Brother's Loyalty: Endgame

Titanium (GOOD ENDING Pt. 1)

[Chapter contains blood and violence.]

Luigi tasted his own blood. It trickled and dribbled into his mouth—warm, thick, coppery and sweet. He paid it no mind, however, gripping the nozzle of his trusty Poltergust G-00 tighter than ever. The battle between him and King Boo was arduous and left him not only bleeding but also in excruciating pain. However, the pain wasn't slowing him down in the slightest—he pushed it further and further into the back of his mind. There was only one thing he was thinking about, and one thing only—eliminating the threat against those he held dear.

In his mind, he pictured the faces of his imperiled loved ones, watching his every move with hope in their eyes. He heard their voices, encouraging him, exhorting him to fight and keep fighting. There was Peach's soft and calming dulcet, Mario's signature falsetto, Gadd's authoritative tone and Thad, Brad and Chad's high-pitched voices. Their optimism and strength encircled him and became his strength, mixing with the quiet inner strength currently surging through ever fiber in his body. He was gonna take King Boo down and end his reign of terror, or die trying.

Above him, King Boo and his two clones continued to attack with electricity, fire, their tongues, their bodies, their spiked balls, their bombs and their swords. With each passing minute, their attacks grew more savage and vicious as the King's rage and frustration grew. But as a result of this increased frustration and rage, he and his clones lost their heads and began making mistakes, mistakes which Luigi wasted no time capitalizing on. It wasn't long before King Boo found himself back on the floor, dazed, as Luigi and Gooigi stepped toward him and grabbed his tongue with their vacuums.

Shouting out a wordless battle cry, Luigi heaved his nemesis overhead and slammed him into the hotel's roof for the umpteenth time, repeating that action again and again as the voices of his brother, his "sister", his mentor and the three Toads egged him on.

Oh, yeah! You go, Bro!

Way to sock it to him!

That's the finest ghost tussling I've ever seen, youngster!

You're doing it! You're doing it!

Yippee! You're the best!

Yeah! You're the man, Luigi!

"Keep going, Gooigi!" Luigi called out to his doppelganger as they slammed the ever-loving Hell out of King Boo. "Keep going! We've almost got him!"

But King Boo broke free and glared at the duo. "Not yet," he hissed as his two clones respawned.

The three crowns glowed an ominous white before summoning waves of ghosts, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Your situation is hopeless!" gloated the King. "Surrender now!"

"Over my dead body," Luigi shot back.

King Boo responded with a demented grin. "Your proposal is acceptable," he said, he and his three clones making a dive for Luigi.

"I can handle the ghosts," said Gooigi. "You just worry about King Boo!"

"Forget about the ghosts!" shouted Luigi. "It's a diversion! If we don't capture King Boo fast enough, then we'll all be in a portrait frame!"