Super Mario Bros: The Fan-Adapted Novelization

Chapter 1-3: Koopas, Crabs, and Flies! (Oh, My!)

With the exception of a very slight curve to the left, the brothers had been running and walking on and off for an indeterminate amount of time, and they were growing very tired. "Aren't we done yet?" Mario panted, clearly exhausted by the ordeal.

"How much longer is this tunnel going to go?" Luigi sighed. "The station has to be close by..."

He yanked off his hat and wiped some sweat off his drenched forehead. The second he put his hat back on, he heard a series of familiar clucking noises echoing off the walls some distance away. "Am I going crazy?" he asked, his voice weary.

"I don't think so," Mario answered. "Those might be koopas...and I think they're close!"

"How close?"

"We just have to reach the end of this curve." He turned around and smiled at his brother. "Keep your chin up, Weegee; we're almost there!"

Luigi, rolling his eyes at his old childhood nickname, continued forward alongside Mario. Before long, they encountered the source of the noise, and sure enough, the clucks belonged to none other than koopas. Accompanying them were, among other things, some giant crabs and a swarm of unusually large flies. All the creatures huddled close together, as a red crab spoke aloud:

"All right, team, we've managed to get this far. With Toad Town under siege, all we have to do now is find a way into Mushroom City. Apparently the next pipe should lead us into the airport close by. Hopefully Lord Bowser should be pleased."

Mario and Luigi looked at each other, eyes widening as they heard the last remark. Did they just reference THE Bowser....as in Bowser Koopa, King of the Darklands? What did he want from Toad Town?

"The captain of the Hammer Brotherhood said Princess Peach Toadstool was in their possession," a koopa with a green shell added. "With her in the hands of Lord Bowser while her parents are away, he'll be able to take over the castle. The Mushroom Kingdom will finally be under his control!"

At the mention of Peach, something inside Mario completely snapped. Without hesitation, he bolted toward the huddle, a clenched fist brandished high. It didn't matter that he blew his and Luigi's cover. It didn't matter that was he was doing was completely out of impulse. What mattered was that someone close to him was in danger, and he was going to do something about it.

This particular something included wiping that cocky grin off of that koopa's kisser.

He rammed the koopa against the wall. The latter merely chuckled in response. "And who are you supposed to be?" he sneered.

Several rage-induced thoughts still clouded the plumber's mind as he completely ignored the question. "Where is she?" he demanded. "Where is the Brotherhood taking her? Where is the fortress? Where is Bowser hiding?"

The corners of the koopa's mouth curled into yet another smug smile. "Wouldn't you like to know? Your little girlfriend is almost as far away from the Mushroom Kingdom as you can get. Even if you have to trudge through land, air, and sea to find her, there's no way you're ever gonna catch up."

Mario's eyes further narrowed in anger. "Then let's see if Bowser can catch THIS."

Luigi, realizing what his brother was about to do, sprinted forward. "Mario–"

But he wasn't fast enough. His brother barreled past the koopa, the crab, and through the swarm of flies, further down the tunnel, with the green-clad twin reluctantly following suit. "What are you doing?!" he shouted as he chased after Mario.

"Heading for the exit."

"But we don't know where it is!"

"So we'll find it ourselves!"