Chapter Twelve:

Bring In The Mafia

Fear and anger were known to be related, and Meggy felt both. She'd been working hard at Omnia Academy, just as she'd worked hard to become the top Splatfest player, and had so much hope that the insanity she'd been swept up in for years would not stop the rising sports coach from making it to her own graduation ceremony.

"STOP HIM!" Meggy screamed automatically.

"Okie-dokie!" Mario saluted.

Palou was a few stone throws away from the car when Mario intercepted. The fat Italian punched him in the face, and grabbed the Pianta in an effort to prevent his escape. Believing Palou didn't have any fight left, a confident Mario looked to a watching Tari and cried out, "QUICK! KICK HIS ASS!"

The Australian cyborg gamer didn't like fighting all that much, despite prior moments of bravery, but she was very willing to help and make others happy. Tari ran in, and brought up her arm. However, the gamer girl's strike was very light, hardly hurting the Pianta crook.

'Really?'

An annoyed Palou pushed Mario off, and slapped Tari on the hand, an act that was considered a no-no since hitting girls isn't nice. Tari was not happy to be hit. She clutched her hurt human hand, looked at the Pianta with tears in her eyes, and said, "Why would you do that? That's really, really mean."

'Damn it, Tari.' Mario thought.

Palou hit the plumber on the head, dazing him, and ran off with a laugh, leaving Mario, Tari, and an exasperated Meggy with the gas-drained car. Mario recovered from the Pianta's strike, and provided Tari some much needed comfort in spite of his low intellect.

"Come on, guys!" Meggy urged, bringing her two friends back over to their ride, "Help me push the car. There's a gas station that's nearby."

Mario and Tari were about to push with the former Inkling, then the rising sports coach looked at the cyborg gamer and suggested, "Tari, why don't you sit in the driver's seat and steer the wheel?"

"WHAT?!" Mario was in shock, "WHY CAN'T MARIO DO THAT?!"

"Y-Yeah, Meggy!" Tari said anxiously, "I can push! Honest!"

Meggy sighed again. "Look, Tari." She told the gamer, "I really would like to give you a shot at pushing. In fact, I'd even coach you on it, and give you some support. But, right now, I'm late to my graduation, so could you please do as I say?"

Tari got in the car as another little tear rolled down her cheek, and she sat down in the driver's seat. Mario tried to touch Meggy's shoulder and make a suggestion, only to receive a death glare from her.

"You're still pushing, Mario." Meggy told him, which left the fat Italian just as frustrated as her.

Palou didn't look back. And he didn't even care.

All he cared about was finding the big boss, and telling him where the car was. Bal Piantone had to be peeved by now, after the police failed to catch Bob, and after not getting any news relating to his car being recovered.

The boys were scoping around, and they were likely about to get in touch with every cop, bounty hunter, and lowlife in the Mushroom Kingdom. He kept his ears out, just in case there was a cop patrol in the area, with Hal Monitor often crossing Palou's mind.

Every mafia leader feared that computer-headed cop after his exploits, and so many mafia groups in the land had gone underground thanks to Hal.

Oh, once the mafia got their hands on Bob, that sleezy son-of-a-recluse was in for a world of mafia karma.

The yellow Pianta spotted a roadside phone booth close by, and ran towards it. Palou threw himself inside, and grabbed the phone. Luckily for him, this phone booth wasn't the pay-to-call type, and he began to dial in '1985-17-2002', which was Bal's cell number.

After all, the boss wasn't at his hideout, so why not call him on the road?

Not too far off, the Grand Theft Auto gangster theme was playing over a radio as the Pianta Mafia boss and his goons rolled through the open roads in a borrowed hummer. Bal let one of his associates drive, mostly because he was one of those 'don't use the phone and drive' people.

In a moment, he was hearing the tropical Isle Delfino tune as his phone started buzzing. Bal tapped the answer icon, and placed the mobile up to his ear.

"Bal Piantone speaking." He said, "How may we be of assistance?"

"Boss, it's me! Palou!" Palou's voice exclaimed, "Bob's escaped, but he passed the car to that Mario guy, then it wound up in the hands of Meggy Spletzer. She was on her way to a graduation, then she stopped to let me out, then I drained the gas from the car."

"Where is your location?"

"I'm calling from a phone booth. Can you pick me up?!"

Bal hung up the phone, and looked to the boys. "We found the car!" He announced, "My baby is in the hands of the famous Meggy Spletzer and the not-so famous Super Mario, but our comrade siphoned out the gas. Magh, you know where to go..."

Pushing the car to the gas station wasn't that challenging, even though the one major complication was Mario, being an idiot (as usual) and a jerk, going after a Koopa wearing nerd glasses driving a car. Meggy managed to get him under control and back in focus. As all of that happened, Tari continued to sit in the driver's seat, feeling sad, and very helpless.

Just then, her mood improved as soon as she saw the gas station coming into full view. "Guys, we're here!" She called to Meggy and Mario.

The former Inkling and her mustached friend pushed the car all the way into the gas station, and stopped next to one of the gas dispensers. Tari stepped out as Mario wiped some sweat from his forehead, Meggy dusted her hands off, then she looked at the cyborg gamer and the pudgy Italian with another task for them.

"To speed things up, I'll go inside to pay. You fuel up the car, Tari!" Meggy said firmly.

"You can count on us." Tari nodded.

She hooked the gas pump up to the car while the beanie girl headed inside the nearby store. Just as the doors closed behind Meggy, the former Inkling found herself face-to-face with an old friend in the gas station's attendant; Aziz from Port Aurora.

"How much does it cost for us to get gas?" Meggy asked, aware that Aziz had a shady track record.

"Oh, look who's here." Aziz commented, "I don't have time for you today, ginger-faced girl. If you're here for gas, then the fee costs fifteen thousand dollars! No more, and absolutely no less!"

"HEY! I DON'T HAVE TIME TO PAY YOU FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS!" Meggy yelled, "I'M GOING TO BE LATE FOR MY SPORTS GRADUATION AT OMNIA ACCADEMY!"

"Pay the damn fee, you orange-haired broad!" Aziz shouted angrily.

"HOW ABOUT YOU REDUCE THE FEE AND STOP WASTING MY TIME, IDIOT?!"

"YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME, LITTLE GIRL?!" The attendant shook his fist angrily.

Nobody called Meggy a little girl.

The beanie girl lunged at the snotty Port Aurora salesman and began attacking him. In a moment, the store was shaken by a flurry of violence with Aziz shaking Meggy, who pummeled the life out of her least favorite person. In a second, she brought out a Splatling and fired on Aziz, covering him in orange ink before socking him in the eye.

Outside, Tari was looking after the car, and making sure it got enough gas in the tank while ignoring the insanity going on. Just then, Mario walked by, and said, "Hey, Tari. I'm-a going to be taking a pee."

"Okay. Don't be long." The blue-haired gamer told the fat Italian.

Unbeknownst to them, a red car pulled up, and several Piantas stepped out. Tari was just unhooking the gas pump from the car after hearing a ding when she heard a voice;

"That's her, boss!"

The cyborg gamer turned, and her heart sank drastically as she took in the sight of a pair of Piantas sporting mafia suits with one of them being the yellow Pianta from earlier. The group glared at her, and the lead Pianta spotted the black car next to the blue-haired video gamer.

"MY BABY! MY PRECIOUS CAR!" Bal Piantone exclaimed, and he ran up to the automobile and hugged it, "Oh, what did they do to you? They won't hurt you anymore. No they won't, come here and give me a sweet, sweet, sweet Pianta Mafia kiss. Mwa mwa mwa!"