"All right, class," said Mrs. Dawes, "would you like to tell me your favorite superheroes?"
"Batman's my favorite!" said Colin.
"I like Captain America," said Myra.
"Mine's Superman!" laughed Brandon.
"Mine's Spiderman," replied Michael.
Dennis grinned. "I love the X-Men!"
"And I love Wonder Woman!" trilled Sarah.
One-by-one, the students called out their favorite costumed heroes. The green-clad student, however, sat quietly with a small smile on his lips, carefully contemplating the answer he'd give.
"Luigi?" Mrs. Dawes finally called on him. "Who's your favorite superhero?"
Luigi's smile widened. "My bro," he replied, indicating the red-clad student seated to his left.
Silence.
"But—he's not wearing a fancy costume!" A.J. objected.
"What makes you think you need a fancy costume to be a superhero?" Luigi challenged, sweeping his gaze over his classmates.
"Luigi's right," said Mrs. Dawes. "There are some superheroes who don't need tight costumes at all."
"Mario doesn't have superpowers, either," said Francis. "In fact, he's just a..."
Sharply, Luigi cut him off. "Batman doesn't have superpowers," he said pointedly. "Neither does Iron Man. They build the gadgets they need to save the world."
"Impressive observation, Luigi," Mrs. Dawes told him.
"Most heroes have super speed, super strength, invisibility and whatever," Luigi went on, "but my bro doesn't need any of that stuff. He's super to me because I believe in him, and he has the power he needs right in here." He tapped his heart. "You guys can be heroes, too, by helping others the way Mario helps me. That's what heroes do, anyway—they help."
The class began chattering among themselves.
"Police officers and firefighters help us, and they don't have powers," Evelyn volunteered.
"So do doctors and nurses," mused Colin.
"You've brought up some fine points for discussion, Luigi," said Mrs. Dawes, "but I'm afraid it's almost time for class to dismiss. However, for your homework tonight, I'd like you all to write one page about what you think are a hero's most important traits."
"Does spelling and grammar count?" asked Barry.
"Doesn't spelling and grammar always count, Barry?"
"By one page," Sybil piped up, "do you mean both sides of the paper?"
"Only one side will do, Sybil. But extra credit will be given to those who do extra work."
At least three pages were taking shape inside Luigi's head right now.
Mario raised his hand. "Mrs. Dawes?"
"Yes, Mario?"
"What Luigi said—goes double for me," said Mario. "He's my hero, too."
YOU ARE READING
Brother's Loyalty
FanfictionLuigi has supposedly won a mansion in a contest he didn't even enter. But this strange reward soon turns into a nightmarish death trap, a death trap which has also managed to claim Mario! Armed with only a flashlight and a mere vacuum cleaner, and...
