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

67

"I put the formula into the computer." Mario says dizzily. "If we take into account Elara's sample, and how the antidote affected her body's response to it, there's a chance we can figure out why it didn't work."

"And?" Luigi asks.

"No reason to think Elara wasn't right around the corner." Mario says. "Any small flaw in her work, the computer just might know what it is and save us all."

"Our odds are slim." Snoozemore says grimly.

"Maybe not." Luigi says suddenly. "Elara dedicated everything to this. Maybe she was onto something."

As they watch the computer start to puzzle the formula out, Mario says, "So it begins..."

Pauline's hacking away when Spike finds her in a room by herself.

"Paulie?" He says to get her attention. "You look awful."

"So do you." Pauline says back, eyes bleary as she tries to look at him.

"Yeah, strangest thing. I think I'm sick." Spike jokes in a deadpan.

Pauline coughs harder, making Spike ask, "Can I do something? Water or something for you to sleep on?"

"Can I use your chest?" Pauline says tiredly.

"Course." Spike says, pulling her in.

"I like this." She says in barely above a whisper.

"Mhm." Spike agrees.

"I'd like it a lot more if I wasn't leaning against bat shit." Pauline says next, making Spike pull back in alarm.

" What? "

He looks frantically, and Pauline can barely reach out an arm and assure, "Hey, hey! I was joking."

"You suck." Spike says affectionately as he pulls her back in. "That bat nearly made me let go and fall to my death."

He puts one hand on her forehead to check, eyes widening when he realizes, "You're really burning up."

But he doesn't move her, instead just holds her in his arms. "Is this scary for you?"

Pauline nods against his chest, "Absolutely."

"I agree."

"We got the results." Mario calls.

"What do we have?" Snoozemore asks.

"We got a problem." Mario sighs.

"Now what?" Spike demands as he helps Pauline walk back into the main lab area.

"The antidote is designed to absorb the poisonous spores from Poison Mushrooms." The medic explains.

"So why isn't it doing that?" Snoozemore asks.

"That's just it. It is doing that." Mario says. "This is the right formula. We shouldn't be having any reaction right now."

"Then why's she still contagious?" Luigi asks, throat dry.

"Because even with our computer, Elara was still missing something." Snoozemore says.

"What do we do now?" Spike asks.

Snoozemore sighs, "Now would be where you say your goodbyes." and walks away.

When Luigi just walks over to his desk, Mario goes after him.

"Didn't you hear him? You need to call your fiancé."

"Can't be my fiancé if I never proposed." Luigi says without looking up from the screen.

"But she did." Mario points out.

"And I didn't say yes or no." Luigi says, still not looking at him. "What was Elara missing?"

Mario coughs once, then tries to say steadily, "Look, I may be new to all this, but knowing we may never get to fight like this again--"

"I didn't lie to you, okay?" Luigi stops him.

"Maybe not. But I thought we were friends!" Mario says, unable to keep the accusation out of his voice. "Or at least on good enough terms to where we'd tell each other stuff. Like if we get stuck in traffic, if we're calling in sick, or, spitballing here, if you're getting married! "

Luigi goes stiff, then says, anger seeping in, "Yes, Destiny asked me to marry her. No, I haven't answered her. By that logic, there's nothing to tell."

"Then call her." Mario urges, which finally makes Luigi mad enough to turn around in his chair to look right at him.

"You really don't get it, do you?" Luigi snaps. "I'm. Not. Dying! Not here, not now. So no, I'm not gonna call her. Or anyone else."

He turns back to his desk, grabs his laptop, and walks away.

"Pauline?" Pauline's dad appears on her computer screen.

"Hey, Dad." Pauline tries to smile, but it doesn't quite meet her eyes.

"Pumpkin, what's the matter?" The mayor asks, concerned.

"Nothing. I'm working." Pauline says tiredly. "Everything's fine."

"Something's wrong, I can hear it." The mayor insists.

"No, it's not." Pauline shakes her head. "Something doesn't have to be wrong for me to wanna talk to my dad, does there?"

"Didn't you say a call from work is emergency only?"

"You have 1 saved message."

A beep, then Mario hears his dad's voice, "So it's finally happened, huh? Kid goes off on his own, doesn't tell his parents where he's going."

Mario hears his dad sigh.

"I just wanted to tell you I love you." Pauline says to her dad.

"Please just tell me what's going on ." The mayor pushes, clearly worried.

"Mario, you...you can't just not tell us these things, you know? I know none of us have been the same since...But we're still a family, and we love each other. We don't keep secrets."

Mario closes his eyes as he paces the lab and keeps listening.

" You were on track to graduate with honors at Cornell, and now... "

"And now..." Mario repeats quietly.

"Actually it's good news!" Pauline says as brightly as she can. "My job is amazing, I have a really nice boyfriend, and I'm proud to be your daughter."

"Did you say you have a boyfriend?" her dad asks. "Is that what you've been trying to say?"

Pauline nods, trying not to cry. "Uh huh."

"I'd like to meet him." Her dad requests.

"Count on it." Pauline promises.

"I'll make your favorite." Her dad says. "Are you serious about him?"

Pauline hesitates, but then throws out, "I think he's not going anywhere for the foreseeable future."

"When you get stuck on something, you see it through to the end. But now, it's taken you from us once again. Possibly for good."

There's a pause, as Mario braces himself for the end, looking at Luigi in the other room as the last words are spoken.

"But I also know you'll stick to it because you believe in it. So whatever you're doing...I hope it believes in you as much as you believe in it. I love you, son."

Mario hangs up his phone, nodding to himself.

"I hope so too."