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

We Got a Situation on Our Hands, and It's Not Looking Pretty

"Luigi, Il mio piccolino." Mia comes closer, grabbing Luigi's hand. "Don't you dare go where we can't follow."

"Why are you here?" Luigi demands. "This is the storefront for me and my brother. Get out."

"Nah." Mr. L plops down. "Oh, and as far as your question goes? We're both stuck here while the pieces of your dimwitted brain try to fix themselves." He points to Luigi. "Piece.", then points to himself. "Piece."

"I don't want you here." Luigi snaps.

"Finally, we agree on something." Mr. L snarks back. "But it's not up to either of us. It's up to you."

"I am me." Luigi doesn't have time for these games.

"No, you're a part of you." Mr. L corrects. "The part that came back when you remembered everything. Whereas I'm the part of you that got pushed away. And I've just decided I don't like that. So I'm gonna be taking over."

"Fuck you." Luigi says, right before he throws a punch.

In the real world, Luigi's head jerks suddenly, making Mario gasp, "What was that?"

"He's fighting." Nastasia says calmly. "We just need to keep him alive a little longer."

"Can I go next?" Tony asks, stepping up, to which Giovanni nods, and in the same fashion, Tony takes over compressions.

It's a flurry of punches, slaps and kicks as the two sides of Luigi's mind battle it out.

"Why wouldn't you want me to take over?" Mr. L yells as he throws another punch. "You were pathetic . Always being left behind on adventures. And we both know you only jumped on the Chaos Heart to try and one up Mario!"

"No!" Luigi protests with a grunt. "I did it because Peach was in trouble!"

Luigi's body keeps jerking, and it's all everyone can do to hold him down while the doctors take over compressions.

"Keep fighting, Weegee." Mario begs. "Please."

"You were so happy when you were me!" Mr. L goes on, pulling Luigi's arms from behind, holding them tight. "You were a mechanic, finally getting the recognition you deserved! No more hiding behind Mario's shadow! Just you and your own talents!"

"No." Luigi elbows him to make him let go. "I wasn't. Remember that ache in our chest we felt whenever we were alone? When we talked to Mario?"

"So there's a we now." Mr. L grins in satisfaction. "What's a little heartburn compared to how it used to be?"

"It used to be that I'd go to Brooklyn to run our business solo." Luigi reminds him. "And I'd miss Mario every day until he came home safe and sound."

"So?" Mr. L tries to shrug, but Luigi can see it's affecting him.

"It used to be that I'd make the trek up to Star Hill, wishing for him to be safe, no matter what he encountered." Luigi goes on, getting bolder now. " That's why we found what was left of our heart up there."

"In the same spot where a talking Star Gate made you cry, and Mario had to bail you out." Mr. L tries to argue, but even that's not enough to faze Luigi now.

"I cried because it took everything I was already telling myself and gave them a voice." Luigi advances on Mr. L, making him back up. "All Mario did was remind me why that line of thinking was not only wrong, but never true in the first place."

"Oh yeah?" Mr. L moves forward, making Luigi back up this time. "Then why am I still here?"

That, finally, stops Luigi cold.