Mario and Bowser: Frenemies Forever (Redux)

'Power shots were cheap anyway' (Chapter Three)

Disclaimer: Mario and co belong to Nintendo.


Luigi settled in the nosebleed section and observed everything below. About two-hundred feet up, the bright green court below seemed like their foosball table, the one buried under the junk at their home rather.. Most of the audience attempted to get as close as possible to the playing, endlessly bumping and knocking against each other. Luigi by contrast had the space to stretch his arms, or even his long body across the benches up there. A wave started in the audience as he snapped his first wide lens pictures. He heard a faint noise to the right of him then, the unmistakable sound of the air being stirred unnaturally by some spectral entity. He dropped his camera and whipped his head to the side.

"Oh, sorry!" said the milquetoast form, a little boo diddly.

Luigi quickly calmed his palpitations. "Oh, Boo. No I was just... So buddy, how have you been?" His gaze darted down to the concrete floors, unable to eye his acquaintance directly.

"Great. I thought you were playing?" Boo Diddley asked.

"I was, but you see-" He was drowned out by the Mushroom Anthem starting to blast over the stadium. Thankfully Luigi had his out. He was rather guilty for 'ghosting' his buddy months ago where they'd swapped numbers and said they'd keep in touch. Then the surprise Peace Pact and the ennui that followed happened, culminating into where they were now, where Mario dragged them into activities for the sake of there being something going on in their lives.

"Oh, it's starting!" Boo said, squinting down. "Wait, is that- Oh no it's Bowser!"

Luigi's attention drifted to the players getting into position, nodding. In his viewfinder he noticed Mario had a Bowser racket. He impetuously lowered the camera with an odd feeling. "-Boo, I'm getting into photography now, long story, and I need to find a seat closer. -I've gotten the footage I need from this angle," he tacked on. "..Wanna come too?"

Boo's smile faltered. "I think some of those people work for Bowser!"

"Exactly," Luigi replied with some irritation.

Everyone watching, including radio and news reporters, the song concluded and the game was on. Standing in position, Mario basked in the middle of it all, the energy from the thousands in attendance channeling into him. His reservations ebbed away. This would be an invidious situation usually to be partnering with Bowser, but now it was happening. The thing he'd secretly longed for..

He served a topspin towards Toad who sprinted up and returned the ball. Bowser intercepted at the net and sliced hard in Daisy's direction. The ball bounced beyond Daisy, but she did a back-flip into its path again and managed to connect. The ball was but a green blur slipping in the gap between Mario and Bowser.

"Love-15." Lakitu announced.

Mario was left scratching his head at whatever just happened. He refocused, serving again towards Toad who curved the ball around Bowser at the net. Mario rushed behind his partner to counter. Daisy however met him and lobbed the ball back to their side. Bowser did a mad dash to center. He smacked the ball backhand but so misaimed it launched way out of bounds.

"Out. Love-30!"

The audience thundered in laughter or grumbling, an increase in camera flashes twinkling from the crowd. Okay, maybe this wasn't as he'd planned out in his head. He and Bowser kept stepping in each other's way with no coordination while Toad and Daisy were in perfect synchrony. He and Bowser should not have been this off their game. Then again, covertly playing against each other sometimes didn't necessarily translate to playing a doubles match..

"Bowser!" he half whispered. "If you wanna stick to the front so bad, stay up there. Let me clean up."

Bowser grunted in acknowledgement, glaring at their rivals.

Mario hit lightly towards Daisy. As expected the ball was returned, flying back. He aimed middle then to test them. It was Toad who sprung ahead this time. This resulted in several volleys between him and Bowser close to the net. That was a start, at least they weren't bleeding points all over the place. Mario paced from side to side in case the ball escaped Bowser. Eventually it did from Daisy with the meanest topspin he'd ever seen, red flames the balls wake as it bounced out of his reach.

"Game point!"

The hemorrhage resumed and the first set was won by 'Team Daiold', at least according to the poster boards held by what were presumably fans. Head hanging low Mario knew it was time to switch sides. Bowser remained simmering at the net, looking inclined to snap his racket in half, or even him if he got too close.

On the defensive side, things were surprisingly a little easier at first. Bowser insisted he still hug the net. They had time at least to react to the super team Toad and Daisy were, but volleys were still not ending in their favor. He tried to stay clear of Bowser, a power character, exerting himself to keep up with the speed and technique rivals. The Koopa King was drenched in sweat, soaking through his clothes, making them stick to his chest and muscles. His visor had gotten flung off ages ago now and only the black sweat band held his scarlet hair together somewhat, so that with every clumsy but earnest lunge for the ball it flicked in a way he didn't normally see it do. Mario knew he was fiercely competitive but never this much unless putting on a show for the princess, and she was clearly not present. Who was it for then?… Oh..

Mario flushed in that moment, struggling to ensnare his errant mind and pay attention to the game. He couldn't forget he was being watched by everyone. In fact the moment the game was over, regardless of outcome, the people would flood onto the court and open fire. 'How did Bowser replace Luigi. How awful was it working with him, he DID force you right? How did he and his creeps get into the kingdom? He won't return will he?' Most difficult of all to confront would be Peach, who might have a firm, not overly inflammatory comment on their partnering, yet laced with so much more danger underneath. Since the game began her guest umpire spot was unoccupied and she wasn't even on the side lines.

"Ghaaa! I've had it with you losers!"

Mario's attention snapped towards the net. They were back at another game point. Bowser had an evil look he knew too well when fed up. Bowser then commited a forbidden technique, a Power Shot. The ball became a bullet bill screaming in the air towards Daisy. Some sort of shock came over her before a last ditch back-flip brought her to the corner of the white line in time to reflect the ball. The casing of the bullet blew smoke everywhere but the ball separated. It flew upwards, far enough to make a tiny shadow on the ground.

Bowser followed the shadow. "I got it! I got it!"

The shadow moved over Mario's head. He shook himself out of it. "No, wait, you- I'll get it!"

Bowser pushed him aside. "You'll screw it up, stupid. Move!"

Mario shoved back. "What the heck? I'm already here, dummy!"

Someone spewed loud gibberish then, first dismissed as a deranged fan, then starkly recognized. On the other side of the court Toad was making strange noises while Daisy did an impromptu handstand. Then the ball fell in between Mario and Bowser with a 'thunk'. Automatically both swung for it, clashing their two iron rackets and launching them out of their grasp and into the box stands. They could only then watch the ball make an additional sad little bounce.

"Game, Daisy and Toad," Lakitu announced. He ducked as cabbages and rotten cheese soared over his head. The audience again roared at Daisy spinning on her head like a breakdance move and Toad shaking violently while speaking nonsensical words.

Someone wandered onto the field, the Princess. Shortly she broke into a sprint towards Daisy and then Toad. "Oh my, call the medics!" she cried.

"Just in time because I quit!" Lakitu fled as medics scurried on the field. Some attended to Daisy after she collapsed while others attempted to stabilize Toad. It seemed neither could speak about what was going on.

"We need space people!" sputtered one magikoopa nurse checking Daisy's pulse.

"Could have used a pause after 'space'," remarked his Kong ER assistant. Just then however, they spotted whom they thought was Tatanga the Space Alien in the crowds, so they began to pack up and evacuate Toad and Daisy out of the tennis court before any baddie got any ideas.

Bowser was like a bump on a log until seeing Toad and Daisy lifted on a cot. He stomped after some of the medical staff. "How dare those losers bail now! It was a three game match! Hey! Yeah you!"

Mario caught up. "Because they totally chose to have a medical emergency right now in a game they were easily winning? Leave them alone!"

He sharply faced Mario, smoke threatening to pour from his nostrils. "Shut up!" He then paused just under the arch of the tunnel leading in with his arms folded, spiky shelled back against the stone wall.

"As long as you'll listen…" Mario said, catching his breath. He watched Bowser idly for a second, the Koopa King staring at the ground, chin against his upper chest.

"Least we tried, plumber," Bowser spoke up. "Where's my extra green racket?"

Mario shrugged. "I don't know. Probably somebody's souvenir by now."

"Grrrr… Can ya at least get my stuff back from our locker room? For obvious reasons, pipes for brains, I shouldn't stroll on out there right now.."


Luigi, now located as low as row C caught Mario and Bowser losing the first set spectacularly. Crowds screaming and their gesticulations nearly knocked him over. He hoped they would be a little more behaved for the second set. Toad and Daisy were on fire. The Sarasaland Princess had for a certainty made use of the fitness equipment he helped her set up in her basement. He wanted close ups of her in particular to show her later, but the maniac Toad zipping all over was a candidate for the more goofier photos he wanted to get. Even Bowser flailed around being a tryhard for some admittingly nice pics. He couldn't help but to snap pictures of his brother just standing around or slightly dazed looking, unlike the others. The sides switched and once those in front of him settled, he could capture a little more. It more resembled a game rather than a massacre once they were playing on the defensive. Next he knew the game suspended, and medics were entering the scene. He shot out his seat.

"What's going on?"

Boo shivered in place. "We'd better get out of here!"

Luigi packed his camera away. "Clearly, but I already see pileups at the exits."

Boo startled him by grabbing his hand. The green plumber's vision went dark for a second or two before he felt his feet on the ground again. They were outside the stadium once one, phasing through the thick walls of the building.

Luigi looked around, astonished. "Thanks buddy! Hold on." He fumbled with his phone. "Mario was texting for me to go ahead and rush to the hospital."

".. So this is really serious?" Boo asked.

Luigi dug in his pocket for the keys. "If he's telling me to leave him behind, I'm afraid so. Boo, you have a ride home, right?"

Boo shook their head, somewhat crestfallen. "I walked to here from Forever Forest where I live now."

"Would you like to come along with me then? I can drop you off home later," he offered.

"Y-yeah. I would!" they responded.

Soon Luigi was cranking up the Mach Bike in a rarely held driver's position. Could he regret drawing someone like Boo into their mischief and drama? Possibly, but if Mario got more used to seeing Boo, maybe Boo would be invited to their events and they'd actually get to hang out for once.

Inside.. Mario nodded along to that surprisingly smart move Bowser had come up with. He waded through the crowd to their locker rooms, slipped in and returned out in the open with Bowser's army tan duffle bag on one shoulder and his own on the other. A few steps in he decided he'd leave his own heavier bag behind. Peach called security, not so subtly for the Bowser supporters and adjacent in the crowd, then whisked herself away with Toad and Daisy, taking advantage of medical helicopters. He could not help but feel the unceremonious disappearance was intentional.

By now the stands were dispensed onto the ground level which had no barriers to the court. People of all sorts, Mushroomites, reporters, outsiders, and obvious Koopa Troop could prance about as they wished. Mario ignored a random fan, a reporter, and a Bowser freak giving him a stink eye until reaching halfway where the net was.

"Mario!"

He couldn't ignore this one.

"Mario, I have enough for the bus. Come on," said his dinosaur friend. Yoshi strolled alongside him, studying his confused expression. "Well, ready to go?"

He plastered on a smile. "Sure!"

The Mushroom Bus was.. something else. A stranger to the bus system Mario didn't know how fast they whipped around Toad Town's tight corners, mashing all occupants into their seats, or how the driver would slam the weighty vehicle over the deepest potholes with zero consideration for those inside. It was like they weren't afraid of being reported. Speaking of which, Mario thought about reporting this driver but then decided not to bother, a self fulfilling prophecy.. His gloved hands gripped on to the strap hanger for dear life while Yoshi, imperturbable, sat beside him engrossed in a magazine on home decor.

"-Was Bowser suspicious at any point today?" Yoshi asked all a sudden, not harshly or condemnatory, but lacking his usual warmth of tone.

Mario felt himself flush. "No," he managed.

Yoshi then returned to the magazine. All the while Mario waited for him to question the unfamiliar duffle bag. It did not have 'Property of Bowser' stamped on it anywhere and no one witnessed Bowser using it, but it was obviously not Mario's and it smelt like the cologne Bowser was known to spray too much of... Or at least Mario knew that was the kind he wore too much of..

The bus arrived at Mushroom Kingdom Hospital, a three story building made of whitewashed stone on the Eastern side of Toad Town. It consisted of a center tower connected to a left and right wing. A mushroom flagpole was atop the roof which also was the spot for their airlift services. The waiting room bustled. After pardoning themselves they made it to the oddy darkened reception office where the head nurse named 'Nass T.' was stationed. She was an orange cap toad with long straight black hair and purple designer prescription glasses. She did not greet them, facing her glowing computer screen, mouse darting around the mouse pad frequently.

"Excuse me. Hi, it's me Mario. We were checking if Toad and Daisy are in?"

"Room 444," she droned without thought, then her thin eyebrows rose sharply. "-They will be there soon Mr. Mario, I mean. So please wait until we call you."

Mario and Yoshi eased themselves back to the front lobby.

"Okay," Mario said, not sure what else to add. Standing around waiting, he believed he recognized some faces from the tennis match. Some were seemingly sick as well and others concerned friends of the sick. Toads, nokis, bob-omb buddies, piantas, other friendly species.. Then peering out the large glass windows he saw his brother on their bike parking in the lot, easily with how empty it was. Another quirk of being a Mushroomite transplant that tickled Mario sometimes, the modern architecture was ready for an influx of personal vehicles, yet the actual citizens weren't, predominantly using the buses or walking or something fantastical like flying with a P-Wing..

Luigi and a guest came in, ripping off their helmets, and joined Mario and Yoshi. They stood out of the way from the others near the right wing, before a wall of tourist vouchers.

"Hey bro, how did we beat you when we took the bus?"

Luigi adopted a sour look. "Because the buses speed everywhere! We almost got ran over five times!"

"That never happens when I'm driving."

"Because you're Mario!"

"Aww, come over here!" Mario grabbed his brother and began ruffling his hair to his dismay.

"Mario, come on. Can't we at least tell them what's going on?" Yoshi admonished.

"Sorry. They have them but we have to wait," Mario explained, attempting to gel Luigi's hair back to how it was.

Luigi slapped his hand away. "Just stop." He signed. "Well at least they are being seen by professionals. Oh by the way, Mario and Yoshi? This is Boo."

Boo shyly revealed theirself. "Hello, hehe.."

Mario bent down to Boo's level. "Hey, I'm, never mind you know who I am. You seem like a swell guy-"

"-Actually," Boo started.

"-Girl?"

"-Actually."

"I should stop, shouldn't I? But you seem cool so…" He looked to his brother. "What else?"

"-Oh well uh.. Nothing.." Luigi trailed off. Boo remained quiet. Too quiet, not offended or totally put off, just somewhat nervous and uncomfortable mirroring him. "We'll wait outside where it's easier to breathe I guess.."


So that was a failure, Luigi concluded. As if Mario would just offer Boo a spot on their roster in one meet up. He'd have to keep trying to assimilate his buddy, if his buddy even desired that. "You want to still hang around, right?" he asked one more time. They just sat out on the grass lot in front of the hospital, watching as the double doors continually swiveled open to devour more occupied cots. Primarily he ruminated on Toad and Daisy. Flipping through the contents of his memory card a few times over, he couldn't spot any signs of ill health anywhere.

"Yes, I want to hang around," Boo answered at last.

Luigi strapped the camera away again. "What do you think might of happened? I know it's a heavy question, but I'm at a loss."

Boo faced the hospital again. "Maybe they're exhausted?"

"If that's the case, all of these people also tired themselves out playing tennis." An idea burst upon him and Mario didn't take the keys back. "Want to head with me somewhere else? Don't worry, I'll avoid the murderous buses this time."

Soon they stopped at the Mushroom Press, a small building in the center of the city that was an office space for those in journalistic fields. Luigi had memorized it's location recently since this was where, in a perfect version of this day, he would have sent his best proofs for whoever was starcrazed enough to want to write about the zero stakes tennis match. Now the papers were certainly going to cover today's tennis game, but in an entirely different direction.

Luigi parked on the sidewalk. He squeezed off the thick helmet to find Boo shaking beside him. He resisted offering a platitude. "Buddy? I'm serious, if this is getting too much- "

Boo smiled quickly. "I'm fine. I-I just do this some time." Luigi recognized it then as a sort of tick.

The press had an open floor plan, office cubicles being the only thing forming little rooms and hallways. Luigi scanned around for a semi notable local, Kylie Koopa, ace reporter ans writer of Koopa Kronicles. It was a newspaper for the Mushroom Kingdom, uniquely detailing events and happenings but with a less stringent leaning than the official Toad Town message boards. Also a distinctive allied enemy species perspective, popular among Mushroomites that didn't fit the typical 'toad' mold. It was her that recommended the first camera Luigi should buy. He spotted the back of her pink shell and a cubicle and approached while Boo remained behind.

"Hey Kylie, umm, It's Luigi," he greeted.

"Sup, Weegee!" A female koopa in a green hat stumbled out, sending paper everywhere. Others around her eyed her exasperatedly.

They quickly swapped what they'd been preoccupied with, Luigi explaining being at the game and having photos, Kylie explaining that he was following it over the radio. She initially planned to skip covering it, but plainly two superstars needing to be airlifted in the middle of the match piqued her interest again.

"Wow, fella! Maybe you snapped something that's a clue. Camera's don't lie," she told him, ushering him into her space and lowering their voices.

"That's what I kept telling myself, Kylie. I was probably going to offer them to you anyway. I don't know these other people here.."

She plopped into her computer chair and rolled across her mat to her computer, digging around in a parts drawer. "Thanks fella, but there's no need for me to keep anything. To keep us from breaking each other's necks rushing to sites, (wasn't my idea) we have somebody take pics for the office. Susie Que over there volunteered to go to the game really early and do it. We then get dibs on 'em based on hierarchy and I'm up to #2." She found the card reader. "Let's see here."

Luigi watched over her shoulder. The gallery started from most recent so the first image displayed was of medics on the field, two hovering over Daisy sprawled out, aghast, agony etched on her face. His stomach dropped. It settled to the green plumber how much he'd been suppressing his panic up to now. Just an hour ago his on off girl friend, spacing intentional, was dominating in tennis, loving life, and now who knew how she was doing. Kylie clicked the next arrow to his relief, where in the world of this photograph there was still a normal tennis game being played.

Needing further relief subconsciously, he began some small talk. "Who was number one in the office by the way? I can't, I guess, imagine someone better at this thing than you."

Kylie let out a sigh. "That guy directly behind me and no, I don't wanna talk about it."

He twisted around to the cubical across. A green toad in a suit was seated, back facing Luigi, in an office space equally the size of Kylie's but more orderly. A steaming coffee mug sat next to a gold name plate stating 'Mitch Toad'. The toad suddenly paused whatever he was doing and rolled his chair partially into the hallway, thick black eyebrows down turned.

"Why don't you quit tinkering around and wasting that guys time, babe?" Mitch antagonized out of nowhere. He had an unanticipatedly deep voice and a thick Mushroomy accent. No wonder Kylie didn't want to discuss him.

Luigi remembered.

A Peach or her castle in general heckler of old. Not outright rebellious, a toad would never, but an irritation decades ago. He once weaponised a gossipy newsletter delivered to your front yard, the old school way, that folks just ate up. Rumors with an unsettling amount of truth to them spread like wildfire and they could never locate his sources since he was outright banned from the castle. Eventually it dropped off and Luigi and his circle forgot about him aside from an occasional mention of a 'Mitch Toad' on the entertainment block of the news regarding random celebrities and 'influencers' being exposed or whatever. Luigi would be out of his element there.

Kylie retaliated by chucking a huge pink eraser at Mitch, creating a shouting match. Luigi caught other reporters inserting their earphones as if this was routine.

…Boo was getting some water from a dispenser in the middle of the Press. A cork board was there with articles clipped, some awards, and a note scrawled for emergencies. Signed by Mario himself, it had his personal number and another for Peach's Castle, but only for the purpose of contacting him if the other failed. Boo couldn't believe someone could be so selfless that they'd leave contact information like that, basically inviting anyone in the Kingdom to cry for help if needed. Yet Boo, just a lowly boo diddly, was getting to hang out with his twin brother who Boo admittingly found even more endearing for personal reasons. Boo spun around as someone entered the Press, another boo. A dark one.

With a blonde stringy wig bouncing with each step as they hopped around, the dark boo crossed Boo's vantage point.

The dark boo paused and locked eyes with Boo. With a cruel smirk, their eyes twinkled. "Hey, bro. Long time no see, hahaha.." they spoke gruffly.

The cup of water slipped from Boo's hand as they bolted out the doors.

Luigi ran up after hearing his buddy's scream of terror. He caught the front door clack against the stopper and made his egress.

Just a moment later.. "Darn, Weegee left his memory card," Kylie grumbled, picking up her papers and newspaper clips roused during their quarrel.

"Darn indeed, babe." Mitch added, settled again in his space and calm. "Don't look at any more pictures," he warned perspicuously. "Not until… never mind."

She whipped his way. "Never mind that's right, greeny!" She whacked him with a notebook for good measure.


"Pssst!"

Yoshi turned to his red plumber friend, nose inches from the helpful map of the hospital's layout tacked to the wall. "What?"

Mario slyly smiled at him. "I know where that room is."

"And?" Yoshi replied with some hesitance. The idea was clear on Mario's face. "-Mario, I know you're you, but they told us not to barge in and I think we should listen."

Mario chuckled, wrapping his arm around the dinosaur. "I wasn't gonna suggest that! I just thought we'd be saving ourselves some trouble if we wait there instead of here."

Placated, Yoshi allowed himself to be nudged along. Room 444 was on the opposite wing of the hospital and it was hectic everywhere. Codes kept blaring over the intercom and so many patients were being wheeled around. There was something else uneasy with Yoshi. He waited until they broke through the crowds to the West wing, fitted with gray painted walls and a pale beige textured floor. It was a little more quiet so as they were walking he bite the bullet and called his fiancé at home.

"Hey baby. You were keeping up with the game right?"

"No," Birdo answered flatly.

Yoshi stumbled a bit but pressed on. "Well it got canceled because…" he explained, detailing all the bits up to where they were now, waiting outside the rooms Toad and Daisy were purportedly in. He waited anxiously for her response.

"Okay, dear," she replied in similar fashion and hung up.

Mario glanced at Yoshi and then away quickly, whistling a tune idly. Door 444 was before them, no light leaking from underneath.

"-Sorry, Mario. Just calling the missus. We were both supposed to rest today, but I came here instead."

"...Oh…"

"-But it's a good thing I did, right?... Now this fiasco is happening and I'm already here to help. If I heard of this from home I would just rush into the Kingdom as quick as I could anyway."

"-My brother just texted he's in again," Mario said, changing the subject. That could be a more nuanced conversation for later.

"Mario," he had to ask then. "Since we're waiting, why did you have to play with Bowser today?"

"He forced me."

"Duh." Yoshi replied, feeling absurd. "Of course that wicked evil Bowser would threaten you to play with him. I bet he strung along some of his minions to start some mess and violate the Pact if the game didn't go his way."

"I-I doubt that. -I mean I didn't see his mooks do much. Just watch. And Bowser.. He didn't hurt me in the process at least."

Yosh crossed his arms. "And I'd never let him! Mario, this close contact is dangerous. You know how much debt Bowser attacks and related put the Kingdom in. It only takes one Koopa Troop scum to start trouble."

Mario nodded along stiffly until the green Mario brother arrived down the West wing, holding a ticket.

"What's that?"

Luigi showed it to his brother. "I don't know. They just gave me this when I came in and asked about Daisy or Toad."

Yoshi took a look at it. Pink, it was stamped 'visitor room 444'. "A system to let you see the patients." He leaned back, a flicker of fear on his normally reserved face. "If they're resorting to this now.."

"So we have their permission? Great!" Mario knocked before they could say otherwise and pushed himself in.

Inside the room were their friends Toad and Daisy in beds with the white blankets covering them up to their necks. There were numerous iv and medical instruments attached to them, displaying readings rapidly fluctuating.

"Nurse Azul, I told you!-" The koopa doctor exploded. He noticed Mario's stunned face and staggered back from Daisy's bed. His disposition changed in an instance. "Ah hem. Hello, I am Doctor Professor Koopa. If you received a visitation pass, I'm afraid that might have been preemptive," he said, his voice light. His dark black eyes locked Mario in place, so that the koopa doctor met him in the doorway.

"..Oh, whoops! Sorry doc, we'll let you do your thing."

"Perfect," the doctor replied, thin fingers curling around the door handle. "Give us half an hour. Alright? Alright." The door shut in their faces.

Mario shrugged at his friends. "Start a timer I guess."

"Done." Yoshi said. "By the way, where's your friend, Luigi?"

"At the food court," Luigi answered cryptically. He peered at his brother and stifled a laugh. "Mario, you bone head, that's not your bag!"

Mario switched the strap to the opposite shoulder, away from Luigi. "Never mind that bro, if we're going to have to wait, we can at least group up with Peach." He texted her and immediately got a reply. "Oh, she's in the outside court in the back. She's begging me to meet her actually."

As they continued deeper down the West wing to the back, they bypassed a blue shy guy nurse in an extreme hurry, nearly bowling them over. He went into a room in the distance and they heard Dr. Professor Koopa fussing at someone again, muffled by the walls.

They exited the hospital from the back. Outside were tables for outside luncheons and also the area where stands may be placed for fundraisers or other activities. They were drawn towards a blue tent furthest back, a 'Make a wish on a star foundation' booth where Princess Peach was seated and engrossed in conversation with someone else.

"Plumber breath, I'll take that. Thanks for holdn' it!" Bowser began stomping closer.

As he pulled the duffle bag off Mario, the plumber attempted to speak but his mouth went dry.

"Bowser, I suggest you get back before someone sees you!" Peach warned, annoyed.

"How'd he get here?" Luigi demanded. "And with you, Princess?"

"He bullied his way onto one of the last medical helicopters from the stadium, that is, after Mario left him stranded he says!" Peach explained.

"Bowser forced him to play anyway though." Yoshi nodded to Mario. "Right?"

"...Toad and Daisy are in Room 444." Mario tried to keep his eyes on the princess and not Bowser expectantly watching him.

"I am aware, Mario," she replied, lightening up a little. Mario could tell by the creases threatening to form on her face however, that she had a million things running through her as well. It brought him out of his stupor somewhat.

Mario continued in better spirits, "So, we can see them in a few minutes. I got a glimpse in the room before a koopa doctor shooed me out. I don't think what I saw was good but it could be worse."

"Dr. Professor Koopa I am sure. He is a good man, he used to work in my castle."

"And mine!" Bowser boisterously added. "I remember that freak, he was a mad scientist at my castle before I fired 'em."

"I don't get it. Not that, I mean- Bowser, why didn't you go home?" Mario asked.

Bowser jumped out of his seat again. "Because our tennis rivals are here!"

"Unconscious!"

Bowser marched in his face. "Duh! That's why I have this!" He jut out before Mario a yellowed tattered scroll. It rolled down before the plumber, filled with text in a faded black regal font. He knew what it was, Bowser kept this old thing 'somewhere' where he'd seen and asked about it in the past, but at the last moment he strategically decided to play dumb. "What is that crap?"

Bowser waved it in the air. "The official Darklandian decree of defeat. Those losers left the court first so they forfeit and we win. We can verify that and have it recorded on the leaderboards. Don't look at me like that, moustache. I was the other half of your team, like I can't be here too?"

"Bowser!"

"Well how else I'm gonna wish 'em to get well soon?" he presented a sparkly greeting card like thing.

"You stole that from the gift shop, didn't you?! But it's… it's nice of you Bowser." Mario found himself biting back a smile as his wits ran away again. He turned to the princess. "Peach, Bowser's kind of right."

Yoshi and Luigi gasped, while Peach countenance was more distraught yet calculating.

"No no no," Mario backpedaled. "Not about the competitive junk. I mean he made the effort to get here and play, and nothing crazy happened of his volition during the game. We could at least let him stick around long enough to know what happened to Toad and Daisy."

"But Mario!" they started at once and then shut their mouths, glancing between each other tentatively and simmering.

"My dear Mario," Peach spoke at last, presenting her best card. In her mind Mario keeping her worst enemy around could only be some sort of continuation of their relentless competition. She just hated it. "Bowser was responsible for something, dare I say, 'crazy' this morning. He performed an illegal move in my stadium. His Power Shot."

Bowser gave a snort. "Power shots were cheap anyway, Hotness. I would have dug us out of the hole we were in anyway."

"No you wouldn't," Mario teased. "So that's fine everybody? Just for a while I promise. We should probably get going then. It's lunch."


Boo hovered around in the bathroom following the last panic attack. After Luigi calmed them down at the Press the two sped back to the hospital, the green plumber wishing he'd never imposed extra trips on Boo. Boo pleaded that they were fine, just freaked out from spotting that relative Boo couldn't remember the name of. One of the creepiest and cruelest. Exact details seemed blotted out in their mind however, eerily when Boo was often tormented by memories eidetically. Boo tried to relax in the food court until the lunch time rush made it too loud, leading to this movement.

"Shake yourself out of it. How are you going to help Weegee when a random relative and crowd of people do this to you?"

Squeaks of shoes traveled past the door.

"Yes sixty at this point. Why?.." a person said.

Someone else mumbled something.

"Well, I just got a call from that 'partner' facility. I've decided we will do things different today- Hold on we have a code blue on floor three. You answer my calls only while I'm gone and if it is who I told you about just now, put it on hold and tell Nass."

"Yes sir. I won't leave here. Even for lunch..."

A minute later. "Lunch break! Guess I'm leaving," the same voice as the last said.

Boo crept open the bathroom door. No one was in the once busy halls. This hall held a section of rooms: room 441, 442, 443, 444.

Something was familiar about that number. Boo walked out slowly when the strangest coincidence occured, a older modeled cellphone identical to theirs went off with the same 'Ashley's Theme' ringtone Boo had for years. Without thinking they answered it, picking it up from on the medical cart.

"Hey this is Giant Land Hospital again. I just called my bank and the funds will totally be on your way tomorrow. You're gonna do what we agreed now, right?" Beeps and blips of a computer game was in the background along with some clacking of a typewriter.

Boo let out an exclamation, trying to hang up and shove the phone back where it belonged.

"Hey! Transfer me to your boss!" the person on the line hissed. "If you try something funny, believe me pal, I can find you and make your freaking brain leak out of your skull into a puddle on the ground!"

With a loud shriek Boo dropped the phone.


To be continued…

Completed: 5/13- 5/18, 5/26/19, 5/31/19, edit 6/2, 6/3, 6/4, 6/6, 6/10

Edit: 8/28/19

Fixes: 8/11/20

Revise 2022 1/17, 1/18, 1/20, 1/21, 1/22/22 (a few touch ups 12/16/22)