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

51

"Georgia, stop." Luigi struggles in his restrained seat in the cognitive corrector. "Just let me go."

"You could've walked out here no problem if you'd just told us the truth." Georgia keeps messing with the chair.

"Did you say us?" Luigi demands, and of course that's when Nastasia shows up.

"Yeah, so I don't particularly like being lied to, kay?" She tells him.

"You're a lying bitch." Luigi sneers.

"Says the man who lied to suck up to me." Nastasia fires back. "True, it doesn't work, at least not like you tried to convince me it did."

"That's why you petrified Danny." Luigi realizes, still struggling. "He was going to ruin you, and you couldn't let that happen."

"I didn't want to, but he forced my hand." Nastasia says calmly. "We're so close, and I won't let anyone stop it."

"You faked your data for money." Luigi says, body jerking from his struggle.

"They all said exactly what I told them to." Nastasia shifts her glasses. "A little hypnosis, and they couldn't shut up."

"Hypnosis?" Luigi stops struggling for a second, mouth dropping open.

The patient in the chair. Eyes glazed, like they weren't all there.

"Of course." Luigi bangs his head back against the chair in frustration. "That's how you did it. You hypnotized the train conductor to order the detachment of Danny's train car."

"I can hypnotize anyone I want." Nastasia snaps. "I could have you throwing yourself at my feet if I felt like it."

"Nevermind that we'd all turn on you in seconds." Luigi fires back.

"How about now?" Spike asks.

"Now every phone within 10 miles is going to pop up on the monitor. Just gotta wait until we see Luigi's." Pauline says.

"And we're going to find it." Mario snaps, refusing to think anything else.

"And there's my number." Pauline points. "And there's the research lab."

"With only one phone showing up inside!" Mario exclaims, standing up, all of them filing out of the van and making a run for it.

"Last time you were in here, I noticed something unusual in your brainwaves." Nastasia says. "I've never seen anything like it."

The intracranial helmet is dropped down, making Luigi's heart start to pound in utter panic, "No no no no no no no!" he begs, thrashing in his restraints.

"I think a spot for a new research assistant just opened up." Nastasia says, pushing a few more buttons on the chair. "Don't you worry, once you wake up, we can get right back to work."

Luigi can't fight it as the chair turns on, and flashes explode across his vision as his eyes roll back into his head.

Lemmy's Star Hill explosion.

Someone being handed a tiny flag.

People getting sucked into holes at the Shroom City rave.

Sirens.

Linda being attacked on the path in Boo Woods.

He's lucid for a second before another flash hits him.

He's lying on a couch, in pajamas, wearing some kind of headset.

The gang bursts in right as they see Luigi twitching and seizing in the chair.

Spike and Pauline go for Nastasia and Georgia, while Mario makes a beeline for the chair and grabs Luigi's face, panicking at the blank eyed stare.

"Come on Weegee, stay with me!" Mario begs, right as Pauline seems to find the right button and shuts the chair off.

"Tell me you're okay." Mario orders as he shoves the intracranial helmet away, lightly slapping Luigi's face. "Please!"

Finally, Luigi's eyes start blinking as he seems to register Mario's right in front of him, holding his face, then tries to push him away.

"Whoa, easy there!" Mario says, trying to help Luigi stand up. "You almost got your brain fried by a madwoman!"

"Where the hell have you been?" Luigi demands. "If you're not gonna bother using the van, why do we even have it?"

"Sounds like Luigi to me." Spike laughs in relief.

"Are you sure?" Mario isn't convinced.

"Can you not?" Luigi says, surprising Mario, "Not what?"

"Ask how you're holding up when everything's fine." Luigi says with a grin, and after a second, Mario returns it with one of his own.

"We're out of here. Now." He decides, but Luigi shakes his head, "Not yet. Danny left something here, and he's gonna want it when we let him go home."

Mario looks like he wants to argue, but then seems to change his mind, and nods, letting Luigi lead the way.