Past Lives Could Never Come Between Us

30

"Morning, Clark." Luigi says at the coffee machine in the Dream Lab. "How are you?"

"Getting better and better." Clark replies.

"Good, good." Luigi nods. "Anything on my uncle?"

"Your uncle Arthur is a master at disappearing." Clark replies as she pours coffee into a cup.

But that makes Luigi say, "Maybe he's been at this for so long, he forgot about the paper trail he's leaving behind. I have an apartment garage loaded with boxes, and before I knew it was his, I thought it was Molly's. Maybe there's something with my uncle in it."

"Maybe." Clark agrees. "If you want some help looking, give me a call."

"Morning, everybody!" Mario greets as he comes up to the coffee maker.

Luigi greets him back, "Hey.", and starts to reach for a pod.

Right as Mario also goes for it, making them flinch back awkwardly.

"Sorry." Luigi says sheepishly.

"Take it." Mario offers.

Luigi shakes his head, "No no. You saw it first, and it's the last one. You take it."

"Don't worry about me. I'm flexible." Mario argues. " You take it."

"No you're not." Luigi argues back. "Your motto is, 'don't talk to me till I've had my coffee how I like it'. You're a grumpy bear without it."

"I am not!" Mario exclaims. "Would you just take the stupid pod already?"

"Ooh, last one!" Someone from Biofeedback walks up and grabs it, then puts it in the machine.

Mario and Luigi just stare at each other awkwardly, not saying a word.

"He what? " Spike shouts when Pauline tells him. "How could you not tell me?"

"Because it's nothing!" Pauline defends.

"Pauline, nothing is clogging the toilet." Spike says flatly. "Not having your apartment gutted by my asshole brother!"

"Why are you yelling at me for what Max did?" Pauline demands.

Spike takes a breath, nodding, "I know. What about insurance? Will they cover the losses?"

"What insurance?" Pauline asks, confused.

"Oh great." Spike sighs. "You're gonna let me cover some of the costs to replace everything, okay?"

"No I am not." Pauline snaps.

"Pardon me?" Snoozemore announces to the lab, so everyone gathers to listen. "We've just found an unidentified female Toad. There were signs of a struggle along with some blood, suggesting an ambush."

"No DNA?" Spike asks.

"The blood isn't our victim's." Snoozemore says.

"So our victim managed to defend herself before she was petrified?" Luigi asks.

"We're here to see if we can't find a name and determine why she was attacked." Snoozemore concludes.

"Luigi?" Mario asks as he finishes the dreamwalking checklist.

"Loud and clear." Luigi replies.

"Hey, Weeg?" Mario says suddenly. "Scooch over."

Luigi complies, sitting up as Mario joins him on the Ultibed.

"Look, we're working, okay?" Mario says.

"I know we are." Luigi replies, confused. "What makes you think we aren't?"

"I'm just saying, me, dreamwalking inside your head. You're not suddenly worried about me invading your privacy?" Mario asks.

"Not until you just said that." Luigi says, annoyed.

"What exactly is your job here?" Clark asks Spike.

"Heh." Spike chuckles. "My original job was spying on Luigi, but that was obviously not needed anymore, so I just stand here like a chump with my tablet."

"Is that all?" Clark asks.

"Oh god no." Spike shakes his head. "One time I was in there." He points to the Ultibed. "To help save Mario's life. But trust me, I'd kill for something new."

"You want a field job?" Clark asks.

"Yes please." Spike nods.

"Looks like you need to take the next step in self-defense." Clark says. "Last thing anyone wants is to see anything happen to you."

"Weren't you teaching me?" Spike asks, confused.

"No no." Clark shakes her head. "You need someone more intense."

"More intense than you?" Spike asks. "I don't buy it."

"Mario!" Snoozemore snaps at him, where he's still on the bed. "Get off there this minute before we can't dreamwalk through our victim's mind at all!"

"Sorry!" Mario stands up immediately. "Alright, set the timer."

The timer appears, so Mario moves right along.

"Inducing REM sleep in 3...2...1...GO!"