Chapter Thirteen:

Reporting Back to The Koopa King

As two minions of Bowser departed Mushroom Kingdom airspace, undetected by anyone else, Bowser's nemesis Mario found Yoshi napping in his large pen, which wasn't far from the castle. Mario woke up the little green dinosaur and waited until his friend was awake, then he told him his suggestion.

"Yoshi, would you like to join me, Luigi, Peach and Toad in visiting Professor E. Gadd in Fuji City?" The plumber asked.

Yoshi smiled happily, and agreed to join Mario, and the others in their trip to the city. Now was the time to head off, and it felt like ages since the Mario Brothers had gone off somewhere with Yoshi, since their last encounter with the evil Koopa King himself. For all it was worth, the trip would hopefully be a peaceful one, with no dangers to worry about.

And Bowser was still licking his wounds following his previous defeat, right?

Flames burned around them, and smoldering rubble collapsed to the ground. The surface shook as the gargantuan Koopa King advanced towards his foe, the mighty beast with bumpy skin, and spikey fins running down it's back. Gigantis stared at him, and the mighty King of the Koopas could hear him growling. All that mattered was the battle between them, and the Koopa was prepared.

Gigantis opened his maw, uttering a fierce roar meant to be a ferocious battle cry. The light of the orange flames gleamed off the beast's body, and appeared to glow within the Kaiju titan's death-filled eyes.

The Koopa King stood his ground, ready to fight, and Gigantis' maw opened again. The spikes on his back glowed blue, and a humming noise carried through the air. A light took form in the beast's mouth, and he stared at the prepared Koopa King. The blue hue was almost overshadowed by the orange glow, until it got brighter, and Gigantis opened fire...

Bowser woke up, his eyes wide as he jerked his head upward a little. "What was that dream I just had?!" The Koopa King asked with shock, "Or was it some kind of vision?"

He heard helicopter engine noises, and Bowser rose from his throne. The mighty Koopa turned to his right, and watched as Hal and Jeff flew into the room in Bowser's own Koopa Car. Bowser tapped his foot, near-baffled by the fact two of his minions would fly his car directly into his throne room.

"We're back, sir!" Hal said, "But we don't know where to park your car."

"You idiots, let me show you how it's done." Bowser remarked with annoyance.

He snapped his scaly finger, and the Koopa Car shuddered, taking Hal and Jeff by surprise. Seconds later, the vehicle flipped upside down, and the two minions fell out. The Koopa Car rotated itself back into its proper position, then it flew out of the throne room to its previous spot. Bowser tapped his foot with slight annoyance, and he looked down at his two dimwitted servants.

"What are they planning now?" Bowser asked.

"Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach are heading to Fuji City to visit Professor E. Gadd…" Hal reported.

"That old guy in the white coat? What about him?"

"They need to get a secret weapon, which is being developed, in order to beat you." Jeff elaborated firmly, "And it will defeat your entire army too."

Bowser was shocked. He took a second to process this, then he shouted, "ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT THIS 'SECRET WEAPON' WILL DEFEAT ME AND MY ENTIRE ARMY?! If Mario thinks he will beat me and my troops with that so-called weapon, then he's got another thing coming!"

"What is it?" Jeff inquired.

Bowser held up a shaking fist. "IT WILL BE THE FIST OF YOURS TRULY!" The Koopa King shouted, "Now, if you two are still up to the task, can you do me a favor?"

"Yes…?" Hal and Jeff replied.

"Whatever it takes, no matter how long it takes, find the secret weapon and destroy it!" Bowser commanded, "Once that is done, kidnap Peach and make sure that Mario and Luigi don't get in your way!"

Hal rubbed his hands together with an evil smile. "Yes, sir, we won't fail you!" The Koopa said with glee, "Oooh, I can't wait to get my reward when this is over."

"Come on, Hal. Let's go!" Jeff beckoned.

The two minions exited the throne room, leaving Bowser to himself. As the Koopa King watched them depart, he crossed his arms with a slight growl. "I'm glad those two idiots are useful for the mission I gave them." Bowser said, "If they fail, I will dump them all in the lava and never bother to reanimate their skeletons."

Bowser's mind shifted away from the matter, thinking of the monster he'd seen in his dreams. "But still…" The Koopa King muttered, "Where have I seen that creature before?"