I've Got the Strangest Feeling This Isn't Our First Time Around

40

They catch Snoozemore in the sewers right before he jumps in the pipe, so he greets them, "Mm, yes. You're all here, good. I have to tell you--"

But he's abruptly cut off when someone unseen throws a fireball at him, burning his arm, and on instinct, everyone ducks down, with Mario towering over Luigi with his body and grabbing his shoulders.

Once the shock wears off, Spike and Pauline go over to him, Spike yelling, "Find a doctor!", with Snoozemore saying, "Mm, no. Believe me, I'm fine."

No one notices Luigi making a mad dash in the direction the fireball came in, nor Mario chasing after him.

"Lu, WAIT!" Mario screams as he runs. "What are you planning on doing on the off chance you do catch whoever threw the fireball?"

Thankfully, that makes Luigi come to a stop, take a breath, then walk back towards Snoozemore.

"How is he?" Luigi asks as he walks into the conference room, holding the paper with the algorithm on it in his arms.

"Just a slight abrasion. Should heal pretty quickly." The medic tells him. "No real reason he shouldn't make a full recovery."

"What in the world were you two thinking?" Snoozemore demands.

"Can you step out for a moment?" Luigi asks the medic, who nods, then takes his leave.

That done, Luigi slaps the algorithm on Snoozemore's desk. "Behold, what we found on Luna's disk."

"Why does that sound like an accusation?" Snoozemore asks.

"Is 'No one else with access to the dreamwalking algorithm leaked it, so it had to be you' an accusation?" Luigi says sarcastically.

"Mm, yes, it is." Snoozemore says.

"Well? Did you?" Luigi demands.

"Pauline? Do you recall how you were recruited?" Snoozemore asks instead, looking at her. "You got a mysterious invitation in the mail to be part of a virtual reality challenge, and if you passed, you'd be recruited onto the team?"

"Of course I do." Pauline replies.

"And you, Mario?" Snoozemore turns to him next. "So desperate for your father's approval, you were walking right towards a cliff until I gave you a new life that makes your pathetic education look like child's play."

"What the hell?" Luigi snaps.

"And Spike." Snoozemore keeps going. "All brawn no brains, or at least that's how you acted, until I felt just sorry enough for you because I wanted Luigi by any means necessary."

"Shut up." Spike snaps.

Snoozemore stands up, "I just thought I'd remind you all that I didn't let you be a part of all this from the goodness of my heart just so I could put you all at risk by leaking crucial information about a program I've dedicated my entire life to perfecting and protecting. It couldn't have been me, because I wasn't even here. I was with my boss. The director of the Dream Lab. Now that that's settled, do get back to work figuring out who did it, and just for good measure, whoever was stupid enough to attack me as well."

With that, everyone files out of the room.

"Oh Spike?" Pauline calls him to her desk. "Can we just go back to just friends?"

"Friends with benefits? Absolutely!" Spike grins.

"Don't be silly. We both know you want more than that." Pauline argues.