. But I have an ace up my sleeve."

Larry pulled a button out of his shell, pressing it.

"Let me guess, self-destruct?" Luigi asked.

"Bingo, Greenie!" Larry pulled out another button. "And this activates the teleportation array to get me and my men out! Have fun exploding!"

He laughed as he pressed it, warping away in a puff of purple smoke. Mario and Luigi immediately ran out, finding the Toad Brigade and Yoshi where they left them.

"Larry's activated the self-destruct!" Mario cried. "We gotta go!"

They ran to the edge of the ship. Seeing no other way out, they braced themselves and jumped.

"Hey, we're flying!" Toad cheered. "We're flying!"

"We cannot fly!" Mario snapped.

"Well, it is good to have dreams, isn't it?"

"Dreams, yes. Delusions?"

They plummeted at that.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Toad shrieked.

Yoshi frantically babbled, flapping his arms and kicking his legs desperately. Toadette clung to Toad, trying not to get blown away, with the other Toads doing the same. Mario kept a hand on his hat to prevent it from being blown off while also keeping a tight grip on the wand, Luigi was flailing around in a panic, and finally, Migh T. had donned a pair of shades and crossed his arms, completely unfazed by the whole thing.

"YAAAAA-HOO-HOO-HOO-HOOEY!" Luigi screamed.

Down in the Toad House, the baron lapped at a fresh cup of tea. His ear then perked and he hopped off the couch, trotting across the room. He sat down and waited, just as a massive crash destroyed the ceiling. Everyone was in a pile on the now crushed couch, dust and debris everywhere.

"Okay…" Mario raised his head. "Everyone who's not dead, sound off."

Everyone groaned, slowly picking themselves up off the ground.

"How did we not break every bone in our bodies?" Luigi asked.

A bark reached their ears. Mario perked, turning to the Baron.

"Right," he raised the wand. "Okay, how do I do this…"

"No, no, no," Smar T. cut in. "Leave that to the professionals."

He took the wand, aiming it. "Aaaand… REVERSI! "

The dog was surrounded by a wave of blue energy, glowing brightly. When it faded, in the dog's place stood a human man with black hair and a matching beard, donned in red robes.

"Thank Heavens…" he sighed. "I'm back to my old self again."

"Welcome back, Baron," Migh T. greeted. "Your domain is now Koopa-free."

Bello nodded gratefully. "Thank you for your aid."

Mario gave a thumbs up. "It's what we do."

"And I'm grateful for it," Bello picked something up from the stand. "By the way, a Paratroopa named Parakarry came by while you were out. He dropped off this letter from Princess Peach for you."

"Karry was here?" Toad asked.

"Indeed," Bello nodded. "He also told me to tell you he says hello and he's doing much better now."

He held out the letter, as well as a small package. Mario took it and ripped it open, reading the letter.

Dearest Mario Brothers,

I hope this letter finds you well. I have enclosed with this letter a Royal Travel Pass to allow you and your companions free passage among the kingdoms. I have also enclosed a map of the next kingdom in peril: The Koopahari Desert. Make haste and seek out Pharaoh Bes, the ruler of the lands. With luck, you can help him before it is too late.

Best Regards,

Princess Peach

Mario turned to the package and opened it, revealing a fairly large badge shaped like a white wing with a red P on it.

"Whoa!" Toad exclaimed, eyes wide and mouth agape. "A P-Wing! (2)"

"P-Wing?" Luigi repeated.

"It's what everyone calls the Royal Travel Pass," Toadette explained. "If you have it, you can freely enter, travel through, and do business in any country that recognizes it, no questions asked."

"The Princess only gives them out in times of great crisis," Migh T. tacked on. "And only to those she trusts the most."

"Well I'd say this qualifies," Mario declared, sliding the badge into his overall pocket.

"Still, trusting us to save the entire Mushroom World?" Luigi wrung his hands nervously. "I don't know…"

"Relax, Bro," Mario insisted, slapping his brother on the back. "These are just kids playing evil villains. There's nothing they have that will surprise us."

Dark Land

MP let out a sneeze, sniffling and wiping her nose on her sleeve. Her sneeze echoed through the empty castle hallway she had been walking through, exploring to try and stave off her boredom.

"Dangit, I'm finally allowed out of the Infirmary… I better not be catching a cold," she groused.

She continued her meandering, eventually wandering into the teleporter sigil room. No sooner had she stepped inside when a flash went off in front of her. She shielded her eyes as the light gathered and took on a humanoid shape before bursting, causing Larry to appear in the air…then drop to the ground right in front of her with a yelp and a thud.

"Owwww..." he groaned, stars orbiting his head like little moons.

"Whoa!" MP bent down, helping the Koopaling up. "That was a fright. You okay?"

Larry moaned as he shook his head, knocking the stars loose before they tinkled away into glitter dust.

"Uuugh…that was weird." he rubbed his head before noticing Mips in the room with him.

"Hi," she greeted. "You're…Larry, right?"

"Oh, hiya…Mips was it?"

MP nodded in confirmation. "That's right."

"Ah! Got it. Guess what? We just got Boom-Boom back!"

Mips broke out into a big grin.

"Really? That's great! I'm glad it worked out." She paused for a moment. "Uhh…No one di-... er... got their game ended? Did I say that right?"

"Oh, no, everyone's fine," Larry replied. "We had a close call when he woke up before we could get him in his cage; but, then I remembered the advice you gave me." He grimaced in annoyance. "Seriously, I can't believe I didn't think to do that."

Mp shrugged. "Hey, panic makes you forget the simple solutions."

"I guess so…" He shook his head, going back to smiling. "But yeah, mission accomplished! Well… Boom-Boom mission accomplished, the Grassland invasion totally bombed."

Mips hissed through her teeth. "Oof… Sorry, Larry. Your dad won't be mad at you, will he?

"Mad about what?"

Startled, the two yelped as they turned around to see Bowser and Kamek approaching.

"Uhhh…Hey Dad!" Larry greeted nervously. "I uhh…got Boom-Boom back like you told me to."

Bowser raised an eyebrow. "You did?"

Larry nodded. "Yeah!"

"Pardon, my skepticism, My Prince," Kamek said. "But there were no reports of anyone being sent to medical and I doubt Boom-Boom would have gone down without a fight

"Oh, I gave him some candy and he went along with no struggle," the Koopa prince explained. "Obvious, yeah, I know; sue me, I'm thirteen."

"Food lure..." Bowser said as he scratched his chin in thought. "That's clever."

"And what of Baron Bello?" Kamek asked.

"Oooh...Uhhh...Yeah..." Larry rubbed the back of his head. "The Stupid Moron Bros. got on the ship and took my wand. Climbed up the anchor to do it!"

"Luigi climbed the anchor!? " MP shouted. "Of an airship? He's terrified of heights!"

"Coulda fooled me." Larry shook his head, his eyes wide in shock. "Seriously Dad, I knew those guys were tough, but you didn't tell me they were crazy!"

"Yeah, they don't go down easily," MP explained, having calmed down a bit. "Mario was top of his class when it came to boxing and wrestling. Luigi's no slouch either, though he never placed. Always conveniently got sick during competitions."

"Impressive," Kamek said, stroking an imaginary beard.

"I'm not in trouble, am I?" Larry asked fearfully.

"No, no, you did the best you could," Bowser assured, patting his son on the head. "The only thing I was upset about was Boom Boom, and you managed to secure him. Good job, Larry."

Larry beamed with pride at his father's praise.

"If I may offer an opinion, Your Evilness," Kamek cut in. "Though reckless and poorly executed, Larry's idea for a distraction was a good one. One which, given the sheer scale of our operation, we should look into repeating."

Bowser thought for a moment. "Yeah…Only problem is that Mario and Luigi pretty much know all our usual tactics." He grimaced in frustration. "And with most of my Elites in jail, we don't have near enough troops strong enough to support the other Koopalings."

"That sucks…" Mp winced in sympathy. "Wish I could help. I'd love to give my brothers a good thrashing for just up and abandoning me."

Bowser nodded solemnly, then perked in realization. "Wait…" he turned to the human girl. "Mary Pat… Are you serious about it when you say you want to help?"

Mp nodded. "Yeah, you guys have done so much for me. Heck, I owe you guys my life."

"Right.." Bowser leaned closer. "Well, what if I told you I could help you give your idiot brothers that thrashing you wanna give them so much? What would you say to that, hmmm…?"

Bowser gave MP a knowing and sinister grin. He didn't need to say anything more, she'd read enough bad fanfiction to know that look. The Demon King supervillain of this strange, new world she'd stumbled into, feared and hated by all outside his kingdom, had just offered her - a random human teenage girl he hadn't even known for a month - a place in his demon supervillain army to get revenge on the not-as-heroic-as-they-made-themselves-out-to-be heroes.

Good grief, she was in an isekai anime!

"I'd say…" She broke out into an evil grin of her own. "Where do we start?"

"Excellent!" Bowser roared in triumph.

"What!?" Kamek shouted in disbelief. "Y-Your Viciousness, with all due respect, are you crazy!?"

"We need an upper hand against those idiot plumbers, Kamek." Bowser grinned as he eyed MP. "And what better than their own sister? Those mustachioed mooks will be too shocked to lay a finger on her!"

"And once they get over it, they'll go on a warpath straight for us!"

"E-Even still, she's only a child and a human at that! She has no special skills or powers or magic or anything!"

Bowser paused at that, rubbing his chin. "You have a point…" He perked, then grinned once more. "Larry, call up Iggy for me."

"Got it, Dad!" Larry ran off.

"Sire?"

"You're right about one thing, Kamek. Mary Pat is just a normal human. So..." he grinned evilly. "We'll just have to make her...more than normal."

He threw back his head, laughing diabolically.

Author's Note:

(1): Our names for each member of the Toad Brigade. Mailtoad, Hint Toad, Banktoad, and Yellow Toad don't really narrow it down.

(2): Our way of translating the P-Wing, since flying power-ups don't really have a time limit or whatever here.

The corruption of MP begins. Dun dun dun…

Voice cast for this chapter:

* Baron Bello - Mark Gatiss (Mycroft Holmes in Sherlock)

* Smar T. - Ben Schwartz (Leonardo in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Dewey in DuckTales 2017, Sonic in the live action movies, Randy Cunningham in Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja)

* Post T. - Jason Schwartzman (Gideon Graves in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Jesper in Klaus, the Spot in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse)

* Stingh T. - Warwick Davis (the Leprechaun in the Leprechaun horror movies, Flitwick and Griphook in Harry Potter, Willow in the movie Willow)

* Sunn T. - Dallas Reid (Asta in Black Clover, Dino in That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Satoshi Fukube in Hyouka, Kuramoto Ito in Tokyo Ghoul)

* Toadette - Hilary Haag (Rosette Christopher in Chrono Crusade, Rebecca Miyamoto in Pani Poni Dash!, Seth Nightroad in Trinity Blood, Patty Lowell in Devil May Cry: The Animated Series)

Please R&R. Until next time.