Chapter Three: Thunder Strikes Twice

...please remember me...

...I'm not dead...

Luigi glanced up at the frustrated figure he shared a cell with. It was like looking in a mirror for him, as the person in front of him had the same face, body, and mustache as him, with the exception of piercing silver eyes instead of Luigi's ocean blues. He even had the same cap, except for a backwards L. He also had an entirely black mechanic jumpsuit with shiny gold buttons and a red belt, and he also sported a green bandana and a gray mask.

"N-no. Not you," Luigi sputtered, recognizing the man.

"I need you to trust me, Luigi."

Luigi glared at the man. That was Mr. L, the product of Count Bleck's brainwashing a year ago, standing right in front of him. "I hoped you were gone. Why are you back all of a sudden?"

"You need my help."

"No, I don't," Luigi coldly replied.

Mr. L sighed. He was going to have to fix things between them before they got out of here. "Look man, you were just crying for Mario. Let me help you."

"I can do this without you."

Mr. L snapped at this single sentence. "NO, YOU CAN'T! I'VE BEEN INSIDE YOUR HEAD FOR THE PAST YEAR, AND ALL YOU HAVE DONE IS MOPE ABOUT AND BEAT YOURSELF UP OVER NOTHING! YOUR INSECURITIES HAVE DONE NOTHING BUT HOLD US BACK, WHEN YOU HAVE NO REASON TO BE INSECURE ABOUT ANYTHING! YOU'RE IN MARIO'S SHADOW BECAUSE YOU PUT YOURSELF THERE, EVEN THOUGH WE CAN JUMP HIGHER! EVEN THOUGH WE'RE BETTER!" He took a deep breath, finally calming down. "I've also had access to your memories, and I've made my choice. I want to help people. But I need your help and cooperation. I need you to let me take over."

Luigi looked back at him with skepticism. "And why should I do that?"

"Let's face it, I'm more confident than you. We have a much higher chance of surviving this if I take the wheel from now on." Mr. L outstretched his hand. "Deal?"

Luigi hesitated. He was just supposed to trust Mr. L after all he had done? Well, he seemed genuine when he said he wanted to help people, and besides, there wasn't much of a choice when it came to escaping the castle. "You've got yourself a deal, Mr. L." Luigi's hand met Mr. L's in a handshake.

"Just call me L."

The two joined together, in swirls of black and green until one remained. He was Luigi, but his eyes glowed an enchanting emerald green.

L walked up to the cell, and placed his hands against the bars. He concentrated, feeling the electricity flow through his body, through his veins. He channeled the electricity, until lightning shot out of his hands, blasting the cell wide open.

"So the Thunderhand techniques still resonate in my body. Good," L spoke to himself.

Suddenly, an alarm sounded. An intercom kicked on with a screech, followed by a commanding robotic voice.

"ALL SECURITY PERSONNEL, A BANDIT CLASS PRISONER HAS ESCAPED HIS CELL. DO NOT HESITATE TO USE LETHAL FORCE ON SIGHT. REPEAT, A BANDIT CLASS PRISONER HAS ESCAPED. DO NOT HESITATE TO USE LETHAL FORCE."

Before L could process what was happening, two purple mushroom-like guards with red eyes and buck teeth appeared at the door with laser blasters.

"Oh shit."

Thinking quickly, L jumped onto the wall while the guards shot at him and missed. Leaping off the wall, he delivered two lightning bolts at the guards, knocking them out on impact. For dexterity and a little bit of style, he finished landing with a flip. Kneeling down at the guards, he observed their identities.

I think I've seen these before. Are these...

Shroobs? I believe so. It has been a while since I've seen one though, almost three years.

You're in here too?

It's my mind.

Fair.

With the voice in his mind now accompanying him, L pushed forward. After snatching one of the Shroobs' blasters, just in case. The hallways of the dungeon were noticeably different from what he remembered, although they were just as easy to navigate. Eventually, he came to a ladder and a hatch, and went up.

Opening the hatch, he appeared to be in a room full of pink fluffy dresses. Every color of fabric imaginable hung from the walls, and clothing mannequins were scattered the room as well. It was a room made for sewing.

Oh, thank the Stars. I was getting sick of these overalls.

You're making a costume!? At a time like this!?

Hey, I like being fashionably late. It suits me.

About an hour or two later, L and Luigi finally settled on a design and made a new costume. Luckily, even though the alarms were blaring, no guards showed up. He sported his original cap, with a blue denim mechanic jumpsuit that had a green belt and golden buttons. He also sported a green bandana, but Luigi was able to barter for no mask in exchange for Mr. L's old ash gray boots.

He approached the door, and upon opening it a figure stood in front of him. The Shadow Thief. Before L could react, he had teleported the two into the throne room.

"Well," Popple started. "You are a resilient one, I'll give you that."

L didn't hesitate to shoot him with lightning, even though he knew it wouldn't do anything. He was just pissed off.

"I have no patience for that kind of anger here. Off you go."

Popple raised his wand, flinging L out of the castle and high up into the air. He soared high up into the sky, and while it felt like he was up there for hours, L came crashing down as quickly as he rose, right into a house.

L got up, noting that he had comically landed a foot away from the couch's soft embrace. The television held a paused frame of a cheesy Zip Toad movie. He walked into the kitchen. His half cooked Zess Special sat there, untouched since yesterday morning.

This is our house.

But where's Mario?

Is that all you think about?

Right now, yeah. Is he okay? What about Vivian? Or Bowser? Or Peach?

You're right. But how are we gonna find them?

Conveniently, there was a knock on the door.

The beginning of this chapter is the reason I started writing this story. I imagined an argument between Luigi and Mr. L in his mindspace, where Mr. L berated Luigi for holding himself back. Mr. L turns good because he knows everything about Luigi now, as opposed to the delusion Bleck had put him in. Also, it's just a cute dynamic. But that's enough nerding for now. Review if you like it, or if you don't. Just tell me why!