Game Over

By supercomputer276

Required Reading: Read the following Fun Fiction before starting, or half of the story won’t make sense:

Love is Acceptance, by Karma Koopa
Resignation, by Karma Koopa
Bombette Squad, by Golden Road
The Forgotten Prince, by Jazzman

Now let’s get going…

***

Bowser took his seat in the conference room. In the room were Ludwig, his fiancé Karma, his twin brother Jazzman, and the other six Koopalings. They had just got through Morton’s infamous speech about speeches and everyone was just waking up.

“Daddy-o,” Jazzman said to Morton, “you could talk people to sleep with stuff like that.”

“Like he just didn’t…” Wendy muttered to herself.

Morton heard and retaliated, “Well, I’ll have you know that I was very ignored when I was younger, and now I speak like this to grab-“

Roy, who was sitting next to Morton, gave the blabbermouth a punch in the mouth.

Bowser spoke up. “Great idea, Jazzman!”

Jazzman was confused. Bowser rarely liked to use ideas he came up with, even if a Mushroomer could pull it off on its own and it would work. He must have been desperate. “What idea?”

“Talking people to sleep, of course! We’ll give it to the whole Mushroom Kingdom, and while everyone’s snoozing…”

“We’ll apprehend the princess!” Ludwig finished. “Brilliant deduction, King Dad!”

“Ludwig said great idea!” Lemmy translated.

“Ok,” Bowser said. “Now where’s the megaphone?”

“It’s in the garden,” Roy said, “unless someone found it.”

“All right,” Bowser concluded. “Let’s get going!”

The ten Koopas ran into the front lawn, but the second they stepped outside, a dark shadow moved across the courtyard.

“What’s going on?” “What is that thing?” “Isn’t it dark enough already?” The Koopas were all confused.

Karma was the first to look up. “Look!”

Flying above the castle was a large doomship. It was painted a bright orange, but on the side was painted a picture of a purple Mushroom with, instead of spots on its cap, a white skull and crossbones. Ludwig noticed there were five hatches on the bottom. Four of them were in pairs of two, and the two pairs and last lone one were evenly spaced between the bow and stern.

Suddenly, the lone hatch, which was closest to the stern, popped open, and a long pole extended. Jazzman first pointed out that the end of the pole had a mechanical hand, attached by the wrist, but most of the Koopas were more interested in the fact that a figure was riding on the hand.

The figure was definitely human like Mario and Luigi, but he appeared to be only about fifteen. He wore a black shirt, black sweatpants, and white shoes. As the hand reached the ground, they noticed his shirt front was decaled with the same Mushroom as on the doomship, along with the words “Game Over” below it.

“Who are you, and what’s your business at the Castle of Koopa?” Bowser demanded.

“So you’re Bowser…” the figure spoke.

“DON’T CALL ME THAT!”

“Sorry, but I’m afraid that it sounds better then King Koopa. Really, you’re not even a king.”

Bowser was so angry, he would shoot flames were he to open his mouth. So Ludwig and Jazzman stepped forward.

“Yo, daddy-o,” Jazzman asked, “what are you called by the cats around here?”

“My tourist name may be supercomputer276, but you can call me Yosie.”

“I know you looked familiar!” Lemmy cried.

“Nice to be recognized, isn’t it? Now my business. I want your entire kingdom.”

“No probability of that event, my acquaintance!” Ludwig replied.

“No chance, buddy!” Lemmy translated.

“You think?” Yosie replied with almost as much cunning hidden in his voice as Ludwig, “’Chance favors only the prepared mind’, and I’m happy to say that my mind is quite prepared enough.”

Suddenly, the two hatches closest to the bow of the doomship opened, and two more mechanical hands came out. These, however, wore giant red gloves and were attached to tubes instead of poles, and one held a bomb which it tossed into the air above the ten Koopas.

Bowser was too scared to be angry at Yosie now. “Everyone, cover!” he shouted.

The bomb exploded in the air high above the Koopas, but tons of smoke poured into the courtyard.

“A smoke screen!” Iggy coughed. Everyone else had run away from his current position, so he pulled out his wand and willed it to glow brightly, bright enough to purge the surrounding smoke. When enough Koopas gathered together and the smoke had settled a bit, Bowser took roll. Two were missing.

“Where’s Wendy?” he asked.

“And where’d Karma hop off to?” Jazzman asked.

“HHHEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLPPPPPP!!!” The two girls’ screams came from the air. The Koopas below looked up in time to see them being pulled by the red hand into the two hatches they came from. Yosie and his hand were almost halfway up.

“Give back Wendy!” Bowser shouted.

“Liberate Karma this instant!” Ludwig joined in.

“The girls or the kingdom, Bowser,” Yosie shouted down. “You get one, and I get the other. Have your pick ready by the time I’m back.” The hand had fully disappeared into the hatch from whence it came and the cover closed. The ship began to blast off.

As it left, Bowser and the seven Koopas watched as the doomship left, but Larry caught something the others missed: the stern of the boat bore, in purple letters, “G. O. S. Starstruck”.

***

Yosie stopped the hand when it was even with the doomship’s deck. He took a deep breath and stepped off. As soon as he did, the hand pulled up into the SubShip above and its hatch closed.

Well, time to greet the passengers, he thought. He proceeded to the bow, to where SubShip 1 was docked.

On the way, he passed SubShip 2, which housed the dangerous MegaCannon. Yosie rarely trusted any minion he had with this cannon, as it housed enough power to cause half a nuclear explosion. But business before pleasure. That was what life was. He proceeded.

As he approached SubShip 1, he saw what he wanted. Karma and Wendy were being suspended in midair by the Red Glove Grabbers while a Hammer Bro. searched them for dangerous technology. The Hammer Bro. was like others, except that his armor was coal black and the back of his shell bore the purple Mushroom.

“Report,” Yosie said when the Hammer Bro. finished.

The Hammer Bro. showed Yosie two things: a purple-tipped magic wand, and a gold compact.

“Give those back!” Wendy demanded.

“Give me the wand,” Yosie ordered like he’d heard nothing, “and throw the compact overboard.”

“NNOOOOOOOOO!!!” Wendy screamed. She couldn’t stand being without her makeup. Nevertheless, the Hammer Bro. did as he was bid. Karma could tell Wendy’s blood was starting to boil. Yosie turned to leave.

“I’m going to throw a tantrum right now until you give me a new compact!” Wendy screamed.

“Girl, I’ve got a little brother worse then you. Besides, where you’re going, no one can hear you scream.” Karma was worried until Yosie concluded, “Put them in the SubShip!”

The Red Glove Grabbers pulled into their hatches in SubShip 1, taking the girls with them. When the hatches closed, Yosie moved to the Starstruck’s bow and took a deep breath.

“Ahh,” he said to himself, “it feels good to be evil.”

***

Peach was bored. While she hated when Bowser attacked, she felt bored after two months of no contact. She sat in her throne, bored out of her wits. Bored, bored, bored- Hey, I’m starting to sound like Morton, aren’t I?

And speaking of Morton, Peach noticed that the windows were covered in a strange shadow.

Suddenly, a gray mechanical hand burst through the huge skylight in the ceiling. It was suspended on a pole, and riding on it was a young fifteen-year-old boy wearing a black shirt, black sweatshirt, and white shoes. The front of the shirt bore a purple Mushroom with a skull and crossbones on its cap and below the Mushroom the words “Game Over”.

The gray hand touched down on the marble floor, and the boy hopped off.

“Princess Peach, I presume?” he said.

“Yes, what do you want?” Peach cautiously replied.

“Just a little cruise to the far end of the Mushroom Kingdom where I could throw you into nothingness and take over the Mushroom Worlds.”

“GUARDS!” Peach cried.

Too late. The Red Glove Grabbers moved in from the center of the doomship. One grabbed Peach. When Toad came in, the other Red Glove Grabber grabbed him and they both retracted into the doomship, along with the extendo-hand Yosie had gotten back on.

Mario and Luigi entered, but the airship was just leaving.

“Mamamia!” Mario cried. “Bowser must have-a kidnapped the princess again!”

“Let’s get-a after him!” Luigi cried.

They left.

***

“No offensives besides bodily combat on these two,” the Hammer Bro. reported to Yosie after searching Peach and Toad.

“Good,” Yosie commanded. “Stuff them in SubShip 2. When you’re done, get the one known as Karma from SubShip 1, bound her tightly but not cutting off the circulation, and bring her to my cabin.” Yosie left, leaving a very confused Hammer Bro. Why would the captain want to see that creature? Deciding it was none of his business, he made his way to the bow, picking up some strong lengthy pieces of rope on the way.

***

There was nothing Karma could do. Wendy had been sobbing in the corner since the Red Glove Grabbers had deposited them in this room, spilling tears over the loss of her compact. Every time Karma tried to comfort her, she swatted her away like a pesky fly.

Karma couldn’t see what Wendy was so fussy about. The Yoshi-Koopa hybrid was a free spirit and had no need for makeup… at least until she had Met Ludwig. Her stomach, responding to the Metbond, was starting to cramp, but not as badly as when they had first encountered each other.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the hatch in the ceiling opened and the same black-shelled Hammer Bro. that searched her dropped in.

“Which one of you is known as Karma?” the Hammer Bro. asked both Koopas.

“I am,” Karma replied. “Why?”

“The captain wants a word with you in his cabin.” He pulled out the rope strands. “Now, this is just to make sure you don’t try anything. I’m only going to tighten your hands a bit.” He slowly approached, but by the same token, she slowly moved back. However, Karma’s ticket-to-ride expired first when, due to the smallness of the chamber, she backed into the wall.

“Now, I don’t want trouble. I don’t want to give you what I’m named after.”

Karma sighed, and after figuring she could get probably get some answers from the “captain”, she held out her arms for the Hammer Bro. to tie.

***

Yosie watched as the computer continued to scan Wendy’s wand. With all the data together, it wouldn’t be just Koopas and Kings with wands.

He heard the cabin door open and turn around to see the Hammer Bro. escort Karma in. Yosie was slightly startled at first, but he realized that after you get over the shock of seeing someone half Yoshi, half purple-shelled Koopa, you could spot her beauty quite well.

Karma spoke. “What do you want?”

“Well,” Yosie replied as calmly as possible, “I quite obviously wanted to speak to you.”

“Well, I’m pretty good at talking back.”

“Kid, you’ve got the spunk I’ve been trying to find since I arrived on Plit. You’ve got the slenderness, the style, the attitude, and…” He formed a rectangle with his hands like when people think of photographs and centered Karma’s face, “…the looks that can kill.” He put his hands down. “Kid, I’m willing to put you in a high rank in the Game Over!”

Karma had not been expecting this. She’d been hoping he’d have spilled his plan by now, but all Yosie wanted was to put her in his ranks! But she worked with it.

“The Game Over?” she asked.

“The secret society of computer-generated minions. Led by yours truly. Our insignia:” he pointed at his shirt, “the Poison Mushroom. As it kills the body, we kill the government of whole planets, takeover, move on to another dimension, and do it all over again.”

Karma gave a quick gasp. These guys were killers, conquerors, Vikings, plundering and looting until there was nothing left to loot!

“Why would I want to join you?” Karma asked defiantly. She was trying to get him taken aback, lower his defenses, and get in what she could while the Hammer Bro. wasn’t clobbering her.

However, it didn’t work at all. In fact, he only got tougher to crack, like a nut with an insta-repair shell. “One reason in three words:” He leaned close. “I… never… lose.”

Yosie pulled back and moved to the Hammer Bro.

“Take her back to the SubShip with her sister-in-law. If she wants to change her mind, my offer still stands.” He then returned to the computer.

The Hammer Bro. led Karma out. How did he know she wasn’t one of Bowser’s kids besides the obvious? Hey, isn’t that Wendy’s wand on that computer?

The cabin door closed in her face.

***

Bowser and the Koopalings raced through the Mushroom Kingdom, which was the direction the “G. O. S. Starstruck” was headed in when it left Castle Koopa.

Only one Koopaling wasn’t going as fast as he could. Ludwig was duly worried about Karma, but he was beginning to feel very unwell. His Metbond with Karma acted up whenever he or she were far away or denied they’d Met. The slightly increasing pain meant they were barely making progress. Kamek was also with the Koopas, despite the fact he preferred solitude, but was justified by the fact he was surrogate father to Bowser and most of the Koopalings, including Wendy and Karma.

Suddenly, as they rounded the next hill, they ran into a very familiar pair.

“Mario and Luigi!” Iggy shouted.

“Not now…” Lemmy groaned.

“What do you want?” Bowser demanded.

“The princess back-a, obviously,” Mario replied.

“WHAT?!” Bowser shouted. “You mean someone else kidnapped the princess again?!”

Bowser still hadn’t gotten over the memories of Grodus and the X-Nauts, barging in on his style.

“You-a mean you didn’t take-a the princess?” Luigi asked.

“No,” Morton replied, “we were chasing a doomship that took Wendy and Karma that’s orange with a purple Mushroom on the side with red mechanical hands oh yeah hands are really useful are they not because we can pick things up and put things down and-“

Roy punched most of Morton’s teeth out.

“We’re on-a the same side AGAIN?” Mario half-asked, half-shouted.

“You bet you are!”

They all looked up. The “Starstruck” was hovering high above them, and a short distance down and lowering on the extendo-hand was…

“Yosie!” Bowser was outraged. “What did you do with Wendy?”

“And Karma!” Ludwig shouted. Most of his pains had strangely receded.

“Don’t you worry,” Yosie said in an ominous way. “They’re all just fine…”

The other four hatches opened to reveal Wendy, Karma, Toad, and Peach, struggling against the grip of the Red Glove Grabbers.

“Wendy!” “Karma!” “Princess!” “Toad!” Bowser, Ludwig, Mario, and Luigi shouted at once.

“Here’s the deal:” Yosie continued, “I’ll keep them safe for up to seven days. You have until that time to surrender your territories, and I’ll return the correct two.”

“If I do, could I have the princess instead of Karma?” Bowser asked.

“FATHER!” Ludwig shouted.

“All right, all right, never mind.”

“One week, and one week only,” Yosie finished, “but after that…” He made the slashing motion across his throat. The hand rose up into the doomship and the Red Glove Grabbers pulled their hostages in as well. Then the ship began to leave.

“Return to the castle and get the doomships. The Marios can come along too, just this once,” Bowser shouted. “I’m not going the leave that maniac with my daughter!”

***

Karma entered the captain’s cabin shortly after the threat on the two kingdoms. Once again, the black Hammer Bro. escorted her in and her hands were tied together.

“Glad to see you accepted the same invitation again,” Yosie said.

Karma knew she had to be careful. He was a boy of his word, but if she went to extremes… What would happen to Ludwig if she was killed?

“Still want me to join your ranks?”

“Well, the offer still stands until the end of the week, but I called you in for a different purpose.”

Please let him spill the beans, please let him tell me his plan, Karma was willing.

“It concerns the magic wands.”

Darn. What’s it take to crack this guy?

“I’ve finished scanning Wendy’s wand into the computer and duplicated it.”

“Dupli-WHAT?!” From what Karma knew, magic wands could only be made pure new, not cloned.

“Dup-li-ca-ted. I made an exact copy of the wand, but I added my own touch.”

“And that is…?”

“What else? A Poison Mushroom.” Yosie picked up the new wand off the computer in the back, but Karma noticed something about the tip. Instead of being solid purple like Wendy’s, it was split into four quarters of colors: white, black, orange, and purple.

“The G. O. Wand: the most powerful wand in the multiverse. I’ve already tested it magically; I’ve still got the dead minions to prove it.”

Karma was on her guard. “Then what do you need me for?”

“Simple. I need someone to test it on… physically!” With that, he swung the G. O. Wand like a baseball bat and hit Karma in the nose, which every good Mushroomer knows is a Yoshi’s most sensitive spot. Karma was instantly rendered unconscious and collapsed on the cabin floor.

“Seems to be in good working order,” Yosie teased. He turned to the Hammer Bro. “Take her down to the lab, and see what the PhD can do about that Metbond.”

***

Bowser, Mario, Luigi, the six Koopalings, Jazzman, and Kamek were in the control room for the doomship hanger, planning out the chase of the “Starstruck”. The Koopa King worked quickly, as the farther Karma got away, the more Ludwig would be in pain, and he needed Ludwig’s great mind more than ever.

“Each Koopaling will obviously take his own ship. Mario, Luigi, you’re coming with me on Wendy’s. Jazzman, Kamek, go with Ludwig. Kamek, I’ll need regular reports of Ludwig’s condition.”

Suddenly, Ludwig’s face met the table with a sharp “BONK!” Kamek helped him back up as he recovered.

“Ohh, my head…” Ludwig moaned.

“What-a happened?” Luigi asked.

Kamek was settling for short sentences. “Sudden loss of consciousness. Had to be the Metbond. Karma must have been knocked out.”

Suddenly, Ludwig began to double over with pain.

“Oh, no!” Kamek half-panicked, “He’s feeling pain from the bond. Someone’s trying to mettle with it!”

“We have no time to lose!” Bowser announced, standing up, “We’re casting off… NOW!”

***

Contrary to most doomships, the pipe in the stern of the G. O. S. Starstruck did not lead into the captain’s cabin. Instead, it led to a lab in the ship’s hold.

The lab was run by a group of X-Naut PhDs that had lost their loyalty to Grodus when he was defeated by Mario. This group that joined Game Over looked like regular X-Nauts of their profession, except their lab coats were black with the Poison Mushroom on the right chest pocket, and the middle of the X on their torsos was covered by another Poison Mushroom.

One of the most advanced PhDs had Karma A. Koopa strapped to the lab table with a strange helmet on her head, so still those that couldn’t tell she was breathing would have started planning her funeral. The scientist tapped furiously at his keyboard, trying his best to remove, or at the very least weaken, what the reporting Hammer Bro. called a “Metbond”. The PhD had read on the subject in old books out of sheer boredom one night, but before now, he would have reported a Section Eight to the superior of anyone that wanted anything to do with Metbonds.

But he knew perfectly that the leader of Game Over had no superiors for him to report to. He continued his typing.

After what seemed like eternity, he heard footsteps behind him. He turned around and saw that Yosie was approaching him.

“Any progress?” he asked.

“Not much,” the scientist reported. “I’ve managed to weaken it a bit, but I can’t do much else.” He got ready to defend himself. The leader wanted lots of progress, and the report of little of it was sure to anger him.

“In the case of Metbonds, a little weaker is a lot of progress. Keep at it for another hour, then write up a report for me and return the subject to SubShip 1.”

The PhD didn’t expect this at all. “Right away, sir.”

Yosie left, leaving the scientist and the sleeping Karma.

***

The doomships blasted off from Bowser’s hanger. There was only one slight change of plans: while Kamek tried to help relieve Ludwig of his pain, Jazzman was made acting captain of Ludwig’s ship. While Jazzman was almost as smart as Ludwig (trust me, that’s saying something), many of the crew couldn’t quite understand what he was saying, and not from using big uncommon words. After all, “daddy-o” could mean anybody!

Back to Ludwig. Kamek had given him a sleeping potion to rest the pain off, but Kamek just needed another opportunity to get into his head.

Once he successfully deployed the nightshade spell to knock him out, Kamek returned to Ludwig’s mind and made his way to where he’d seen the Metbond on his first trip. This time, he wasn’t going to attempt to interfere; he’d had enough trouble the first time. This time, it was just to observe, unless it was critical.

Kamek, however, was not expecting the sight he saw. The “vines” that represented the Metbond were different from last time. They had turned red and looked… withered.

What’s going on? Kamek thought. Nothing is supposed to alter the Metbond after it is set…

***

“You WHAT?!”

Karma was once again in Yosie’s cabin.

“Let me say this again,” Yosie said. “I managed to weaken your Metbond.”

“But Kamek said that it was nearly impossible to remove or alter a Metbond!”

“Kamek is old and old-fashioned. He relies on his magic, but never takes technology into account. I’ve proven twice that computers can do anything and everything: I’ve copied the uncopyable; I’ve altered the unalterable. Is this not evidence enough for you?”

“Why would you want to sever my Metbond?”

“Simple. You are hated in Castle Koopa for being half-Yoshi. You were a free spirit and wish to remain that way. The only thing keeping you tethered to the Koopas, and away from my offer, is your Metbond with Ludwig.”

Karma gave a small gasp. How did he know this?

“You’re probably wondering how I know this,” he continued. “I do not just look like I’m from Earth. I am from Earth. I was digging in the backyard when I uncovered the warp pipe, wearing what I have now. I have a regular desktop computer in my house, and using my superior programming skills, I created minions, organized under the Poisoned Mushroom. Thus Game Over began.

“When I went through the warp pipe, I was dropped off in a large rocky outcropping, almost a cave. My and my minions started to build the headquarters of Game Over, and all the computers in it. From those, I made more underlings, and more, from different games with one goal: to serve and protect me and if necessary, any other future leaders of my society.

“Then we started the doomship fleet. G. O. S. stands for ‘Game Over Ship’. The ship you’ve been on for the past three hours is the ‘Starstruck’, the leader of the fleet and my personal ship. There’s also the G. O. S. Brainfreeze, hauling the Game Over’s largest supply of the ever-chilly liquid nitrogen; the G. O. S. Volcano, holding the most offensive weaponry in the multiverse; the G. O. S. Mystic, crewed only by Magikoopas specializing in magical warfare; and finally, the G. O. S. Solarstorm, using heat and flame to melt the enemy into a puddle.”

Karma began to sweat, and it wasn’t from hearing about the Solarstorm. This guy was a computer genius and there were four more doomships, possibly more lethal then this one? What limits did this guy have?

“Long before I was lucky enough to uncover that warp pipe,” Yosie continued, “I visited the website known as Lemmy’s Land, made by your brother-in-law, nearly every day. During that, I learned thoroughly about the two kingdoms, Bowser, Mario and the rest of the goodie-goodies, the seven Koopalings, Jazzman, and most of all, you. Half-Yoshi, shunned by who you’re tethered to, except Ludwig of course. Tough when called for. When I started Game Over, I decided to take you in as a very very important officer. The only thing keeping you from the front line is that tone-deft jerk. Since I can’t eliminate him, which would result in killing you, my only choice would be to weaken the Metbond long enough to remove it. When I pull off the miracle of the millennia, then you might accept my offer. Might.”

Yosie moved to the Hammer Bro. “She knows too much now. Take her to SubShip 3.”

The Hammer escorted the very confused and very upset Karma out of the room.

***

When he woke up in his cabin, Ludwig reported something that was very good for the combined cause in two ways: his own welfare, and their progress in the chase of the Starstruck. The report was Ludwig was feeling much better than when they had left the hanger; this meant not only was the elder Koopaling going to avoid falling gravely ill, but that they were getting close to Karma, and where Karma was, Yosie was.

Minutes after Kamek gave Bowser the good news, one of the Troopas reported seeing the Starstruck ten degrees off the port bow. Bowser then had all doomships turn appropriately and go full speed ahead.

When he spotted the distant doomship on the horizon, however, Ludwig was worried. His pains should have been a lot stronger at this distance, but it was like the Starstruck was only half the distance away. Kamek told him that someone had attempted to interfere with the Metbond between him and Karma… and succeeded.

But that is impossible! Ludwig thought.Illogical!

Or is it?...

***

Sometime after his long “conversation” with Karma, Yosie left the cabin and took a deep breath.

“I love the smell of evil in the morning. Or afternoon. Whatever.”

He climbed up to the helm where the pipe to the lab went, but instead of taking the pipe, he hopped up to a nearby Bolt Lift and, spinning across with expert skill, hopped onto the top of SubShip 3.

Each of the SubShips held its own mini-arsenal of weaponry. SubShip 1 sported three cannons and three Bill Blasters. SubShip 3 had two turrets. SubShip 2 held one weapon: the infamous MegaCannon. Each also had a Red Glove Grabber hatch on top. It was more often used to communicate with the prisoners then launch the mechanical hands.

And speaking of prisoners…

Yosie opened the hatch and popped his head inside. Karma was curled up in a corner, quietly sobbing.

“Hello, Karma, how are we now?”

“I’m a lot better, thank you.”

“What do you mean, a lot better?”

“Well, my stomach is cramping up a lot less. If you’re such a genius, you’d know what that means.”

Yosie did, and he became worried. Leaving the SubShip, he moved to the stern and peered out towards the horizon.

Yes… a good distance away… a set of seven rapidly approaching doomships.

Returning to his cabin, Yosie popped open the talk pipe to the armory.

“Yosie to armory. Come in armory.”

“Armory here, sir Yosie.” Customary, considering there was a Koopatrol down there. “What can I do for you?”

“Prepare the cannons and the Bill Blasters, and prep the MegaCannon. We’ve got company, and I plan to give them a tour of this ship’s firepower. I’m gonna make sure these seven will be star struck!”

***

Bowser was happy when the Starstruck got closer and closer, but a voice that penetrated the air shattered his thoughts.

“Decided to surrender the kingdom already, Bowser?” It was Yosie.

“No, I want my kid back, and Ludwig wants his Met!”

“His Met, eh? He won’t have one by the time I’m through with Karma. But if you really want it…”

“Of course I do.”

A sound of laughter that could only belong to a maniac rang the air.

“I was hoping you’d say that!”

Suddenly, cannons, Bill Blasters, and turrets appeared all over the ship and began to pepper Bowser’s doomship.

Mario and Luigi emerged from the galley and saw the barrage. “Mamamia!” they both cried.

“RETURN FIRE!” Bowser shouted. The crew started to fire a barrage of cannonballs and Bullet Bills. Some Koopatrols even brought out Bombshell Bill Cannons.

“Sorry to disappoint you, Bowser, but I’m not in the mood to have my flagship be turned into Swiss cheese!”

All of a sudden, the cannonballs, Bullet Bills, and Bombshell Bills reversed direction and headed back to the ship from whence it came, adding more to the bombardment.

“ABANDON SHIP!” Bowser shouted. Ludwig’s and Morton’s ships pulled even with Wendy’s as it began to nosedive. Bowser and Luigi and half of the crew got on Ludwig’s vessel, and Mario and the rest got with Morton.

***

Yosie watched Wendy’s ship nosedive from the sky from a peephole in his cabin. He moved to the speaking tube in the engine room.

“Yosie to Engines. How are things?”

“Very well, Master.” The head engineer was a Goomba. “If that new wand of yours didn’t detour those bullets, they would’ve hit us.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Yosie replied impatiently, “just get us going full steam ahead. I want to drop off our cargo.”

***

“What-a did he do to-a the Bullet Bills?” Luigi asked Bowser as Kamek tended to the king’s slight burn wounds.

“Only some very powerful magic, that I know,” Bowser replied.

“Very powerful?” Kamek replied, “Very powerful?! King Koopa, magic that can reroute a Bombshell Bill is not of Plit or any other planet in the multiverse!”

“Multiverse?” Luigi asked, “What’s-a that?”

“Let me put it this way,” Kamek put as he continued. “There’s the universe Earth is in, there’s the universe Plit is in, there’s the parallel universe Bowser 52589 is in, and several others. Collectively, that’s the multiverse.”

“Ahh…”

“But magic that strong is impossible,” Kamek said. “Only a super strong power-up could merge with a wand to create that much power, but no such item can exist!”

“Improbable and illogical?” Ludwig said.

“Precisely,” Kamek confirmed. “Yosie has done the impossible.”

All of a sudden, Ludwig leaned forward in his seat and groaned.

“Are you all right, Prince von Koopa?” Kamek asked.

Ludwig had slight trouble getting the words out.

“Karma… getting further… The cramps are coming back…”

Bowser looked out the porthole and saw the Starstruck was a good distance away.

“Let’s get going,” he said.

Just then…

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMM!!!

The whole ship rocked violently with the explosion.

Ludwig moved (with some difficulty) to the speaker pipe to the engines, which was run by a Paratroopa.

“Engines!” Ludwig gasped into the tube. “What has occurred?”

“A Bullet Bill from the Starstruck destroyed the main engine. We’re going to have to send for a new one from the hanger. It’ll take a few hours. Don’t worry a bit; we’ll be able to keep vertical, but we’re dead in the water, or rather the air, until the new engine arrives.”

Great, just great, Ludwig thought.

“Best get back to bed, Prince von Koopa,” Kamek suggested. “Your cramps are going to get worse.”

“No,” Ludwig said. “Karma needs me, and I’m not going to wait!”

Kamek was shocked. Not only was Ludwig defining who he truly trusted, he was using short, easy-to-understand words.

Ludwig ran out of the cabin and down the ship, then hopped onto Morton’s passing ship with Mario. Along the way, Jazzman said, “Whoa, daddy-o, where’re you going?” but he missed it.

“Ludwig!” Morton cried, as he was scrolling on the deck out of boredom, “What are you doing here this is my ship you’re supposed to be on that one over there that’s your-“

Ludwig elbowed Morton in the stomach.

“Get this doomship after my Met’s kidnapper,” Ludwig threatened, “or suffer the alternative.”

“He said,” Kamek shouted over, “chase after the Starstruck or else!”

“Right away!” Morton said. He was too scared to speak himself into a speech.

Once Morton left to start the engine, Ludwig moved to the bow of the doomship.

“Don’t worry, Karma,” he said to himself. “I’m coming.”

***

Wendy, Karma, Peach, and Toad stood on the Starstruck’s deck near the bow, being held in place by the Red Glove Grabbers. Yosie had requested that the “passengers” be on deck for landing in the Game Over HQ. As they moved forward, Yosie on the bow with the G. O. Wand and the Hammer Bro. nearby with a megaphone, they approached a nearby range of huge purple mountains.

“Toad,” Peach whispered, “isn’t that Mount Majesty, the biggest mountain in the range that’s supposed to mark the edge of the Mushroom Kingdom?”

“Shut it,” the Hammer Bro. scolded.

Mt. Majesty had three small caves in its front. They looked like evil eyes and a toothy grin. The Starstruck moved towards the middle of the mouth.

“Those caves are only four feet deep into the mountain!” Wendy shouted. “We’re going to crash, and I’ll break a nail!”

“Shut your mouth, my friend,” Yosie said, and that moment, the ship stopped right before entering the cave that was the mouth.

“Pass me the megaphone,” Yosie commanded, and the Hammer Bro. approached and put the megaphone in Yosie’s outstretched hand.

“This is the G. O. S. Starstruck,” Yosie called into the cave through the megaphone, “calling the G. O. hanger. Requesting permission to land at Dock 3.”

A voice that sounded like a Fire Bro. came in from the mountain. “Permission granted. Welcome back, boss.”

“Is that you, 666, my trusty second-in-command?” Yosie responded.

“Yep, boss. Dock doors opening. Welcome back to the Game Over HQ.”

Suddenly, flashing red lights came from the cave, arranged in a shape like a number 3. After a while, the sound of hydraulics filled the ears of the captain as the door, in the shape of a circle, pushed forward a bit while turning a full ninety degrees to the right. After that happened, the door parted down the middle to reveal a round tunnel.

“Take us forward.” Yosie grinned evilly as the Hammer Bro. passed the command to the engine room and the Starstruck moved into the tunnel.

Ha ha, Yosie thought. That Bullet Bill I launched as we left will keep the whole fleet occupied long enough for me to destroy the Metbond. Then I’ll be untraceable. Nothing will stop me from conquering the Mushroom and Koopa Kingdoms… then Plit… then the multiverse!

The tunnel had no illumination whatsoever, so they were shrouded in darkness, except for a faint glow from the tip of the G. O. Wand. The tunnel seemed to take hours to go through.

Soon, another circle at the end opened in a similar way and they entered the doomship hanger. The area was long. There were a total of five docks. The Starstruck was heading toward the one in the middle, since there was no room for it to turn. The ship on the far left was an icy blue and was holding a huge tank in the middle of it that looked frozen. The one on the Starstruck’s immediate left was red, and there were so many cannons and Bill Blasters and even Bombshell Bill Blasters that there was almost no deck space. On the immediate right was a purple doomship. The only creatures on it were Magikoopas of varying colors, but mostly blue. The last dock was empty, but Karma, the only one of the four captives who knew about the different doomships, figured that Dock 5 was reserved for the Solarstorm.

The Starstruck pulled into Dock 3 and a plank extended to the deck from a staircase to the platform. A Fire Bro. and several Koopatrols boarded. All their shells and armor were midnight black with the Poison Mushroom on their shells.

“666, my only truly trustworthy officer,” Yosie said to the Fire Bro. as the Koopatrols approached the hostages with blindfolds, “I trust things are going smoothly, since the HQ is still in one piece.

Karma was blinded by the red cloth over her eyes. A few seconds after it was secure, the pressure caused by the Red Glove Grabber disappeared. She figured the hand had released her, but in her blinded state, she dared not run. A metal hand grabbed her hands and pulled them together, and then she felt a ring of cold metal around her wrists. She was being handcuffed.

“Considering they’re not going anywhere for a while,” she heard Yosie speak, “perhaps we could introduce them to the Commandos.”

Commandos? On Plit, those were two ranks beneath the highest in an army, sort of like third-in-commands, Karma recalled.

Suddenly, her body spontaneously pushed her forward. No wait, it wasn’t spontaneous, as she felt the chill of metal on her shell.

“Come on,” came the gruff voice of a Koopatrol. “The third-in-commands are waiting.” A metallic chill hit her shoulders simultaneously as the Koopatrol’s armor began to steer her forward.

By now, Karma was helpless. She was bound and blindfolded. If the Koopatrol controlling her body movement decided it would be a great joke to throw her off a cliff… but then Yosie’s wand would probably fry him. The threat of that gave her an unnatural trust in her captor.

The sound of wood was quickly replaced by that of ply board, and she found it sagged in one spot. This must be the plank, Karma thought. It was soon replaced by the sound of metal, and a few seconds later, the Koopatrol held her back.

“Watch your step,” he said. Karma slowly placed one foot forward and lowered it to the next step, then kept it up until she reached the bottom. There was a sudden right turn, followed by going straight for a long time. The first third of the straightaway was metal, but then it changed to hard rock. There was another right turn, and Karma could tell they were beginning to spiral downward in what seemed to be a huge cylinder.

After about fifteen minutes, there was another right turn, and Karma hit metal again. They walked for another five minutes before she was stopped. There was a hiss behind her, followed by the door closing.

“Well, well, well, what have we here?” a female voice said. Karma recognized it. It sounded like…

…Susan!

“Remove the blindfolds,” Yosie sounded, and the Koopatrol holding Karma released his grip and untied the blindfold.

After Karma’s eyes readjusted to the light, she could see they were in a room that looked like one Ludwig had told her about. She couldn’t remember what he’d said exactly, but he’d said something about the X-Nauts… She looked at Peach, and noted that she seemed very familiar with the room.

Then Karma noticed four figures standing before them. One of them looked like the Duplighosts Bowser had hired a long time ago, but he wore a party hat and blue bow tie, and the mouth looked like a jack-o’-lantern classic. Another looked like one of the X-Nauts she’d seen on the Starstruck, but he had an orange mustache, black shirt, white straps, and purple hat and pants. The smallest looked like a Bob-omb Buddy. The last one was…

“Susan?” Wendy let out her surprise before Karma could. “What are you doing here? Are you a captive too?”

“Quite obviously not,” Susan replied. “After all, do I look like I’m handcuffed? I’ve been working for the Game Over since I heard Yosie would get the Koopa Kingdom. Fair retribution for what you did to me!”

Peach was the next one to speak, this time to the large X-Naut.

“I remember now! You’re Crump!”

“That’s LORD Crump to you!” the large X-Naut rebutted. “Glad to see the boss decided to catch you and leave you at my mercy!”

“Can it, Slick!” the Duplighost said.

“It’s Lord Crump, Doopliss!”

“Whatever. She’s the date of that plumber Mario, isn’t she?”

“We’re just friends!” Peach defended.

“Really?” the Bob-omb said. “To be honest, I thought you were really close.”

Peach stuttered, “Bo- Bombette?”

“Thanks for noticing,” Bombette said, “not. Especially after I found out you and Mario were just using me!” She was close to tears.

“Easy there,” Yosie said in a comforting tone as he approached Bombette. “I actually care about you. Here, how about I get you a snack?”

“Oh, Puh-LEEESE!” Crump said. “That is so phony!”

A fireball smacked Crump in the chest.

“Don’t talk about your commanding officer like that!” 666 scolded.

“A snack would be nice…” Bombette said.

“No problem,” Yosie said in almost a whisper. “Just give me a minute.” He moved to 666. “Take the hostages to the dungeons while I cheer up Bombette.”

“Right away, boss,” 666 saluted, and then moved to the Koopatrols.

“Blindfolds back on!”

And sure enough, Karma was once again blinded.

***

Ludwig, Morton, and Mario stood on the bow of the doomship. Steady as they went, Ludwig’s pain began to subside. This could only mean they were getting closer.

After what seemed like forever to Ludwig, the doomship entered the airspace near the purple mountain range.

“We’re on-a the edge of the Mushroom Kingdom,” Mario said. “That’s Mt. Majesty.”

“There must be a way in,” Morton started, “because Ludwig’s Metbond isn’t acting up is it of course it’s not so that means that Wendy and Karma and Peach and Toad are all near here along with the Starstruck and-“

Ludwig held up his fist.

“…Yosie,” Morton finished in a squealing voice.

“Down-a there!” Mario shouted.

Ludwig and Morton peered over the side of the doomship and saw a cave inside at the base of Mt. Majesty.

“Why are we delaying? We must lower the vessel immediately!” Ludwig shouted.

“He-a said to land,” Mario translated.

After getting over the shock of seeing Mario do something smart, Morton moved to the engines to land. Ludwig turned back to the mountain.

Just a few more minutes, Karma, Ludwig thought. I’m almost there.

***

“Another hot dog, Bombette?”

“Yes, please.”

As it turns out, the center of the Game Over HQ held the Mushroom Bowl, which Yosie built to entertain his computer-programmed troops. It also was the cafeteria of the base, so it came with a food court. Yosie had treated Bombette to several hot dogs, and they sat at a table, sharing the hoard as, being the leader, every shop in the base had a 100% off sale just for him.

“Say, Yosie?”

“Yeah, Bombette?”

“Do you really care about me, or are you just trying to suck up?”

Yosie almost choked.

“Of course I care!” he said after he regained his breath. “Who else would hire you into one of the most important ranks of the Game Over?”

“You hired Susan.”

“She was your best friend since you two teamed up. You don’t break up a matched pair like that. Look, if I was a Bob-omb, I wouldn’t mind splitting a meal with you one night. That’s how much I care. Tell you what. I’ll give you an offer.”

“What’s that?” Bombette knew the boss had a thing with offers.

“If Mario and Luigi refuse to surrender the Mushroom Kingdom by the end of the week, I will have to kill Peach and Toad. And after how Peach treated you, I’m starting to think she deserves an extra-special death.”

“Such as…?”

“Bob-ombs blowing up all around her, one right after the other. And since you can explode without hurting yourself, and I’m not in the mood to sacrifice so many Bob-ombs…”

Bombette began to hop up and down. “Can I do it? Huh? Huh? Can I? Can I?”

“I don’t know…” Yosie teased.

“Please? Please? PLEEEEEAAAASSSSSEEE?”

She starting to give me that eye again, Yosie thought.

“Ah, why not?”

“Yippee!” She began to give off small explosions in her joy.

“You know, Bombette?”

“Know what?”

“That of out of all my Commandos, you’re my favorite.”

Little did the pair realize that sitting at a nearby table, a Hammer Bro. was munching on a hot dog. But this Hammer Bro. was not truly a Hammer Bro.

***

Mario, Ludwig, and Morton continued through the tunnel at the base of Mt. Majesty. They landed the doomship out of sight of the mountain, and then Ludwig borrowed a handkerchief from Mario to gag Morton with it.

After several twists and turns, they came across a stairway leading into the heart of the mountain.

“Shall we?” Ludwig asked.

“Why-a not?” replied Mario.

The plumber took one step on the lowermost stair and suddenly Thowmps fell from a concealed location in the ceiling and surrounded the three.

***

Doopliss entered the Commandos room. Crump and Susan were there.

“Well?” Susan asked.

“I did what you told me to do,” Doopliss reported. “I stole the body of a Hammer Bro, entered the food court, and overheard Yosie tell Bombette, and I quote, ‘Out of all my Commandos, you’re my favorite.’ End quote.”

“So he’s not using Bombette,” Crump figured. “He’s using us!”

“That’s what I figure,” Susan replied. “He doesn’t care about us. Just little Bombette.”

At that moment, the door opened to reveal Yosie with a cross expression on his face.

“For the record,” he said as he entered and the door closed behind him, “I focus on Bombette because she has faced very serious abuse in her past.”

“What, my cousins trying to kill me every sleepover I come over isn’t being abused?” Susan asked sarcastically.

“Shut it. Bombette was betrayed by the ones she thought she could trust. Her morale is taking a bigger fall than that of employees in the Dilbert comic strip.”

“Who’s Dilbert?” Doopliss asked.

“Never you mind. Point being, she needs moral support more than ever, and that means sucking up to her, but both she and I know when to draw the line. Understand now?”

But before the three Commandos could reply, 666 came in.

“Boss, we captured three intruders trying to enter through the base tunnel.”

“Really?” Yosie turned to the Commandos. “Come on, you three, let’s see who we snagged.”

***

Several crowds gathered round Mario, Morton, and Ludwig as they emerged in the central chamber of the base, on the cavern floor. There were Shy Guys, Goombas, Koopas of all sorts, Bob-ombs, X-Nauts, Duplighosts, almost every species, even a field of Crazy Dayzees and a handful of Amazee Dayzees.

Suddenly, a part of the crowd parted and six figures came down the path. At the front was Yosie. Behind him was a Fire Bro. Mario recognized three of the four other figures: Doopliss, Crump, and Bombette. Ludwig recognized Bombette and Susan. Morton, of course, knew only Susan.

“Well, well, well, who have we here?” Yosie said in a dangerous voice.

“It appears to be Mario and two of the Koopa-“ 666 started, until Yosie’s fist slammed him upside the helmet.

“I know that!” he said. “I’m just building the suspense.”

Susan took the time while Yosie was distracted to stick her tongue out at Ludwig. Yosie turned to the trio of “heroes”.

“What are you doing in my base?”

“Rescuing-a the girls, of-a course,” Mario said.

“And where’s the rest of the rescue squad?”

“Stalling long enough for a new internal combustion machine, as the previous unit was utterly shattered from my vessel by you!” Ludwig cried.

“In other words, waiting for your ship to get a new engine since my Bullet Bill destroyed it. I’m happy to report that your efforts are in vain.”

Yosie pulled out the G. O. Wand.

“Keep them surrounded,” he uttered to the watching minions, and when he and the Commandos were clear, they tightened their circle.

“Spread out along the length of the group. Crump, once the force field is up, shout ‘Punish them,’” Yosie commanded 666 and the Commandos.

They moved so that if Morton, Ludwig, and Mario were to escape, they would have to pass one of them.

Yosie turned the G. O. Wand upside down and stuck it in the ground.

“Barrier Beam!” he cried. A blue wall of energy surrounded the trio and approaching minions.

“PUNISH THEM!” Crump cried to the mob.

All the baddies in the field pounded on top of the trio. They all tried their punches and Ludwig launched a few fireballs, but they began to get worn down to unconscious.

***

All four hostages shared a cell. They lay against the far wall out of boredom and worry.

Toad tried to cheer everyone up. “Don’t worry, girls. I’m sure someone will try to rescue us.”

The cell door squeaked open. They turned to see Ludwig, Morton, and Mario, unconscious and in that order, fly into the cell and crash into the wall.

“Here’re your rescuers, ladies!” one of the two Koopatrols shouted as he closed the door with a slam. Both started laughing their shells off.

Karma stood up and dived for the Koopatrols, trying to grab them through the bars, but they stood just out of reach.

“When I get my hands on you two, you’ll wish Yosie hadn’t made you!”

“Save it for the boss, you heterozygous hybrid,” the second Koopatrol retorted. “Wouldn’t want to trigger a disorder!” Both of them were laughing high and mighty as they left.

Stunned, Karma watched them leave. After two minutes, she regained her voice.

“’Heterozygous’? What’d they do, take language lessons from Ludwig?”

“Heterozygous: Adjective. A hybrid for a certain genetic trait by having both the dominant and recessive allele,” a moan that sounded like Ludwig emerged from where the Koopatrols left the rescuers.

The said three were trying to stand up.

“You ok, Ludwig?” Wendy asked as the other three hostages approached Morton, Mario, and Ludwig.

“Simply slightly harmed,” Ludwig replied as he dusted himself off. “Karma, have you blacked out for the briefest of moments during the previous…” He pulled a gold clock out of his shell, studied if for a moment, and then replaced it, “…two minutes?”

“No,” Karma replied. “Why?”

“Then we have reached a critical error,” Ludwig continued. “When you were disabled aboard the Starstruck, I entered unconscious for precisely a half-second, according to Kamek. Since then, my suffering due to distance has gradually decreased. Do you possess the cause of this phenomenon?”

“He-a said he’s not cramping as-a much as-a he should and wants-a to know why,” Mario said.

Everyone in the cell stared at him.

“Don’t-a ask.”

“Well,” Karma replied, “Yosie said he had some way to weaken the Metbond, and after seeing what he can do, that’s actually a possibility.”

“But that’s both improbable and illogical!”

Yosie’s voice pierced the air. “Improbable, but not impossible, and perfectly logical.”

Turning toward the mesh, they saw Yosie on the other side of the bars.

“While you were unconscious aboard the Starstruck, I analyzed the chemical makeup of the Metbond from the report the PhD gave me. I then synthesized a potion that would counteract the chemicals, weakening it further. I then used the G. O. Wand to cast a Time Halt spell and took the chance to inject it into your bloodstream.”

“You have no proof!” Karma shouted.

“On the contrary, I do,” Yosie said. “Have you noticed you have felt nearly no cramping since you entered the base?”

Karma was dumbstruck. It was true, she hadn’t.

“The truth hits you like a Thunder Rage, doesn’t it, Karma A. Koopa? Come tomorrow the Metbond will be completely dissolved. Before then, I’ll eject Ludwig with the same potion. This will make sure both ends meet. Best prepare the shot now. I’ll see you later.” He left.

Oh, we’re in trouble now… Karma thought. The only ones who know where the base is have been caught by this genius. Plus, once the Metbond is gone, he’s free to get rid of Ludwig… and despite what Bowser’s done to me, I’m not about to let that happen!

***

Bowser was furious. Three of his kids were gone, and he was stuck with Luigi. At least had Lemmy picked him, Luigi, and Kamek up. Nothing could get worse… Then a call came into his cabin while he was brooding.

“Yosie to Bowser, Yosie to Bowser. Come in, Bowser.”

Bowser grabbed the microphone of the two-way radio. "Yosie! How dare you contact me?!”

“Oh, yeah? Well, three of your retrieval squad has been captured: Mario, Ludwi,g and Morton.”

“WHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTT?!” The roar rocked the doomship.

“You still have until the end of the week. If you don’t surrender your kingdom, then they will die along with the other four!”

There was a click, and then the dial tone. Yosie had hung up.

Bowser slammed the microphone down. Then there was a flash of lightning, a clap of thunder, and a heavy downpour.

Bowser burst out into the rain. “Keep those engines moving!” he cried. “Full speed in Morton’s wake! I’m not about to let that psycho go that far!”

***

Yosie put down the receiver of his radio-phone.

“That’ll give him something to think about,” he said.

He was currently in the central control for the base. From his swivel chair, he could see several devices and screens showing the base. One was hooked to a camera outside, and he was glad to see a thunderstorm. That’ll delay Bowser and Luigi for a while, thought Yosie.

He hit a button on his chair and it lowered itself to the lowest level, where it connected to the stone spiral walkway that went through the heart of the mountain. Getting up, he made his way down the path to the lab.

When he arrived, the Commandos were talking. He cleared his throat. The four officers stopped their conversation and turned to him.

“Crump, I’m in need of the most advanced X-Naut PhD on the force. Could you find him and bring him here?”

“Certainly,” Crump said as he left.

“Susan, where’s my vat of the anti-Metbond solution?”

“On the Brainfreeze, I believe.”

“Right, have five Koopatrols and two Chargin’ Chucks bring it here. Make sure the Solarstorm has also arrived at the dock.”

“Of course.” Susan left.

“Doopliss, I need you to assume the form of an X-Naut.”

“Check,” Doopliss said, and in a puff of purple smoke, he was gone, replaced by the form of a lowly X-Naut.

A few minutes later, Crump came back with the most experienced X-Naut PhD he could find. A few minutes after that, Susan returned, followed by five Koopatrols, two Chargin’ Chucks, and a huge vat.

“The Solarstorm has returned, Yosie,” Susan reported.

“Right,” Yosie said. “Gather ‘round, everyone. Here’s what we’re going to do…”

***

An X-Naut wearing a gas mask entered the prison area.

“All right everyone, hold your breath. Some contamination of some sort infested the area and we need to isolate it.”

Mario, Peach, Toad, Wendy, Morton, Ludwig, and Karma took in very deep breaths and held it.

“Ok,” the X-Naut said, “whatever you do, don’t breathe out!” He moved down the corridor.

However, once out of sight, the X-Naut hid around a corner, stifling a giggle. He pulled out a walkie-talkie.

“This is Doopliss to Yosie. Come in, Yosie,” he whispered into the walkie-talkie.

“Yosie here,” the speaker of the communicator buzzed. “Are the birds holding the air?”

“Yeah, the dorks. The eagle should land any moment now.”

Doopliss waited for eight minutes. Then he heard the crash as one of the prisoners fell to the floor. Another few minutes passed, and two more fainted. It was a further ten minutes before all seven were down.

Not wasting time, Doopliss ran over, unlocked the cage door, pulled out Ludwig, and relocked the door. He pulled out the communicator again.

“Doopliss to Susan. The eagle has landed. Send in the tigers.”

Five Koopatrols entered the prison area. One, with a tank of knockout gas, covered Ludwig’s mouth and nose with the nozzle, waited for five minutes, and pulled it back. Then they all picked him up and carried him to the lab, which was a tough uphill climb.

In the lab, Yosie stuck a clean needle into the now-unfrozen vat and pulled out some of the chemicals. Six Koopatrols came in with Ludwig and put him on the examination table.

“Six?” Yosie asked. “Weren’t there only five? And where’s Doopliss?”

In a puff of purple smoke, one of the Koopatrols turned into Doopliss.

“I’m right here.”

“Ok.” Yosie turned to the PhD and passed him the shot. “Give this Koopaling a dose of this.”

“A simple shot?” the PhD asked. “That’s IT?!”

Yosie gave him a menacing glare.

“Right away,” the doctor said nervously. He turned to Ludwig and gave him the shot in the arm.

“Nice work, doc,” Yosie said. “Expect a bit extra in your paycheck.”

“I don’t have a paycheck.”

“Then expect a paycheck.” He moved to the Koopatrols. “Return Prince von Koopa to his cell.”

The Koopatrols gladly did as they were bidden, because they knew from here, it was all downhill.

Yosie turned to the PhD. “Now, I have an extra special job for you…”

***

The other six prisoners regained conscious. They noticed Ludwig was missing.

“What happened?” Wendy asked, “When was the air sanitized?”

“I think we were lied to,” Karma said. “He only told us the air was toxic so we ran out of breath and passed out.”

“Forget that-a!” Mario said. “Where’s-a Ludwig?”

At that moment, the five Koopatrols brought in the still-unconscious Ludwig, threw him on the cell floor, and left.

“Ludwig?” Toad asked.

A groan. “Ohh…” He opened his eyes a bit. “Could someone stop the room? I’d like to get off…”

After a few minutes, Ludwig managed to pull himself together.

“He injected the identical chemicals into my bloodstream?”

“Yep,” Karma replied, “and now, once the Metbond is gone, I’m prime for his job application, and you’re Chain Chomp meat.”

“Let’s talk about something else,” Peach suggested.

“Hey-a, Ludwig?” Mario said, “Remember on-a Cookie Mountain? That was-a so easy! You shot-a fireballs, but they were easy to-a dodge. I stomped you on-a the head, you-a spun toward me, but-a that was also-a slow, and-a I jumped-“

“Hold that thought,” Karma said. “Ludwig, did you ever think of shooting fire at the bars to get out?”

“Uh… negative.”

“Well, DUH! Melt the bars and we can stow away on a doomship or something.”

“Brilliant, Karma! For what reason did yours truly not deduct that conclusion?”

“He-a said-“ Mario started, but Karma interrupted.

“I KNOW what he said. Well, Ludwig, what are we waiting for?”

“A single miniature underworld approaching,” Ludwig said as he turned to the bars. “Move away, or suffer a chance of burn.”

“One small inferno coming up. Back off or you might get fried!” Morton shouted.

***

Yosie had returned to central control. He was rubbing his arm where the needle had hit his skin.

“Grr, I hate shots,” he muttered, “but it’s essential to my survival right now.”

Suddenly, an alarm sounded and the room began to flash red.

“Security breech, security breech,” the standard female computer voice sounded. “Prisoner escape.”

“Give me the camera of the hostages’ cell!” Yosie shouted.

The chair swiveled to a monitor where it displayed an empty cell, but the feature Yosie noticed that shouldn’t have been there was a gaping hole in the bars.

“GAH! I totally forgot! Ludwig can blow fire! They’ll pay for this!”

He slammed the chair controls and they dropped down one level, which was the bunk area for the Commandos. All four had been napping a few minutes prior until they woke up due to the alarm.

“Those jokers got away!” Yosie shouted. “Follow me!”

The chair descended fully, and the Commandos jumped in the hole after it.

***

The seven hostages ran up the ramp to the doomship docks. It was clearly labeled with a flashing red doomship icon, but a siren sounded through the tunnel, meaning they had been found out.

Halfway up, Yosie, 666, and the Commandos intercepted them.

“Where do you think you’re going, Slick?” Doopliss teased.

“I know,” Bombette answered. “Down.”

“Six of them are,” Yosie said as he pulled out the G. O. Wand and waved it.

“Cover of Night!” Yosie cried.

Suddenly, a cloak of black enveloped everybody.

Karma’s scream pierced the air.

“Karma!” Ludwig cried.

The night cover disappeared. Only six of the seven prisoners were there.

“Up there!” Toad and Wendy cried at once.

They looked, and saw that the six enemies were running toward the doomship dock. Ludwig was the first to notice Yosie holding Karma under his arm.

“They’ve got Karma! Hurry!” Ludwig cried as they dashed up after their captors.

The six foes turned into the dock. By the time our “heroes” reached the door, only Ludwig, Mario, Wendy, and Morton were able to catch up.

“This is now my affair alone,” Ludwig said. “The rest of you should head to the tunnel at the mountain base.”

“I’m-a going whether you-a like it or-a not!” Mario cried.

“I’ll take the rest down,” Wendy called, and she, Peach, Toad, and Morton reversed direction and took the spiral down.

Mario and Ludwig got through the dock door just in time to see Yosie slam dunk Karma down the pipe to the Starstruck's lab.

“Open the dock doors!” he shouted. “Full speed ahead! Retract the platform!”

Mario and Ludwig hurried up the stairs and leaped for their life from the pulling in platform as the dock doors opened and the Starstruck’s engine started up, full power. They managed to get the edge and climb up before the doomship entered the tunnel.

“To the bow!” Yosie cried. The six foes moved to the bow. Mario started to chase them, but Ludwig moved to the pipe.

“Ludwig! Yosie and-a his minions went-a that way!” Mario cried.

“But Karma has taken this route,” Ludwig replied, pointing at the pipe.

“Think, Ludwig! If Karma is-a not in range of any attacks-a, we won’t-a have to worry about-a hurting her!”

Despite all of his worry for Karma, Ludwig had to admit Mario had a point.

“All right, let’s punish them,” and he turned from the pipe and ran along the deck with Mario.

The Starstruck left Mt. Majesty. The rain had stopped, but the thunder and lightning continued to ensue.

When they reached the bow, the enemy was standing in an arrow formation. Doopliss was next to Crump. Susan was standing next to Bombette. 666 was at the point between Crump and Susan, so the arrow was aligned with the bow. Yosie stood in front of 666.

“So…” Yosie said.

“So-a what?” Mario asked.

“You think you’re so clever, melting the bars. Didn’t think I thought of that, huh? Well, I must confess, I didn’t. I overlooked your flame when I considered you in that cell. A mistake I will not make again.”

“Where’s Karma?” Ludwig demanded.

“She’s in my private lab, where the most advanced PhD available is currently working with the Metbond. With it in such a weakened state, and with our knowledge of its chemical makeup, it will be easy to remove. Hate to break up a couple, but I know that Karma will jump ship to be a free spirit again once the bond is severed. Once that’s done, she’ll be begging for my offer as the fifth Game Over Commando!”

“You’ve made an error! No matter how much she harms me or is shunned by my kin, she’ll never leave the castle!”

“Shut it! The Metbond is the only thing tethering her to you. By tonight, it will be gone… and so will you!” A bolt of lightning shot across the now night sky. “G. O. Commandos! Attack!”

Doopliss, Crump, Susan, and Bombette moved forward.

“All right, Slick,” Doopliss teased. “Now I’m gonna mop the floor with you!”

“I’ll blow you to kingdom come!” Bombette shouted.

“You’ll exist only in Sub-con once I’m done!” cried Susan.

“Now you’ll both taste the real CRUMP-A-BOMB!” Crump finished.

Susan picked up Bombette and threw her at Ludwig. “Eat bomb!”

Ludwig blew a fireball and knocked Bombette off course, and she exploded near SubShip 1. He then picked up Mario.

“What-a are you-a doing, Ludwig?” Mario cried.

“Just hold on tight!” Ludwig bounded into the air and slammed the doomship with Plit-rocking force. Doopliss and Crump were knocked off their feet. Susan had retracted into her shell before landing.

Doopliss quickly recovered and aimed an Air Dash at Mario, who Ludwig had put down by now. The plumber rolled out of the way, causing the Duplighost to hit the dirt… or rather, wood. Mario took the chance to give Doopliss a hard stomp.

Crump dived at Ludwig. A burst of flame detoured him, throwing Crump over the ship’s edge. A Red Glove Grabber shot out of SubShip 2 and grabbed Crump, bringing him back to the deck.

“Where’s-a Yosie?” Mario asked.

Another bolt of lightning illuminated the boy wonder on top of SubShip 2, behind the controls of the MegaCannon.

Yosie gave an evil Grodus-like laugh. “Now you’ll know why this is called a SubShip… and why this is called the MegaCannon!”

He pulled a lever on the controls and jets began to fire beneath SubShip 2, causing it to push off into the air. As it did, the metal poles on both parts contracted into their pieces. The other two SubShips, guided by black Shy Guys, moved to the side of the StarStruck’s stern, their poles also contracting.

“Commandos, fall back!” Yosie barked, and they moved next to the pipe in the stern.

Yosie pulled a series of levers, and the tip of the MegaCannon’s barrel began to glow electric blue.

“Shields activate, central cover,” Yosie said into a mike on the console, and a purple glow surrounded the entire main doomship.

“Now all attacks to the ship will bounce off, including the MegaCannon’s energy ray,” Yosie shouted down as Mario and Ludwig backed into the bow. “Might I remind you, or at least tell you for the first and last time, that fully charged, the MegaCannon has the power of half a nuclear explosion?”

A ball of glowing blue energy now as big as the turret was aimed at the Koopaling and plumber.

“Adieu,” Yosie said, and he pressed a button on the console, causing the ball of energy to launch at our “heroes”.

A BOOOOOOOOOMM! rocked the sky as mushroom-shaped smoke rose up, only there was a skull and crossbones on the side.

When the base of the smoke cleared, Mario and Ludwig were gone.

“YES!” Yosie shouted into the night as another lightning bolt streaked past. “The SuperComputer276 wins!”

“Not quite…” a voice said.

Mario and Ludwig emerged on deck from over the side of the bow, surrounded by a gray glow. Yosie noticed that Ludwig had pulled out his gray-tipped wand… and the tip was glowing as well.

“It appears we have reached an impasse,” Ludwig teased.

“So you want to play with magic, huh?” Yosie said in a very serious tone. “I’ll give you magic!” He pulled out the G. O. Wand and fired blast after blast at Ludwig.

Ludwig dodged while tossing a Fire Flower to Mario. “Get Karma!” he shouted.

“Okey dokey!” Mario called back as he caught the Fire Flower, becoming Fire Mario.

Yosie saw Mario run. A quick wave of the wand, and the Bill Blasters emerged and proceeded to fire at Mario.

Mario knew fire was useless against Bullet Bills. He only acted stupid in the other stories to lure the Koopalings into a false sense of security. Moving back and forth, as well as making the occasional jump, Mario managed to pass them.

Meanwhile, Ludwig and Yosie were locked in a battle of magic, although MegaCannon shots at 25% and sometimes 50% power were fired. They had a large blast radius and a larger smoke radius. Ludwig defended himself with shields while firing the lion’s share of offensive magic.

“You’ll pay for what you did to Karma!” Ludwig shouted.

Yosie could tell the Koopaling was angry. He’d been using simple words since he and Mario had run onto the Starstruck.

“You mean what I’m doing to her,” he shouted back, “and after I’m done, she’ll like it!”

“No!” A blast of fire issued from Ludwig’s mouth. Yosie summoned water from the G. O. Wand and extinguished it as another bolt streaked by the ship, closer than ever.

“Do you know what power I possess?” Yosie shouted, “The Poison Mushroom I infused with Wendy’s wand had the power of the other six in one compact form. My wand is therefore a combination of all seven!”

“What’s that supposed to prove?” Ludwig replied.

“Nothing. I just like to brag.”

Suddenly, a blast of magic threw SubShip 2 so wildly, Yosie had to cling to the control panel to avoid getting tossed into thin air.

“What the…?” he managed to say before everyone spotted the remaining five doomships in Bowser’s fleet.

Bowser gave a mighty leap and leaped onto the Starstruck from Lemmy’s ship.

“I don’t know what got started here,” he shouted, “but I’m gonna finish it!”

Another bolt dashed by as Bowser ran up the ship toward Yosie and jumped.

“Time Halt!” Yosie cried, and with one wave of his wand, he disappeared and reappeared over SubShip 2’s docking area, causing Bowser’s lunge to miss.

Mario had reached the stern, his fire form still intact. The Commandos and 666, however, continued to clog the pipe.

“Ooh, I’m feeling hot now!” Doopliss shouted, and in a puff of purple smoke, he transformed into Fire Mario.

Mario let loose a barrage of fire at the five guardians. Doopliss and 666 moved forward and proceeded to return the favor.

“You-a won’t stop-a me!” Mario cried as he pulled out a Super Leaf and turned into Raccoon Mario.

“Face the true might of the bomb!” Bombette shouted as Susan launched. 666 launched another set of fireballs.

Mario took flight and dodged the blowing Bombette and fireballs.

Bowser and Ludwig weren’t having much luck against Yosie until they combined their flame and let loose on the SubShip, setting it ablaze.

“NO!” Yosie cried. “My MegaCannon!”

“Now it’s MegaAshes!” Bowser laughed.

As the flaming wreck began to nosedive, Yosie leaped to the deck and the SubShip went over the side.

“Fine,” Yosie said, “play that way. However, you’ve yet to see my greatest skill.”

He pulled a communicator and set it to channel 66.

“Release the Ztar,” he muttered into it.

***

Peach, Toad, Wendy, and Morton emerged from the base of the mountain with a troop of Boomerang Bros. following them. Morton was fending most of them off with fire from his wand; they’d recovered it when they’d passed the lab on their way down.

Soon, the Boomerang Bros, realizing they were no match for Morton’s flame, ran back into the tunnel.

The four ran around the base of another mountain until they were out of sight of Mt. Majesty except for the peak and sat down to rest.

“Had I known I was going to be Koopanapped and would have to run to safety,” Wendy complained, “I wouldn’t have worn high heels.”

“You always wear high heels,” Toad said.

“Who asked ya?!”

A bolt of lightning turned their eyes up, and they saw a hole had appeared at the peak of Mt. Majesty. A cannon emerged, with a turret shaped like a star. Suddenly, it fired, and a black star with white eyes shot into the horizon.

“That’s a Ztar!” Peach cried. “I recognize them from the Mario Parties. They have a lot of negative energy.”

“Let’s come on and pursue, chase, follow the Ztar and see, discover, observe where it leads, goes-

“SHUT IT!” Wendy, Peach, and Toad shouted, and all four proceeded to chase after the barely-visible shooting star.

***

Yosie turned off and pocketed the communicator.

“My weapon will be here in a minute. In the meantime, let’s chat, shall we?”

“Not before I fry you!” Bowser shouted. He launched a wall of flame, but Yosie extinguished it with a wall of water from the G. O. Wand.

“You’ll still survive what I have in store for you if you if you surrender the Koopa Kingdom immediately.”

“No chance, bozo! Where’s Wendy?”

“Perfectly fine, I assure you. But first, I want to tell you something.”

“What?”

While Yosie told them about something you already heard about, Mario drove the Commandos back and dived into the lab pipe. Once through, he had trouble seeing, as most of the lights were off.

“Come on, you dumb computer! Work!” That came from a door that had a faint sky blue glow beneath it. Mario tiptoed over, slowly opened the door a crack, and peeked inside.

Karma was strapped onto a table while a helmet on her head contained wires to a large computer, where an X-Naut PhD typed furiously.

“Unhand-a her!” Mario shouted as he burst in. The PhD, aware Mario was interfering, pulled out a flask filled with potion and threw it at the plumber. Mario whacked the flask back at its thrower with his raccoon tail, causing it to hit and shrink the doctor instead.

Swatting the shrunken foe away, Mario found out what was going on.

“Mamamia!” he cried. “They’re-a trying to-a weaken the Metbond!”

Mario typed furiously on the keyboard, aborting the program, unlocking the straps, and causing Karma to slide to the floor, where she began to regain consciousness.

“Karma, come-a on!” Mario shouted.

Slowly, Karma came up. “Mario,” she said weakly. “What happened?”

“I’ll-a explain later. Until then, we-a have to get off-a this ship. Bowser just-a arrived.”

They made their way back up the pipe, where they were surrounded by the restored Commandos.

Back to Ludwig.

“Ahh, it seems my weapon has arrived,” said Yosie, peering over the horizon.

Bowser and Ludwig looked, and saw a Ztar flying toward the Starstruck. Actually, it was heading more towards Yosie, who caught it.

“You know what this is?” he asked.

“A Ztar,” Bowser replied. “I should know. I make those things!”

“Not this one. I specially synthesized it with my wand. This Ztar brings out my dark side.”

“What, you're not showing your dark side now?”

“Shut it! Allow me to demonstrate…” He held the Ztar over his head. “Zhadow Mode… activate!”

Bowser recognized what was happening, as the magical display was exactly that of the invincibility effect of the Star Rod. First, three dark star shapes contracted at a spin into the Ztar. Then a burst of rising energy cloaked Yosie in a dark cocoon. Afterwards, there was no movement for three seconds when suddenly the cocoon began to shake.

“ZHADOW MODE!” Yosie cried as he burst out of the cocoon, shattering it. His skin tone had changed to that as if he were being possessed by the Shadow Queen, but a Ztar replaced the Mushroom on his shirt and he was surrounded by what seemed to be black fire.

“Ha! Now I’ve got more power and even more attacks! Here’s a taster…” Yosie raised his arms.

“Shadow Meteor!”

Black meteors appeared out of nowhere in the stratosphere and began to rain down on Bowser and Ludwig. Ludwig managed to deflect a few with his wand, but both of them took at least one burning hit.

“How could one little kid have so much power?” Bowser thought out loud.

“Ahh, but that was only a sample,” Yosie said. “Now for the full version!” He made an acrobatic leap to the bow.

“Data Mimic!” he cried. “Cortez!”

His body turned black and melted into the woodwork beneath, but a half-transparent form of Yosie remained.

“What is that apparition?” Ludwig asked.

“Only my darkened soul,” it replied, “separate from by body while it transforms…”

A lump of dark matter emerged behind Yosie, then solidified into a pile of bones. From that, Cortez’s first form emerged.

“As you can see,” Yosie’s spirit said, Cortez’s mouth mimicking such, “Data Mimic allows me to mold my body into other forms. Now for its attacks!”

Cortez swung his hook at Ludwig, who expertly dodged. Bowser launched a wall of flame, but it did little.

“Bone has little room for flame, Bowser…”

“Then I’ll use my claws!” Bowser ran in, moving back and forth between the attacks. Ludwig fired his wand.

At the warp pipe, Mario and Karma were still cooped up by the five minions.

“I believe the hybrid needs to see the doctor,” Susan said.

“Yeah, an X-Naut doctor,” Lord Crump added.

“I’m perfectly healthy,” Karma said. “It’s you guys who need to see a doctor!”

The five lunged, but they flew down the warp pipe instead. Karma had grabbed Mario and taken a huge leap up, causing the five to miss.

“Well, that wasn’t hard,” Karma commented as she and Mario climbed onto the deck.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning hit the Starstruck, blowing the engine out.

At the bow, Yosie was fending off Bowser.

“Do not think you can stop me!”

“Oh yeah? I’m gonna trace my trouble to the source!”

Bowser dived at the half-transparent image of Yosie, but just passed right through and hit the bone pile. After recovering from the slight pain, Yosie spoke.

“This half transparent form is just a representation of my soul. It really lies embedded in Cortez’s physical form.”

All four of Cortez’s weapons moved down on Bowser. He moved away at the last second, causing the sharp objects to hit the bone pile, sending Yosie into more pain.

“He’s weak at that bone pile!” Bowser shouted to Ludwig. “Attack that!”

Ludwig started firing charged spells at the pile, throwing Yosie into great turmoil.

“You think you’ve won…” Yosie said, “but I can never be truly defeated…”

That’s when he noticed they were beginning to lose altitude as the Starstruck began to nosedive toward the Mushroom Sea.

Cortez drew dark, and his matter melted back into the woodwork of the plummeting doomship. It emerged as Yosie again right where his spirit was and they merged in a flash of dim light.

“It appears I will have to use the most dangerous form I possess and take you to the depths with me…”

Mario and Karma joined Koopa and Koopaling. Yosie stood up.

“Data Mimic!” Yosie said. “Shadow Queen!”

Once again, Yosie turned black and melted into the doomship’s haul, but this time, there was no half-transparent form where he was.

Suddenly, the dark matter rose and solidified into a stone coffin.

“I-a remember seeing that on-a my trip to Rougeport,” Mario said. “It’s-a the resting place of-“

Before Mario could finish, the doomship shook and with a bright light, the lid slipped off and flew into the void. A dark tornado formed around the open tomb and they could see a huge dark figure emerge, along with Yosie’s true form. When the tornado settled, Mario recognized the form, and the other three were zoned out.

“Oh my DAD,” Karma said.

“What personality could be so beautiful and yet so evil?” Ludwig said.

“And I thought Mushroomers were freaks of nature,” Bowser commented.

“IT’S-A THE SHADOW QUEEN!” Mario screamed.

“That’s Shadow KING to you!” Yosie retorted. His spirit was floating where the possessed Peach was when the real mistress of shadows awoke. “I admit, I considered not learning this because of the gender change, but the immense power was too good to pass up, or should I say, too bad.”

“I beat-a the real one once before a long while ago,” Mario said, trying to regain control of his fear, “and I can-a do it again!”

“True, but I have something the Queen doesn’t.”

“And that would be…?” Ludwig asked.

“My determination… my might… and my wand!

The body’s mouth opened and proceeded to spray fire at the four… or rather, three.

Karma had run down the deck not from fright, but from an idea. She ran into the captain’s cabin and looked around. She quickly saw the computer in the back and the object she was looking for: during the long time the Starstruck was docked in Mt. Majesty, Yosie had never thought to take Wendy’s purple wand out of the cabin.

She grabbed it and ran out.

“I just hope this will listen to me enough to stop Yosie,” she prayed.

Yosie began to use his huge hands to slap at Mario, Ludwig, and Bowser. Mario had dived into the hold and found a Tanooki suit, which he used to turn into a statue and stomp the hands. Bowser and Ludwig were using teeth, claw, and fire, and Ludwig often used his wand as well. They were chipping at the Shadow King’s health, but the boy was showing little fatigue.

“Surrender your kingdoms immediately and I shall consider sparing you,” Yosie said. “No matter what you do, I shall win!”

“I think not!” Karma shouted as she charged forward with Wendy’s wand. “Let’s see how some rain hits you!”

She fired magic into the clouds above (the doomship had plummeted enough by that time), and a hard rain began to pour. Several large drops hit Yosie’s eyes.

“AUGH!” he yelled, covering his eyes.

Willing the wand, Karma launched volley after volley of offensive magic at the Shadow King, joined by Ludwig. Bowser had started spewing the largest amount of fire at one time at any point in his life, and Mario found a Hammer Bros. Suit and proceeded to pepper Yosie with hammers.

A few minutes before the ship would hit the sea, Yosie turned back into himself.

“You are more then you seem…” he said. “I’m not as arrogant as I used to be, and be thankful I am never in the mood to kill. Very good battle.”

“Now it’s your turn to shut it!” Bowser said as he prepped his torch.

“See you later.” Yosie calmly pulled out the G. O. Wand. “Time Halt!”

666 and the Commandos were just getting out of the pipe when they and Yosie suddenly disappeared.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t bothered to bring the ship to a clear landing and it started to crash into the ocean.

“Move up!” Bowser shouted. Mario threw away the heavy Hammer Bros. suit and began to run up to the stern with the three Koopas.

They, however, were still stuck on the back of the ship (physical back; it was that badly tilted) when SubShip 1 moved down to them, being steered by… Lemmy!

“I swiped this from that Shy Guy. Everyone, jump on!”

They did, and they watched the flagship wreck sink as they flew back towards Mt. Majesty.

***

Peach, Toad, Wendy, and Morton stood on the beach on the edge of the Mushroom Sea.

“Great,” Wendy said. “That Ztar was headed in this direction. Why would one need to go out to sea?”

Morton answered, “Well perhaps it wanted to go snorkeling or-“

“Don’t even start,” Toad said.

“I’m just worried about Mario,” Peach said. “He acts stupid at times, but he’s a good friend.”

A dark shape appeared on the horizon.

“What’s that? Why is it here? To where is it going?” Morton asked.

“Don’t know, don’t know, don’t know,” Toad replied.

There were five figures on the ship waving to them. All four recognized them.

“King Daddy!” Wendy said.

“Mario!” Peach followed.

“Lemmy! Ludwig!” Morton said next.

“And whoever the last one is,” Toad finished.

“Karma!” the other three shouted.

They seemed to be riding on SubShip 1, and it landed next to them on the beach.

“Wendy!” Bowser said.

“Daddy!” Wendy replied.

The five riders hopped down onto the beach. Bowser hugged Wendy, Peach hugged Mario, Ludwig and Karma hugged for a second, and Lemmy hugged Morton out of boredom.

“Hey, where’s my hug?” Toad demanded.

They all fell laughing onto the sand.

“No, really!”

The End

A message from supercomputer276:

Hey, all ya tourists out there! What do ya think of Game Over? If you really like it, I’m planning a sequel. I’ll be releasing a poll on whether or not you want a sequel a few days after this is published. Also, I’ll release my first Interview after a while. Keep checking up on the epic of SuperComputer276!

-Yosie Schwaniger, aka supercomputer276

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