Brother's Loyalty: Battle for Evershade Valley

Outlandish Interruption

After downing a bag of potato chips and fussing over the wounds he sustained during his fight with that overset Possessor, Luigi was (mostly) ready to go after the next Dark Moon piece. But just as he was about to change into something warmer, Zed walked into the lounge.

"Phew! I'm glad I caught you before you could bundle up," said Zed.

"What's the matter?" asked Luigi.

"The Professor, Fred and I did one last scan of the Old Clockworks with the Parascope," explained Zed, "and we discovered some more paranormal signals."

"Oh, dear," sighed Luigi as he followed Zed out of the lounge.

"The Secret Mine will have to wait," said Gadd as Luigi rejoined him. "We can't let the ghosts reclaim the Old Clockworks!"

"Secret Mine—that's what atop those mountains?" asked Luigi.

"Yes," replied Gadd, "but we need to take care of this outlandish interruption first. You know the drill—capture the ghosts as quickly as possible."

"Okeydokey," said Luigi.

"I'm sorry to say—the signals this time around are even stronger than last time," cautioned Gadd. "Be careful, Luigi."

Luigi took a deep breath and adjusted the Poltergust's straps. "Whoever's gotten ahold of Evershade Valley doesn't want to let go," he mused.

"But we know you can jar their grip," beamed Zed.

"Give them heck, Luigi!" Fred chimed in.

"Just like before, I'll guide you towards the ghosts," said Gadd. "All right, I'll pixelate you on the count of three. Ready?"

"Ready."

"Three!" cried Gadd as he sent Luigi off.

...

"Are you f—ing kidding me?!" balked Luigi when he landed in the clockworks court.

"Couldn't resist," Gadd said coyly. "Now, let's see here—got them! Check your map!"

The first round of ghosts was located in the workshop, consisting of Greenies armed with shovels, Greenies wearing welding masks and Slammers. After putting on some up-tempo 90s hits, Luigi launched into battle, utilizing the entire workshop to dodge attacks before counterattacking with the Strobulb. The Greenies with the shovels dealt out the most pain, landing sharp jabs to Luigi's back, shoulders and abdomen, while the Slammers knocked him against walls with their clapping shockwave attacks. Adding to the difficulty were a few of those Beetles, nipping at already-irritated skin. But Luigi used his leftover energy from his confrontation with the Possessor to ride out the pain and defeat them all.

"Yikes—it's just like last time!" shouted Gadd. "Look lively, youngster!"

The map pinpointed the next round of ghosts in the clockmaker's chambers and the finishing room. Since Luigi was currently closer to the latter area, he decided to battle those ghosts first. A liberal mix of armed and unarmed Greenies awaited him there, and he had to leap over swings from hammers and duck shield bashes while simultaneously wrestling the ghosts into the Poltergust. The last ghost got in a strike to the stomach, but that didn't stop Luigi from vacuuming them. Sweaty, throbbing and sticky, Luigi gave himself no time to rest, heading briskly toward the finishing room. There, Luigi was confronted with a horde of unarmed Greenies, but they could really pack a punch. His shirt was translucent with sweat, and his hair was stuck to his forehead by the time he defeated them. However, he was buzzing with energy as he consulted his map for more ghostly infestations.

"You're not done yet, son!" Gadd exclaimed. "You've got visitors in three different rooms now!"

Those three rooms were the warehouse, the drafting office and the roundhouse. Luigi decided to clear out the drafting office first, finding it populated with Hiders and Sneakers. The former ghosts peppered him with every projectile they could find while the latter ghosts constantly broke his concentration. Luigi had a fairly tough fight on his hands before the drafting office was ghost-free, but he still had enough breath in him to trudge down to the warehouse. In that room, armed Greenies and Slammers ran rampant, effortlessly knocking him all over the place before he managed to regain his bearings and capture the lot of them. However, what awaited him in the roundhouse gave him the biggest struggle. First, there was a group of Slammers, and while he could vacuum two or three at a time, a single attack could jar his grip on the nozzle. And after he sucked up the last Slammer, he was attacked by a Poltergeist who constantly hurled rocks and bricks at him. Ultimately, he managed to vacuum up the Poltergeist by bracing himself against a heavy box, beads of perspiration collecting on his abs as he clenched them. Once the Poltergeist was driven into the vacuum, Luigi leaned against the box, assessing his latest injuries.

I should really start charging the Professor for this.

The Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"That'll do, Luigi!" said Gadd. "I think that was the last one!"

"Thank God! They really buffeted me this time!"

"Come on back now," Gadd went on. "Zed, Fred and I will have ice and refreshments waiting."

"Ciao." Luigi hung up and smoothed his hair as he waited for the Pixelator to work its magic.

...

"Welcome home, Luigi!" greeted Gadd. "Let's unload those b—ds."

Luigi emptied the Poltergust, and then he accepted the ice pack Zed offered him.

"Good thing we nipped that in the bud," said Fred. "It's mind-boggling how quickly ghosts can take a place over!"

"I'll say," said Gadd. "That's the world of paranormal research for you—one minute you're having fun learning about ghosts, and the next minute you're running for your life, scurrying about like a headless chicken!"

"At least Fred and I get some steady income out of the deal," grumbled Zed.

"Even so, I hope we never get to that point," said Gadd. "Of course, Luigi here is always at that point!"

He laughed, and Luigi fixed him with a piercing glare.

"I just risked my life getting three of the Dark Moon pieces for you," said Luigi. "Doesn't that mean something?"

"Of course it does."

"Then I'm not running around like a headless chicken, am I?"

"No, I suppose not."

"You have a very selective memory, Professor," said Luigi, rolling his eyes.

He turned and strode off to the lounge to bundle up. There was a cold and snowy mine he had to explore.

...

"You're f—ing joking!" bellowed the King. "Luigi did not suck that Possessor into that Godforsaken machine!"

"He did," the Boo gravely intoned. "He's becoming unstoppable."

"Unstoppable, my [bleep]!" huffed King Boo. "I should've dealt with that geezer before destroying the Dark Moon. However..." His scowl gave way to a sinister smirk. "I intend to play the hand I'm dealt. Let's retreat to the Secret Mine and pull out the big guns. If Luigi doesn't freeze his b—ls off first, then we'll surely get him there!" He cackled, imagining the green-clad man who brought about his downfall at his mercy. There were so many ways he could make him suffer, and he couldn't wait to try them all out!

"I will have my vengeance," he vowed, "and now, the ghosts of Evershade Valley are gonna help me!"

He cackled once more before he flew off toward the snow-swept Secret Mine.