Plumber and the Beast

Chapter 1

Luigi was listening intently to the radio. The rain was pattering down on the windshield, and his eyelids were heavy.

It had been a long day, and the voice on the radio was droning on, the only thing keeping him awake. That and the thought of coming home to Bowser.

Luigi and Bowser had been married for five years now, but they still behaved like newly weds.

They had met on set once, one of the few times Luigi had been on one. It had all been an accident.

You see, Mario was both the director and the lead actor of the wildly popular show ''Super Mario''. He was a child star. Ever since he was a small child their parents had taken Mario to several different auditions, hoping to get him cast anywhere possible. They wanted him to be a star, and Mario grew up thinking he was one.

Luigi, on the other hand...

Their parents had put so much effort into securing roles for the older brother that Luigi was left behind in shadow, expected to take care of himself...and Mario. Growing up, he was always taught to ''mind Mario'' as much as he could.

''Your brother is very important, Luigi!'' his mother always said. ''As a little brother, you always have to look out for him and make sure he's okay!''

And Luigi obeyed. He always did.

When Mario managed to land bigger roles in Hollywood he decided to move there. Luigi didn't decide, he just...did. He moved there with his brother to always be by his side, as was his destiny.

About a year into living there, Mario managed to become both the manager and the main lead of a show he was going to call ''Jump man Mario''. It was a show for kids about a heroic man, going on various adventures, fighting monsters and saving a beautiful princess.

Luigi did always like the show, ever since his brother pitched it to him. Even though it was technically Luigi's idea from the beginning... it didn't really matter.

Mario had been drunk on the sofa, as he usually was after a bad casting. He had been ranting and raving about some show he wanted to create, about some strong mean hero with big muscles, and Luigi got tired of listening to it.

''No...'' he said, interrupting his brother as politely as possible. ''That's not what kids want to see, Mario...''

Mario looked up slowly, his drunken blood shot eyes meeting Luigi's. He scoffed.

''No? What do they want to see then, since you know everything...''

Luigi swallowed, practically shrinking into himself. ''No uhm...you're right.''

Mario scoffed, continuing. ''How would you bloody know? You don't know shit about the show business.''

Luigi hung his head again, feeling defeated. ''No...you're right, brother. As always...'' he looked down at the clock on his arm. ''It's...It's time for my shift. I should go.''

''Yeah, damn right you should.'' Mario said, spitting on the floor beside him. ''Now get out.''

And Luigi left, as fast as he possibly could. When he came back, though, he was met by something that made his heart jump.

Mario had fallen asleep on the couch, snoring like an ox with a bottle in his hand. Luigi brushed his teeth and changed into pyjamas, and then when he finally walked into his room to sleep...he was met by a total mess.

Every drawer was pulled out, all of their contents lining the floor. Torn, wrinkled, cracked. He immediately kneeled down, frantically searching for the one thing he was scared Mario might see.