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

82

Mario sets a glass of water and a painkiller on the counter.

"Thanks." Luigi says blankly.

"Anything else you need?" Mario asks, his concern still evident.

"Besides forget I ever saw that video?" Luigi shakes his head. "Not a thing."

"You really didn't know?"

"Not a clue." Luigi replies. "I was told my parents got held up by some immigration issue and we got separated. But apparently they didn't. Maybe they came here with their minds wiped, but that's not why we got separated."

"Snoozemore was trying to help you wake them up." Mario points out. "And this was before he knew a subject can't wake themselves up without forgetting everything."

Luigi looks away, lip quivering, as Mario sits next to him.

"Maybe that's why you were put with Molly?" Mario suggests. "Snoozemore never forgave himself for what happened, so he sent you to live with someone he trusted, until he could tell you the truth."

Luigi looks at him with his mouth open, but then looks away, saying, "I remember the night I was brought there. Someone dragged me to Molly's house. I cried, because I wanted my parents, and didn't know where they were. And then I was alone, with Molly."

Luigi looks at Mario again, so Mario asks, "Were you hoping they just got lost and trying to find you?"

"No." Luigi shakes his head. "I wanted to know what I did wrong. Why were they gone, and I wasn't."

"Ginormous brain, and you couldn't bother to waste one brain cell to suggest to Mario he should train me too?" Pauline doesn't bother with a greeting as she barges into Spike and Luigi's apartment when Spike answers the door.

"Whoa, slow down there, Speedy." Spike holds up his hands in surrender. "I think you're missing a few pages."

"Mario's training you to be a co-pilot!" Pauline says angrily.

"Paulie, chill." Spike tries, but Pauline won't.

"He's training you. Over me!" She screeches.

"I'm trying to be a real team member!" Spike defends bitterly.

"No you're not." Pauline scoffs. "You're trying to replace me!"

"What's Mario supposed to do, huh?" Spike knows he should stop, but he can't. "Put Luigi's safety in jeopardy because you can't keep him safe?"

Pauline steps back like she's been slapped, and Spike can't seem to make anything resembling words come out of his mouth.

Then he somehow gets over it long enough to step closer and say, "Paulie, come on. You know I didn't mean that. And I'd never try to replace you!"

"Then why didn't my name come up?" Pauline demands, eyes glassy.

"How was I supposed to know?" Spike asks. "I should've asked, but I didn't."

"And just when I thought we were finally getting somewhere." Pauline says dejectedly, then walks to the door.

"Pauline!" Spike calls, but she's not listening anymore as she slams the door behind her.

"Million to one odds with this one." Mario tells Snoozemore as they walk to their stations.

"Oh?" Snoozemore asks.

"The time between when she was petrified and when we found her." Mario says. "Not likely to find anything long term."

"But short term is still functional?" Snoozemore pushes.