Chuck led them through a honeycomb of tunnels and caverns, one hand on the wall, the other flicking switches. "Step over this. Not that tile. Laser there - hop." Beams zipped, plates clicked, a ceiling dart thunked into a sandbag Chuck had already raised. Whoever built this place didn't want anyone getting in or out.
Mario kept moving - but his mind snagged on a name. Sonic. Fastest thing alive? Strong, too?I wonder if he's better than me…
Five minutes of tiptoeing later, Chuck palmed a panel and a door slid open. Warm light spilled out.
"Princesses!" Mario grinned. "You two okay?"
Peach spun, Daisy glanced up - and a little pink ball wobbled between them like a pet. The room looked like a cozy living room; couch, lamps, rugs, just underground.
"Mario! I'm glad you're okay," Peach said.
"Uncle Chuck told us the mix-up," Daisy added. "Once we explained, he went to fetch you. Big misunderstanding."
"Misunderstanding?" Toad huffed. "We were in a cage." He crossed his arms, still prickly.
"We had to be careful," Peach said gently. "We're new here."
"Yes, yes - my apologies," Uncle Chuck said. "Robotnik's taken on new allies. Caution's kept us breathing."
The pink ball gave a tiny hop.
"Let's talk about this Robot" Mario began.
"Mario, Luigi, Toad!" Peach beamed. "Come meet our new friend. He's amazing!"
"Huh?" Mario blinked.
"Where is he?" Luigi asked. "Is that pink ball his?"
"No," Daisy said. "That is him. His name is Kirby."
The ball swiveled; two big eyes, a small mouth, flap-arms, red boots. Toad scooted over, sizing him up. Same height. Same shoe store, probably.
"This puffball is Kirby, right?" Toad leaned in, still sore about the cell. He put on his tough face. "I could take 'im."
Kirby's eyes flashed. Insult taken.
"Uh-oh," Peach and Daisy said together. "Kirby - don't!"
Kirby's mouth yawned and widened - the air whooshed. Fwoooop! Before Toad could squeak, he was gone.
"Mario! Help me!" came a muffled voice from inside Kirby.
"What! he just ate Toad!" Mario shouted, dropping into a stance. Luigi slid beside him, fists up.
Peach giggled. Daisy waved a hand. "It's okay! Kirby does that to play. We saw earlier."
"Kirby," Daisy said, "let him out."
"It's weird in here!" Toad yelled. "Get me ouuuut!"
Kirby bounced - puff, puff - floated twice, then dive-bombed the rug. Splat! He pancaked flat, and Toad popped out, landed on his mushroom head, and sprang up again.
"Why you - poison shot time!"
Toad squared up - then froze. Kirby now wore Toad's patented hat. The pink puff mirrored Toad's every move - fist up, fist up; foot stomp, foot stomp; scowl, scowl.
"Hey! Stop that!" Toad yelled!
Kirby's mouth mimed the words. The room cracked. Even Mario and Luigi couldn't hold their laughter. Two Toads were twice as funny. Chuck, arms crossed against the wall, his robotic smiled widened.
"Okay, okay, that's enough," Chuck said. "Let me explain."
Toad unclenched and shuffled back. The princesses already knew; they traded amused looks.
"This little guy came through a pipe yesterday," Chuck said. "Pipes started popping all over our world. Most of what spilled out were mindless baddies. A few exceptions: you folks, this puffer, Kirby - and we also saw a huge spiked turtle."
"Bowser!" everyone gasped. Kirby still puffing his cheeks at being called a "puffer."
"You know him? He found Robotnik fast. Looks like they teamed up," Chuck said.
"Bowser's the worst back home," Mario said. "We've fought him for years."
"And Robotnik's ours," Chuck replied. "He's turned this land into metal. Replaces nature with machines - and us with robots." He gestured to his own plates. "As you can see."
"We've handled Bowser more times than we can count," Peach said. "We'll help you stop both of them."
"If Bowser's that bad, we can use the help," Chuck nodded. "I pinged my nephew. He should be here…"
A long skid shrieked outside. SKIDDDDDDDDD!
Chuck's smile clicked on. "...Any second."
The door swung. Red shoes with white stripes slid in like an arrow, attached to a blue hedgehog with white gloves and a crown of blue spikes on his back.
"Yo, guys - wassup?" he grinned.
"Sonic!" Uncle Chuck lit up.
"Uncle Chuck! Long time, no see." Sonic hugged him. "You good? No Robuttnik trouble?"
"Better now that I found them." Chuck waved at the group.
Sonic sized them up. "So you're the Marios, huh? Don't look like much."
"We're the Mario brothers," Mario said evenly. "I'm Mario, he's Luigi. That's Peach, Daisy, and the little guy is Toad."
"And the puffball?"
Kirby puffed again.
"And is it Halloween already? What's with the mushroom cosplay?"
"That's Kirby," Chuck said. "Came through another pipe."
"We came to help," Mario said. "We're hunting Bowser, and it looks like he's here."
"Yeah - spiky turtle," Sonic said. "Kinda a dope. I saw him buddy up with Robuttnik while I was spying. We've got it handled."
Toad whispered, "Bowser's scary…" Kirby mirrored the worried look.
"Who's 'we'?" Peach asked.
"Freedom Fighters," Sonic said. "Been holding him off for years."
"We can help," Mario offered.
"Thanks but no thanks," Sonic shrugged. "You'd be a speed bump."
The group bristled. Who does this guy think he is?
"We're not leaving," Mario said. "Bowser won't stop until he's wrecked everything. We know how he fights."
Sonic tilted his head. "You've been at it a while, huh? Okay. Show me."
Mario perked up. Here we go.
"Little brawl," Sonic said. "Stand your ground, you join the Freedom Fighters. Flop, and you head home and let us handle it."
Mario blinked. "Fight? Aren't we on the same..."
Sonic tapped his foot, eyes on Mario. "I'm waiting. What's your answer?"
This blue guy was really getting under his cap.
"You're on," Mario said. "If I take you down, we'll let you help us."
Sonic's grin widened. Maybe he liked them more than he let on.
Toad winced. Kirby too. Luigi facepalmed. Peach and Daisy traded the universal men… look, eyes rolled.
"We'll head to Knothole," Sonic said. "Rest. Eat. You'll need it. We'll fight tomorrow. "
Mario nodded. Time to prove all those Bowser battles meant something. He was a hero.
"But first," Sonic said, looking around, "where's my chili dog?"
The whole room slumped. "Sigh."