Brother's Loyalty: Endgame

Can't Hold Us

Whoa—is that...?

Yep, looks like it. How did he...?

I don't know, but Luigi could surely use him right about now—once he finds a way to get him out of there.

Yikes. This hotel was a trap. For all of us. Just look at how close that creep was to winning tonight.

That's true—but Luigi got away, and now he has a fighting chance. We can't let King Boo win. We need to fix our eyes.

Yeah. Fix our eyes—and hope for the best.

...

A mixture of sadness and righteous fury currently boiled within Luigi as he stood in what appeared to be a ballroom, his eyes riveted on the sight before him.

His mentor, a man who'd saved his life and set his unexpected career as a ghost-wrangler in motion, was currently held captive inside a portrait. His mouth was open in a scream, his hands were raised, as if he were trying to ward something—someone—off, and his face was mottled with bruises. The pieces were slowly clicking into place inside Luigi's mind. King Boo must've lured the Professor here, as well, and then Hellen had freed him from the vault before the two of them attacked the scientist! He knew that was the Professor's car in the garage!

Thank God he'd had enough common sense to bring the Poltergust G-00 along. Otherwise—Luigi dared not finish that thought.

Polterpup was perched next to Gadd's portrait prison, barking frantically. Once Luigi regained his bearings, he raced over to his trapped mentor, gently pressing a gloved hand against the canvas.

"Professore? Can you hear me?" he asked.

Loud and clear, sonny.

"I'm gonna get you out of here, I promise. If only I had the Dark-Light Device on this thing—d—mit!"

Hey, youngster. I think your puppy just uncovered something.

Luigi's eyes swung over to Polterpup, who was seated beside a door.

"Hang in there, Professor," he said. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Take your time...

Luigi followed Polterpup through the door and into the mezzanine hallway, and then the ghost puppy phased through another door ahead of him. Unfortunately, the door was locked.

"The key has to be around somewhere," muttered Luigi.

Further down the hallway was another door, which opened into some sort of wardrobe room. The masks that the hotel's staff had worn earlier were scattered on three small tables, and some clothes hung in a closet, concealing a safe. Using the vacuum, Luigi yanked the clothes away and flashed the green panel on the safe, which opened to reveal an oval-shaped gem.

"Okay," said Luigi. "Now to find the key."

He vacuumed every last nook and cranny in that wardrobe room, searching for anything of interest, value or both. Eventually, he saw another green panel, and when he flashed it with the Strobulb, a painting folded outward and spat out the key he was looking for.

Luigi pressed the key to his lips before pocketing it and heading out.

The scene in the mezzanine hallway had changed drastically. "Wanted" posters with his face on them were being plastered all over the walls. And the one putting up those posters was none other than a ghost! They worked casually, humming a tune as another ghost floated behind them with an armful of "wanted" posters. These ghosts were the same blue, thin ghosts Luigi had encountered in the lobby. He didn't know why, but he decided to call them—Goobs.