The Super Mario Bros. Movie: AU Swap

Jailbreak

In Bowser's Castle, in the lava pit, the prisoners stood in silence, focused on the red-clad prisoner. - "So, do you understand the plan, guys?" - Mario asked, followed by nods and murmurs of confirmation.

With a satisfied smile, Mario addressed Lumalee. - "Hey you, do you have anything like a crowbar or something?" - "Why do you want to run away from your final destination?" - the star just declared, excited.

"Because I don't want my little brother to die at the hands of that monster. And the others here don't want to stay here to die." - the plumber replied, followed by the others in agreement. Lumalee said nothing more, but pulled out a crowbar and threw it to Mario, who caught it firmly.

He pushed at the bars one by one, trying to find the one that was loose. After that, he smiled and started trying to fit the crowbar on the loose bar.

After a lot of effort, he managed to break the bar, which fell towards the lava below. Mario sighed, catching his lost breath. In the end, he saw that there was enough space for him to pass. He slipped the crowbar between the garters of his overalls, crept up and started trying to grab hold of the chains on his cage.

After some effort, he managed to grab the chain and began to climb up it. He could hear the Penguin King and his subjects, along with a few other prisoners, cheering and encouraging him.

In the end, he reached the top, and found himself near an abyss. He climbed the structure where the other cages hung below, and leapt toward the ground, barely missing the edge of the chasm. With great effort, he climbed up, panting heavily.

Mario got up and looked around, looking for something he could do to free the other prisoners below. He saw a winch that was attached to the structure in front of him. He was surprised by that, but shrugged.

At that very moment, a Koopa Troopa passed by to take a look at the prisoners. Mario hid behind a rock, and waited for the Koopa to pass him and reach the abyss. After a few seconds of checking, the Koopa turned around and was faced with the human dressed in red, who instantly tackled it.

After a brief fight, Mario defeated the Koopa Troopa, which was expelled from its own shell. He approached the Koopa and pinned him to the rock. - "Very well, you turtle. Tell me how to free the other prisoners, right now!" - Mario demanded.

"How did you get out of your cage?!" - the Koopa Troopa questioned, still confused. - "It doesn't matter! Just release them now or I will throw you in the lava, right now!!"

Having no other choice, the Koopa relented and walked over to the winch. He somehow cranked it up, and it moved on top of them. He lowered the cages with the prisoners inside, and they hit the ground. Followed by a stern look from Mario, who held the crowbar in his hands, the Koopa Troopa took the keys and set off to open the cells.

One by one, the prisoners left. Lumalee just booed in response as he wanted to stay in the cage to die. Mario was pleased to see everyone free, but he noticed the Koopa Troopa going into his shell and sneaking back the way he had come. The red plumber grabbed him and locked him up, telling him he wasn't going anywhere.

Mario put him in one of the cages, and left him there. He then returned to the prisoners, who were celebrating their freedom. They then turned to Mario and started to thank him. As they were talking about how to get out of that castle, the Koopa Troopa said something that made them worried.

"And how are you all going to make sure that Bowser and the others in the castle don't notice that you're all out of the cages?"

After several minutes of thinking, one of the prisoners had an idea. - "What if we put something that made it look like we're in the cages?" - with that suggestion, Mario and the others looked around. But there wasn't much else besides rocks, which gave them another idea.

---

With everything resolved, the cages were put in place and with the Koopa Troopa trapped and gagged to avoid giving them away, the prisoners gathered before Mario, who was elected as their leader.

"And what do we do now, er... what's your name again, human?" - asked Penguin King. Mario remembered that he had never said his name to them, and then he did. - "Oh, sure. My name is Mario."

"Okay, so Mario, what do we do now?" - Penguin King repeated the question again. The red plumber thought for a while, and then declared with the crowbar raised upwards. - "Let's try to find a way out of here, hide, and fight Bowser and his army at the right time!"

With that, the prisoners cheered and shouted Mario's name in chorus, and they all followed Mario through the passage that would lead them out of that hell, and get revenge on Bowser. - "Hang on, Luigi. Your brother is coming." - Mario muttered, determination on his face.