At Least Your Brother's Not Gonna Die Because of You!

Looks Like Mario's Not the Only One With Issues to Work Out

"Weegee?"

The nickname makes both Mario brothers turn to look as their entire family comes filing in.

Luigi gives a weak wave, "Heyo. Sorry about the dire circumstances."

Everyone takes turns hugging both Mario and Luigi, but it's Tony who seems to be getting particularly emotional, but Arthur saves him by pointing out, "Heard you got a storefront in Brooklyn. Congrats."

"Sorry for not waiting." Luigi says. "Got a little worried I'd..."

"Hey, no." Tony finally speaks, coming closer. "Don't worry about us, worry about you."

"And anyway, we saw the commercial, didn't we?" Arthur reminds them. "Who knew you'd end up getting to live it in a kingdom with a princess?"

"I did." Mia says. "You remember I called you first thing, to tell you how much I loved it?"

"You said it was the best commercial ever." Luigi nods with a smile.

"He told Spike about it right there in Punch Out." Mario pipes up.

"I even tried to do a mic drop with my phone and broke it." Luigi recalls.

"That's my ragazzo." Mia gushes, kissing him on the cheek.

But even as she's doing that, Luigi's face turns somber, and one by one, so does the faces of everyone else, as reality stares them all in the face.

"Papa Sal couldn't make it." Mia finally says. "He would've given anything to be here, but he's been under the weather lately. Marie and Marilyn are staying with him."

"Can I trade with him?" Luigi jokes, earning a light smack on the arm.

"The princess said the doctors are working with the woman that did this to you, to try and see if they can't come up with something together." Giovanni tells them.

"Nastasia?" Mario says, eyes wide with hope.

"Uh huh." Giovanni nods.

"But they don't know when, or if they'll come up with it before..." Arthur trails off.

"Excuse me for a second, I'm gonna talk to Peach, see what she knows." Mario tells Luigi.

"Tell me if you hear anything, okay?" Luigi begs.

"Promise." Mario says as he squeezes his leg, then leaves.

"Thank you." Luigi says to the Mario family. "For being here. I know it's happening at the worst time—"

"Hey, shut up." Tony scolds. "We wanted to come, okay?"

"But I still feel like you had to drop everything to--" Luigi tries, but Giovanni stops him this time.

"Luigi, you and Mario may be adults that can take care of yourselves now, but it doesn't matter what you're calling about, when, or why, if you ask us to come, we will."

"Yes, the celebration was awesome." Mario says into his phone. "Marilyn would've loved it. Sorry all of you couldn't come with the rest of the family.", a beat, then, "I'll tell them. Love you, Aunt Marie. Bye."

Then he hangs up, right as Daisy approaches.

"Was that one of your relatives?" she asks, then moves along. "How you doing, mustache?"

"First, only Peach and my brother get to call me that." Mario crosses his arms, then drops them with a sigh, "Second, it's bad. Really bad."

"I take it the family's with him?"

"Uh huh." Mario nods. "Thought I'd take advantage and step out so I could calm down.", then cries, "Stars, we just got our first storefront today! It was everything I'd ever hoped for our company and more, thanks to Luigi getting it declared a historical landmark before it even opens! I should be over the moon, excited about where me and my brother are gonna take our company from here! And I..." he shakes his head, laughing bitterly. "Destiny got the last laugh after all, didn't it?"

"Listen to your father, mi ragazzo." Mia says. "We don't care if it's just because you want us to visit, we'll always find a way to come."

"You saved so many worlds thanklessly, including ours." Tony reminds him.

"Nah, come on. That was all Mario." Luigi tries to joke.

"And you." Giovanni insists. "Do you even know how many times Mario's called to beg us to keep tabs on you while he's gone on an adventure? Make sure nothing happens to you, so he doesn't come home to an empty house?"

"Or how upset he was when Bowser separated you because of that horrible man's blackmail?" Mia adds.

"He could've figured it out without me." Luigi says logically. "That's what he does."

"For you." Arthur says. "That's what he does for you. He tells me all the time how he'll never forgive himself if something happens to you here, because it was his idea to try and fix the Brooklyn sewers."

"I'm the one that found the pipe." Luigi says. "And I don't go anywhere I don't want to. No matter what he says, this," he gestures to the back of his head. "Was not Mario's fault."

Then he turns serious, "Look, if I don't survive..."

"Don't." Arthur stops him.

"I need to say this." Luigi insists. "Ma, if the worst-case scenario happens, and I don't survive, please don't leave Mario to face it alone."

"I won't." Mia promises. "We'll all move away and start over if that's what it takes."

But it's Giovanni crying who gets everyone's attention, "This is all my fault. If I hadn't been so hard on Mario--"

"No, it's not." Luigi cuts him off.

"Yes it is." Giovanni insists. "If I hadn't said he was bringing you down with him, you never would've gone down to the sewers, and we'd never even know this world exists. Your kid's not supposed to die first."

Luigi wordlessly pulls his dad in for a hug as the older Mario cries against his shoulder.

When Giovanni finally pulls away, he wipes his face, "S-sorry."

"Don't apologize." Mia scolds. "Not for this."

Giovanni appears to be more put out though, as he says, "I'm gonna go find Mario, sort myself out."

None of everyone else's protests seem to matter as Giovanni makes for the door, closing it behind him.