Friday, September 13th. It was the Brother's 23rd birthday. It may have been another day for most of the denizens in New Donk City was a very special day for the Mario Family and their friends around them. So much so, Mario woke up in at 6 in the morning just to get ready.

"Come on Luigi!" Mario said with thick Brooklyn Italian Accent wearing red overalls, a yellow collared shirt and utensil Belt with a hammer, plumbing snake and plunger stuffed inside it. "We gotta get an fresh early start for the day!" "Especially if we want to open all of our presents!"

"Nah" Luigi sighed with a slight Italian Canadian accent "Give me, at least until 5 to get out of bed"

"That's when work ends"

"Exactly"

Mario squinted his eyes, he then pulled Luigi out of his bed still wearing his green stripped pajamas.

"Come on!" Mario said angerly shrugging "You haven't even got your uniform on"

"Exactly" Luigi repeated

Mario sighed, despite this Luigi got his strength to lumber out of his green bed which was right besides Mario's red bed. The two lived in a small apartment block in Diddy's avenue. It was small, to the point where their bright red couch and two green chairs took up most of their living room which hastily included a yellow rug, a TV, a few game consoles that Mario all owned, a DVD Player and a table where Luigi drew and made his "interesting" inventions as Mario put it. In just a few short minutes, the brothers (or more so Luigi) got ready for the wonderful day ahead of them and excited out of their apartment before a conundrum occurs.

"Is Mr Segale there?" Luigi whispered meekly as they walk through the hallway, wearing green overalls and a unbutton yellow collared shirt.

"Why are you so scared of him?" Mario asked "He's just an old man!"

"He can literally remove us from our house, we don't wanna move back in our parents" Luigi responded

"Relax Luigi, that won't happ-"

"Hello Boys" An old man stood in front them, This was the Mr Segale Luigi was so scared of. He was an short old man with red suspenders, a chequered white shirt with a brown blazer and glasses. He was their landlord who both Brothers had conflicting thoughts on. Mario saw him as a kind, sweet man while Luigi saw him as the devil incarnate. But despite this, the two agreed upon one thing, he was one thing keeping them from eviction and spiralling into their Parents home to eternal shame.

"Uh Segale" Mario said, "What brings you on this fine day"

"I just wanted to wish you a very happy birthday to you too" Mr Segale responded

"Oh thanks" Mario said

"Here comes the Birthday surprise of eviction" Luigi snidely whispered to Mario as Segale was still talking

"Will you relax?" Mario loudly blurted out leading to Segale to stop talking to the Brothers

"Is everything alright?" Segale asked

Mario awkwardly laughed, "Yeah it's just Luigi telling me about some cheat code in Starwing Infinite"

"Oh" Segale uttered "I'll leave you with your computer games, oh by the way, you're past due for rent, i hope you'll have my money by 7:30, or you'll be locked out, Got that?"

"Yeah, definitely" Mario nervously said

"Good, good, happy birthday by the way!"

"What did i say?" Luigi snidely remarked

"Look, relax, we'll get our rent money by the end of today at work!" Mario proclaimed

"As if Spike will give us enough money"

The 2 walked down the stairs and into the streets of New Donk City. As usual the streets were packed, families walking to school, business men and women wearing suits, hot dog vendors in 8 in the morning and of course, inaudible chatter galore. For an outsider it was a lot to take in but if you were a local resident of the city like the brothers, it was nothing new.

"I see "Friendly" Floyd is doing his buy fifty five get one free deal again, that guy's such a scammer!" Luigi said

"Come on Weeg, we're all just trying to get by, times are tough now, we all gotta make sacrifices"

"Is that we aren't in our car and instead we're in a the public bus with puke on the floor, a fat sweaty dude wedged behind us and someone playing that awful song on full blast?" Luigi responded

"And that's why your my bro!" "Hey! What's wrong with Jump Up Superstar?" Mario asked

"It just sounds wrong!" Luigi exclaimed "I mean what happened to the good ol days of-"

Before Luigi as a 23 year old could explain how music had declined, the brothers and the rest of the people in bus heard a loud BANG! in the bottom of bus leading to an instantaneous and abrupt stop in the movement of the bus.

"What was that?" Mario wondered

"Ah Crap!" The Bus driver shouted "Tires busted, will take an hour to fixed!"

"Leaping Lasagnes!" Luigi exclaimed "We're gonna be late by the time we reach the construction site, which means we're gonna get fired, which means we're gonna get evicted and that means-, Mario, Mario, MARIO!"

Mario was sitting in silence with a determined face, to any other person this would mean nothing, but for Luigi, this meant funeral bells for the both of them.

"No, No, NO!" Luigi shouted "I hate it when you do that face! That means you're gonna do something really stupid"

"Something really stupid is gonna save us from eviction" Mario responded with, he got up from his seat littered with Chuckola Cola and Coris Gum and ran out of the Bus. Luigi took a deep breath and ran after him.

"So we just go out of the Bus for this, I mean the City looks cool and all, I guess, oooh Crazy Cap has a sale on Captain Rainbow maybe we can finally see what all the hype is abou-"

As Luigi continues to tangent as Mario rolls his eyes, Mario climbs up the Candy Cafe using the trash cans, a streetlight and a nearby Ladder. Despite his stubby nature, Mario was very athletic due to his aforementioned sporting and war experience, he was able to scale buildings in mere seconds, but at a cost he didn't have a lot of stamina

"Ooof" Mario sighed "Hey, *pant* *pant* come on Luigi *pant* I think i found a way to not be late"

"He's doing something stupid" Luigi sighed as he facepalms

Luigi was someone who wasn't athletic, he would rather be a benchwarmer or water boy, but in the moments where he his atheism was unleashed, his stamina was essentially unlimited. Luigi could run like no man could in New Donk City. In spite his ungodly stamina Luigi always claimed he had a bad knee. Despite this, Luigi barely manged to climb up the Candy Cafe, not without his brother's help. The two brothers stood side by side on top of Candy Cafe looking at the city above.

"All we gotta do is platform on top these buildings and make down to the construction site, in.." Mario checked his watch "Five Minutes" Mario explained "Can you do that" Mario puts his hand out

"Well, maybe dying is better than eviction and maybe we could reach, so... fine, less do it" Luigi reluctantly agreed and holds Mario's hand.

"Then let'sa go!"

Jumping through the towering skyscrapers of New Donk City with Luigi screaming in tow, they could barely see Foreman Spike standing at the base of a construction site, tamping his feet and crossing his arms in anger, continually checking his solid gold watch. His thick eyebrows furrowed with displeasure, his rugged face constructed into a scowl. It was clear that he was not happy about their usual lateness.

Their journey on the rooftops of New Donk City was nothing short of breath-taking. They hopped from rooftop to rooftop, their acrobatic moves a testament to their years of experience in the Kongo Jungles and countless sport competitions. The city skyline stretched out before them, offering a breath-taking vista of glistening glass and concrete.

Mario bounded off a chimney stack, performing a graceful spin in mid-air before landing on a flagpole that seemed to have appeared out of thin air. Luigi, slightly less confident but equally determined, followed suit, his long legs propelling him with unexpected grace.

Using their strengths equally as Luigi held Mario on his back while Mario commanded Luigi to execute their thrilling acrobatics, the Bros barely leaped across rooftops, skilfully avoiding obstacles like satellite dishes, the countless birds and air conditioning units. They ducked under laundry lines, their bodies arching just enough to maintain their velocity. The occasional leapfrog over an unsuspecting pigeon or a cartwheel on a narrow ledge added a touch of whimsy to their daring rooftop escapade.

All the while the citizens of New Donk City look upwards, their eyes widening with wonder and amusement. Some paused in their tracks, their coffee cups hovering midway to their lips, as they marvelled at the spectacle unfolding above their heads. The city had seen its fair share of surprises, but the sight of the Mario brothers performing acrobatic feats on the rooftops was a sight to behold.

Finally, after a series of breath-taking leaps and bounds, Mario and Luigi landed on the rooftop adjacent to the construction site where Foreman Spike awaited them.

"We *pant* *pant* did it" Mario proudly, but barely shouted "Now that was incredible"

"Yeah, *pant* so we aren't gonna be late after all" Luigi said

Foreman Spike in front of them, unable to mask his astonishment, blinked several times before he found his voice.

"Well, well well, you boys sure know how to make an entrance," he muttered, a begrudging respect seeping into his tone. "Now get down here and start working! I ain't paying you to stand around idly, I would love it if i didn't pay you at all"

The brothers soon got to work in the construction site, what was supposed to be a day of celebration was just another day for the brothers. They scaled up the tall skyscraper they were working on built with red cheap striking girders. There were a few meek happy birthdays muttered to the brothers and even an awkward hug or two, but nothing more, nothing less for the brothers.

It was noon, the brothers had repeatedly nailed down the girders to seventy five metre tall building while using elevators, the girders on flimsily rope and ladders to go up and down, repeatedly. This was nothing new for the brothers, to Luigi, he didn't mind it but for Mario, it was getting on his nerves. It was noon, nearly 4 hours of doing the same thing, Spike shouted to call for break, despite the brothers being at the top of the building, they could hear his voice all the way down there.

Mario hearing this left his trusty steel hammer and sat on the girder eating his lunch, which was spaghetti with meatballs. Luigi after trying and failing to hammer a nail in with his worn out wooden hammer sat down with Mario and got his lunch of a cheese pizza. The two looked at the morning sun setting into the afternoon, they on the literal and figurative peak of the city looking down on the citizens and countless cars driving below.

"Luigi" Mario asked "Don't ya get bored of this"

"Bored of what?"

"Bored of everything!" Mario exclaimed "I mean, we fought in a war and look at what we did just a few hours ago, and now we're doing the same thing we always do, nailing stuff and walking around, just without some big dude making us try and make us fall down to our death"

"Oh yeah, where is Spike today?" Luigi questioned "You know maybe he's actually nice to us since it's our birthday instead"

"Nah, he's got a date, though I wouldn't be surprised if he comes to terrorise us while on his date"

"Haha yeah"

"There's gotta be more to life than this, than having some dude just hate and trying to kill us"

Luigi sees his sad brother not even finishing his spaghetti, "You know, i was thinking" Luigi pondered

"Bro your always thinking that's kinda your thing" Mario responded with and shortly after chuckled.

"Funny, I guess you don't want to go on a uh, walk!" Luigi nervously said

"You know you're terrible at hiding surprises"

Luigi didn't respond and decided to walk down on the ladders and onto the ground, Mario stood alone with on girders taking a deep breathe while taking in the environment around him. "Come on Mario!" Luigi shouted "Pau- I mean that walk won't be on forever!"

"Hehe, still terrible at hiding surprises" Mario said to himself

Mario followed Luigi down to the ladder, they walked through expectedly vibrant streets, the two eventually meet up with Mario's girlfriend, Pauline, an enchanting and charismatic woman with a vibrant personality that lights up any room she enters. She possesses an air of confidence and grace, effortlessly capturing the attention and admiration of those around her. With her striking dark hair, bright crimson dress and a radiant smile that can brighten the gloomiest of days, Pauline exudes a timeless beauty that transcends eras. She was also a very talented singer with a voice that can move even the darkest of hearts. Her performances are electrifying commanding the stage and leaving a lasting impression on all who have the pleasure of witnessing her artistry.

"Happy birthday Big M!" Pauline shouted having several gift bags bangled to her arms, she rushed towards Mario, hugging and kissing him. Luigi angrily cleared his throat as Pauline glanced towards him.

"Oh, uh ditto to you Little L" Luigi rolled his eyes and whispered some swears. It was clear he somewhat envied the affection that Pauline gave towards Mario and so desperately wanted to same from a man or woman that wasn't his mother, brother or father. This envy lead to a weird hatred between the two where both didn't dislike their company, but weren't eager to go on a coffee either.

"I got a ton of gifts, but that'll wait till dinner, in Candy Cafe but there's one in particular that i want to give to you since you're already in uniform, introducing, the Golden Hammer!" Pauline declared

"Probably chocolate or fools gold" Luigi remarked

"It ain't" Pauline shouted

"Guys, guys relax!" Mario said "Thanks for the gift, surprisingly it's the first one of the day!"

In spite of Luigi's objections it was solid gold, Mario held the hammer, it was significantly larger than the dinky small stone and wooden hammers that Spike gave them. It's top had two solid crimson red strips and a solid gold layer with gold buttons in the middle. It was safe to assume that having your girlfriend be a singer and daughter of a governor had it's benefits.

"So, where we're "walking" to" Mario asked

"Oh to the New Donk Circus, I heard they got some new animals there that you brought back" Pauline explained

"I thought we were keeping it a surprise!" Luigi shouted

"Yeah well you're terrible at keeping surprises, might as well just be upfront with you" Pauline responded with. While saying this Luigi's started to have to glare incredibly angrily at Pauline while walking.

"Here we are!" Pauline announced.

The 3 stood right in front of the gates of New Donk Circus, "where dreams come true". The tacky logo on the entrance said. The 3 walked through watching in awe as they see the other worldly oddities that inhabited the circus. People eating mushrooms to change in size, acrobatics using capes to fly and people in cats suits climbing around the circus.

"So, what the hell are we even seeing here" Luigi sweared

"I've heard how great this dude is" Pauline said "They call him, Donkey Kong". The three eclipsed with a large crowd stood waiting for the arrival of Donkey Kong, and safe to assume, they weren't disappointed.

"He-he-here we go! So he's finally here, performing for you If you know the words, you can join in too HUH!" As the announcer says this, the wooden curtains burst opens as a large, six foot five hundred pound brown ape wearing a bright red necktie with the initials DK engraved on it lunges forward as he raises his eyebrows to his endearing fans/audience. He used his pure strength to crush the two barrels together.

"Look at him, this is what we're missing lunch for?" Luigi sighed "He's just big ape with no style, no grace and a weird funny face!"

"Luigi!" Mario shouted "I think he's pretty cool and strong! Imagine someone going up against him! They'd die just by a slap!"

"This isn't even the best part" Pauline muttered to Mario "He's gonna do something super cool"

"And now, for the main event, DK will roll on this barrel and try to juggle these pineapples in a certain amount of time, but we're gonna throw some fireballs to see if this stupid monkey can distinguish the difference, probably not"

With a mischievous grin, DK jumped onto a barrel rolling on it and reached a nearby crate, revealing a set of ripe pineapples and flaming fireballs. The crowd gasped in anticipation as he effortlessly caught the first pineapple, tossing it high into the air. With his incredible agility, he caught the second pineapple and began juggling them with finesse, their golden skin reflecting the shimmering lights of New Donk City.

As the crowd erupted into applause, DK's confidence swelled. He decided to up the ante, increasing his speed on the barrel and then decided to reach into the crate once more and pulling out a flaming fireball. The crowd held their breath as he skilfully incorporated the fireball into his juggling routine, the flames dancing dangerously close to his fur.

However, as the momentum of the performance intensified, so did the complexity of the juggling act. DK's movements grew more frenetic as he attempted to keep all the elements in perfect synchronization. Sweat glistened on his brow as he focused intently on the spinning objects, determined to maintain his flawless display.

But unfortunately, the pressure got the better of him. While distracted, DK's grip faltered, and one of the pineapples slipped from his hand, spiralling toward the ground. The crowd gasped collectively, their expressions shifting from awe to concern.

In an attempt to salvage the performance, DK lunged forward, reaching out to catch the falling pineapple. However, his maneuverer disrupted the delicate balance, and the remaining pineapple and fireball spun out of control. The audience watched in disbelief as the objects collided mid-air, creating a dazzling explosion of pineapple juice and sparks.

Donkey Kong stumbled backward and broke the barrel, his once-confident demeanour replaced with a mix of surprise and embarrassment. The crowd burst into laughter after seeing him spectacularly fail, the one who was laughing the most seemed to be Mario who's infectious laugh got on the nerves of his Brother and especially Pauline

"Come on Mario!" Luigi empathized "The ape seemed really hurt after that, maybe you shouldn't laugh so hard."

"Yeah" Pauline agreed with, which was a rare sight with the two as they essentially disagreed with everything and anything "The ape might be having a bad day, back when i saw him a few days ago, he managed to juggle like 64 fruits and 16 fires all at once, give him some slack"

"Alright, alright" Mario replied "I guess the big stupid ape might be better some time"

Before walking of, Luigi hastily checks his watch. "Ah crap! We've only got 3 minutes before lunch ends!"

"You're right! let'sa head back quick before Spike blows a gasket!" The brothers hurry back to the construction site while Pauline stays behind to meet with the ape. She walks up the the tired ape and gives him some nearby bananas. Shortly after, the brothers barely make it to the construction site but see something horrifying at the top.

"What the-" Mario exclaimed

"Is that, no way..." Luigi responded with

The 2 saw the ape eating bananas on the top of one of the buildings, that surprisingly wouldn't bat to much of the response with the two brothers but what the ape had did. It was Pauline. Her red crimson dress was incredibly recognisable with the red girders and the brown ape.

"HELP, HELP" pleaded Pauline "SOMEONE HELP ME"

Foreman Spike was eating six garlic meatball sandwiches while the brothers stared at him scarfing down two at the same time. He stopped once he noticed the brothers staring at him. "What are you bozos looking at?" Spike angrily asked still having meatball sauce on his mouth.

"Aren't you gonna help her?" Mario asked "Or at least ask for help"

"Nah"

"Why?" Luigi asked

"I don't care, what i do care about is you getting up there and continuing your work"

"No one else is continuing their wor-"

At this point Spike had enough of their justified questions and grabbed Mario. "Listen here plumber boy" His breath sank of garlic by the way "You and your stupid brother Louie go up that building, continue building my tower no matter what, I don't care about anyone else or if there's an ape, a giant monster or aliens, you get up there and work on that damn tower, or else there will be no more work for you to do"

Spike dropped Mario and walked away avidly waiting for the two's decision. "Oh god! Oh god!" Luigi perplexed "What are we gonna do?" Mario looked determined, looking at the building, the ape and Pauline, and was thinking of something stupid.

"I'm gonna do my work" Mario said

"Mario are you crazy you're gonna die" Luigi responded

Mario's heart pounded as he gazed up at the colossal construction site that stretched seventy-five meters into the sky. The red girdered structure, adorned with ladders and platforms, stood as a formidable challenge between Mario and his beloved Pauline, held captive by the mischievous Donkey Kong at the top. With determination and no hesitation, Mario leaped onto the first ladder, his gloved hands gripping tightly. He ascended swiftly, deftly avoiding the treacherous barrels hurled his way by Donkey Kong. Mario's reflexes were razor-sharp as he dodged the obstacles, his movements fluid but unruly.

As he climbed higher, the challenge intensified. More barrels and flaming oil drums threatened to consume him, their fiery glow casting menacing shadows on the girders. Undeterred, Mario pressed on, relying on his agility and timing to weave through the hazardous gauntlet. Donkey Kong's laughter echoed through the construction site, adding fuel to Mario's determination. With each metallic rung he ascended, his determination grew stronger, fuelled by his love for Pauline and the unwavering belief that he could overcome any obstacle. Mario reached another platform, catching his breath for a fleeting moment. The towering presence of Donkey Kong awaited him above, pounding his chest and hurling barrels with frenzied energy. The sight called Mario into action once more, igniting a fire within him that burned brighter than the ones he was seeing in front of him

The construction site was a hive of activity. Workers looked above, aware of the epic battle unfolding overhead and cheering on for Mario all while Luigi watched in fear while Spike watched in pure disgust. Mario's heart pounded in his chest as he caught glimpses of Pauline, trapped at the very top, her delicate figure framed against the backdrop of the city skyline. Every ounce of Mario's being urged him to reach her, to free her from the clutches of Donkey Kong's grip.

With a swift leap, Mario advanced, navigating the intricate network of moving girders and daunting ladders to reach another tower. He used his acrobatic skills to avoid the barrage of barrels, timing his movements with precision. The construction site reverberated with the clatter of steel and the resounding thuds of barrels crashing against the girders. As Mario neared the summit, his gaze locked onto Pauline, whose eyes met his with a mix of hope and fear. Determined to rescue her, Mario spotted his nearby hammer and instantly grabbed it.

"Hey!" Mario shouted "You big monkey! Give me back my girlfriend or else!"

"NO!" Donkey Kong barely shouted

"Well you asked for it!" Mario responded with

In a burst of adrenaline, Mario swung the hammer, the force of impact shaking the very foundations of the construction site. Donkey Kong stumbled backward, disoriented by the unexpected assault. Sensing an opportunity, Mario seized the moment and continued his ascent, hammer in hand.

With each swing, Mario closed the distance between him and Donkey Kong, raining blows upon the rampaging ape. The construction site trembled under the force of their clash, girders groaning and metal buckling under the strain. And then, in a moment of climactic chaos, Mario's final blow struck true. Donkey Kong teetered on the edge, his grip on the construction site faltering. The tower shuddered, groaning its protest against gravity's pull. With a tremendous crash, the tower collapsed with the three tumbling down with it.
"AHHHH" Pauline screamed "WE'RE GONNA DIE WE'RE GONNA DIE" she repeated "Let me just say thank you for your help and I love you" Before screaming once again

Mario in the abandonment of gravity and in the grasp of death, quickly looked for a solution to save their lives and he may have found a sure-fire but unorthodox way to do it .

"We aren't gonna die" Mario confidently said "We just gotta reach for the ape, give me your hand!"

Pauline trusted Mario and held his hand, Mario saw a few of the ladders and grabbed onto them to slow their decent before going head first for Donkey Kong's stomach, the two rapidly descended down together as Mario triumphantly held Pauline with both hands. In a matter of seconds along with the dusty debris of the tower that once stood so proud creating a giant cloud of dust, the couple pounded down on Donkey Kong's stomach, leading to a pure scream of agony the once mighty ape let out.

As the dust settled, Mario and Pauline stood side by side, their hearts filled with triumph. Donkey Kong, defeated and humbled, retreated into the shadows, his reign of mischief and captivity brought to an end. With Pauline safe in his arms, Mario couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. He had faced the perils of the construction site, overcome relentless obstacles, and rescued his beloved.

"Well, I did do my work" Mario proudly remarked