In Rogueport, police had just lost the trail of a vigilante chase. Someone had plundered the item shop of all its contents! Officials were baffled, and could find no evidence of anyone being there, aside from everything being taken. Who could this thief be? This was obviously something that had taken many months of preparation. Whoever did it was a master thief...
Popple, the Shadow Thief, laughed as he jumped into his pile of spoils. From his hideout in the Trouble Center attic, he was invincible! Nobody had ever caught him, and nobody ever would. This made him smirk, and he grabbed a Mushroom and started to eat it. While he devoured the Shroom, he looked out of the upstairs window. Outside, a couple of officers were arguing about his recent thievery. They pondered his whereabouts, and who he was. Popple was amused by their stupidity, and continued eating his Mushroom.
Later, Popple got bored with what he had, and decided that he would take a stroll outside. Nobody knew he had stolen anything, so he was fine. As he jumped across rooftops, he made his way to the local badge shop. He was a very avid visitor, but only purchased on occasions. Why would he spend his hard earned money on something after he had just stolen the exact same thing? But nonetheless, Popple opened the door.
The clerk lazily welcomed him, not making eye contact or any gestures. Popple threw a rock at him and hit him square in the snout, in an attempt to get his attention. The clerk yelped in anger, and got up, noticing Popple. As soon as he saw his Bean friend, he started to laugh, as they were on good terms. He asked if anything peaked his interests, but Popple was too bored to browse. He watched the TV in the corner to see what was happening. The theft of the Rogueport item shop was top priority with the newscasters today, which made Popple swell with pride, and his Mouser friend congratulated him. The clerk, who’d had no customers in three days, pulled up a chair, and sat near the TV. The story changed, and the Mouser clerk turned the volume up to hear about this one.
It seemed that Waluigi had been thwarted by Luigi and some of his allies, even with the combined effort of Wario and a giant Piranha Plant! Popple was intrigued by this, and pulled up a chair. The newscaster was interviewing one of Luigi's allies, Mario, near the grounds of Princess Peach's Castle. Popple leaned towards the television, grabbed the remote and turned the volume up even louder, and put the subtitles on, so he could understand every word. Mario was asked about the epic battle, and Mario said something about being constricted by the giant Piranha Plant's vines. After many more questions, Popple seemed to lose interest, so he got up and turned the volume down. He could just barely hear the newscaster ask Mario if he had any good luck charms. Popple got back down on his seat and turned the volume up instantly, listening to the new possibilities awaiting him. Mario answered his hat, for without it, he just seemed to lose his super. Popple's pupils dilated, and he shut the TV off. This was the grand heist of a century! Mario's trademarked hat! He told the clerk about his idea, and he thought it was ingenious! Popple ran out of the shop, with the thievery in mind.
He crawled through the hole in the roof of the Trouble Center, and plopped back into his cozy hideaway. He cleared today's theft off the table and started to write down his plot. As he wrote, he dreamed of what fortune awaited him. If he sold the hat on the black market, he could make millions! Or, he could sport the hat as his own! Oh, the glory! Mario would be at his worst, so Bowser could take over the Mushroom Kingdom. And if Popple showed Bowser what he’d plundered from Mario, Bowser would realize that he was the reason Mario lost! He would be showered in praise! Ahh, why didn't he think of this before? He continued to write, thinking brilliance must accumulate over time.
By the next day, his plot was complete! He would merely drill a hole in the wall behind the bunk beds where the Mario Brothers slept while they were out, and at night, he would sneak in through the hole, steal Mario's hat, and be off! As he reviewed this, he noticed some major problems. Where would he get a drill? Who was small enough to fit within the confines of a two-inch hole? And what if the Marios awoke? They were both stronger than Popple... He would need some serious help. The problem was, if he hired anyone, he would have to split the profits! Oh well, better to have money than no money.
Popple called everyone he knew was useful, but either they weren't into thievery, weren't interested in false profit, or weren't home! Popple was furious! How could he, the Shadow Theif, be treated so disrespectfully? It was an outrage! He went outside his abode, jumped down onto the street, and merely wandered, angry.
Popple was at his wit’s end. He couldn't find anyone to help him! Was there anyone on the planet that could do ANYTHING useful? Popple started to curse and he bumped into someone running. He looked at the person, but all he saw was a white sheet with a menacing face, a party hat, and many battle scars. The sheet demanded to know who Popple was, and the thief introduced himself. The sheet asked him what was wrong, but Popple was too concerned to pay attention, and walked off. The sheet decided to give the Bean a scare, and he transformed into Popple! He rose from the ground in front of the real Popple, and scared him silly! Popple interrogated him for his identity, and he revealed himself as Doopliss the Duplighost! Popple nodded, and continued walking, weirded out. Doopliss changed into his regular form and asked Popple if he had a place he could mend his wounds. He’d just spent his ME time hired by some crazy men, been in a humongous fight, been blown up by Bob-ombs, and been left to die on some demon Piranha Plant back from the dead. Popple, thinking on his feet, said he lived nowhere. But Doopliss, being nosy, egged him on, needing a place to stay so he didn't die. Popple broke into a run, leaving Doopliss behind. Doopliss murmured something, and saw a fly soar by. A menacing grin appeared on Doopliss' face.
Popple had made it away from that freaky sheet person. He was finally gone. Popple looked around to see if the coast was clear, and jumped inside his hideout. He grabbed a Super Shroom, and only took one bite out of it. A bug flew up to him, but Popple swatted him away. Dazed, the bug got up, and changed into that whatshisface sheet freak! Popple choked on the Super Shroom and Doopliss laughed. The Duplighost said this was the best way to spend ME time! As soon as Popple swallowed the fungus, he took a look at Doopliss. The Shadow Thief asked him to change into the fly again. Doopliss looked confused, but did as he was told. He turned into the fly, and back. He saw Popple had a bed, and he sprinted over to it and fell down, exhausted from his "battle". Popple said to himself that he now had the person who would fly through the hole in the wall! His plan was starting to unfold, and he cackled, as Doopliss rested on his bed silently.
Doopliss yawned loudly and awoke in Popple's bed. The Shadow Thief was pacing the attic, trying to work the bugs out of his plan. Popple noticed him rise from the bed and float to the floor. Doopliss yawned again, making Popple yawn, irritating him. The sheet walked up to the spoils Popple plundered earlier that day, and took some Super Soda. Popple decided to get a drink too, and Popple asked him about thievery. Doopliss had never stolen anything before, but liked the idea of getting free stuff. His new friend asked Doopliss about any previous experiences that might help him be more sly. Doopliss told Popple about when he turned all of Twilight Town's residents into pigs and stole Mario's identity, along with all of his friends. Then there was the time when he fought Mario about a thousand miles underground, in a battle to obtain the Crystal Stars. Of course, Doopliss left out the fact that he lost both times. Popple didn't seem phased. Doopliss told Popple of one more battle he was engaged in. It was the battle he was just escaping from! It was between the Koopas, the Marios, and a team of maniacs with a giant Piranha Plant! He was actually on the maniac side, but he left that out. He narrowly escaped with his life, evading all Mushroom guards when he returned from Sarasaland. Popple was actually quite awed by this, but needed proof. Doopliss said if he didn't try to act so tough cursing on the street, he would've notice the bruises, burns, and slices he had... But Popple saw this. He was convinced Doopliss would do a good job, so he hired him. For the rest of that day, the freaky sheet ranted on about being a thief.
Popple asked Doopliss where he lived, and he said at Creepy Steeple. Popple had always admired that house, and had actually broken into it once, but certainly didn't tell his new rookie that! The Shadow Thief munched on a Mushroom, and a thought came to mind. Maybe this guy had a drill? Popple asked him, but Doopliss shrugged, not remembering. It was an old house, but Doopliss hadn't always lived in it... He didn't remember everything, either. Popple smacked his head in pure frustration, and they headed for Creepy Steeple.
As they reached the pipe for Twilight Town, Doopliss and Popple jumped within the depths of the brown-colored pipe. Popple was spat out of the pipe immediately, somehow rejected... But in Twilight Town, Doopliss emerged from the pipe. Many Twilighters screamed as their past tormentor hopped to the ground. He waited for Popple, and as the minutes past, the sheet's patience grew thinner. But back in the Rogueport underground, Popple kept jumping in the pipe, only to be rejected over and over again! Doopliss got sick of waiting after about four minutes and went back to where he came. As he emerged from the pipe, he collided with the Bean thief, as Doopliss was jumping out and Popple was jumping in. Doopliss reappeared in Twilight Town, after having been shoved down the pipe by Popple's shoes. Before he was plunged back into the Twilight Town pipe, Doopliss grabbed Popple's ankles and the two were both dragged in the pipe. They got up, brushed themselves off, and finally made their way to Creepy Steeple.
After passing through the forest, Popple and Doopliss came to the gigantic manor. Doopliss commented on how messy the Boos probably left it after he was hired by the maniacs. Popple went inside, and was awestruck. The place was completely immaculate and refurbished, complete with a white carpet that separated when the stairs did, like an ongoing tongue of a snake. There was stained glass windows, and the floor was holeless. Many Boos were off to the side, chatting about this and that. Doopliss led him up the stairs and through a few hallways, leading them to a new staircase. The rug still continued up the spiral staircase, not a wrinkle in it. It mirrored the stairs’ every curb perfectly. They headed up to a room with a bed, a shower, and a gigantic bell. Doopliss pulled up a chair and told Popple to sit. Popple thought to himself that this place looked much worse when he’d robbed it. Doopliss and his friend rested for a minute, and the sheet person interrogated him on the art of thievery. He and Popple spoke for a good half hour, talking about treasure and things like that. Doopliss and Popple soon did what they came here for, and that was to look for a drill. Doopliss checked the foyer, his room, the shed, the bomb shelter, the basement, under his bed, but to no avail.
Popple and Doopliss left the castle empty-handed, with defeated looks in their eyes. Popple asked if Doopliss knew anyone that might have some kind of tool, but the Duplighost was dumbfounded. But, as they walked, Doopliss got an idea! He might've known somebody with a drill! He told Popple, and the Bean was relieved. Popple asked who it was, and Doopliss told him it was none other than Ludwig von Koopa, heir to the Koopa Throne. It would be easy! Ludwig and Doopliss were friends, so borrowing a drill wouldn't be that hard! So, Popple and Doopliss set off for Dark Land, in search of a drill from the mad genius Ludwig von Koopa.
Popple and Doopliss walked the path from Creepy Steeple to the pipe to Dark Land. It was a FAR walk, with the pair having to travel on foot from Twilight Town to Pleasant Path, not to mention the day-long boat ride they had to take to reach the Toad Town Docks. The docks were just recently rebuilt, because they had been broken by a giant Piranha Plant falling from the sky or something along those lines. Sooner or later, they made their way to the Dark Land pipe. It was silver, and glinted from the fields in Pleasant Path, all the way back to Toad Town. Praying they would find a drill down in Dark Land, they jumped into the pipe.
This pipe, being extra long, was about a three-minute ride. When they reached the end, the thieves plummeted to the ground. The pipe wasn't exactly connected to the ground, and Popple had taken a hard fall. Doopliss just seemed to float down, and landed next to Popple. They advanced through a field to see the gigantic Koopa Kastle tower high. It was intimidating to walk up to this castle, which seemed endless, only to be "greeted" by a pair of Hammer Bros. The guards asked them their business, and Popple told him they were here to see Ludwig von Koopa. Both of the guards laughed, and one of them approached Popple, swinging his hammer like a toy and telling him his reason wasn't good enough. Doopliss had snuck behind the guards and used his shape-shifting prowess to transform into Wendy Ocean Koopa, a Royal Koopaling. Doopliss tapped the guard on the shoulder and told him to let the Bean through. Without hesitation, the castle doors opened, and Doopliss morphed back into his original form when the guards weren't looking. Popple asked him how he did that without actually seeing her, but Doopliss had seen her. The Hammer Bro had an autographed picture of Wendy with hearts all over it in his back pocket. Popple went back, called the guard a stalker, and ran inside the castle as fast as he could, with Doopliss following, having a laughing fit close behind him…
BOOM! A crash was heard from the laboratory. Iggy raced up the stairs, eager to see who was injured now. He ran in, only to see Ludwig covered in a thick layer of dust from an explosion. Hop immediately fell over, laughing so hard that his eyes started to water. To see his eldest brother in a white lab coat covered in soot was priceless, no matter how many times it happened. Ludwig tossed the destroyed beakers aside, brushed himself off, and tried to push Iggy out. But his younger sibling was glued to the floor laughing. Ludwig would've picked up a wrench and beat Iggy to death if Karma hadn't come in. She was about to ask Ludwig if he was ok, but was halted by the ongoing laughter of Iggy. Hop's laughter soon died, and he got up, leaving the room while clutching his side.
Karma watched the weird Koopaling walk out, and turned her attention back to Ludwig. He asked her what was up, and she just wanted to know if he was ok. Ludwig answered that he was fine, but the hybrid was intrigued by what he was working on. Ludwig started working on a different invention that was previously on a high shelf, and twisted a bolt on a small mechanism with his screwdriver. He was obviously hot from being in the room all day, doing nothing except work. She took the screwdriver he was working with, and he turned around. The YoshiKoopa ran out of the room, and Ludwig followed closely.
She led him into the kitchen, where he demanded the return of his tool. Karma argued with Ludwig about being cooped up in his room all the time, not spending time outside. He looked at his Met with fierce eyes, ready to jump over the table that separated them, when she did something out of pure amusement, just to get him outdoors. She threw the wrench out the window! Ludwig climbed on the table and jumped off it in an attempt to get his tool before it escaped, but smashed against the wall. He pushed himself off the wall, and pursued his tool. He ran out of the kitchen and dashed down the hall, determined to catch the tool.
Doopliss and Popple walked down the seemingly-endless hallway, trying to find the mad inventor. Popple heard footsteps, rather fast ones, darting towards them. The closer it got, the louder the steps boomed. The duo looked at each other, and looked forward. They saw what they came for, Ludwig von Koopa, but not the way the thieves wanted to see him. He was charging down the hall, completely unaware of their presence. Doopliss was in his was, and the sheet caught the inside of the speeding Koopa's shell. Doopliss grabbed Popple's sweater at the last second, dragging him along. The three flew down the hall, clinging for life on Ludwig's shell. The prince finally noticed them, and came to a halt. Doopliss greeted Ludwig, and they shook hands. Popple met Ludwig in person for the first time, so he bowed for respect. Ludwig invited them inside, and walked them down the hall.
The trio heard another banging of footsteps, except these ones were considerably lighter. Ludwig saw Karma running down the hall with a let-down look on her face. She complained to Ludwig why he didn't get the wrench. Ludwig explained that he had bumped into a few friends, introducing the hybrid to Popple and Doopliss. Ludwig introduced Karma, and the thieves greeted her, still sounding a little awestruck from Ludwig's charge.
Ludwig and Karma led Popple and Doopliss into the laboratory, and pulled up some seats, one for each of them. Doopliss told Ludwig they were on a mission to steal Mario's hat, and asked for his help. In his head, Popple thought about cutting the profits among the three of them, and he would've kicked Doopliss if that freak sheet had any legs. Ludwig pondered the thought, and agreed to come along. Doopliss smiled, and just remembered about the drill. He asked Ludwig, and the prince said he'd be right back. Karma talked with Popple and Doopliss, and they gave her the full details on the plan. The hybrid was completely blown away, and asked if she could join them! Popple, being nice, wholeheartedly accepted her. He thought to himself though, another one to split profits with. At this rate, he'd have no money left!
Ludwig returned with a big drill, and Karma told him that she would be accompanying them. Ludwig thought to himself that this would be rather interesting, as Karma usually acted terribly towards him and was always one to crack a joke at anyone's mistake. Ludwig and Kama told the duo they would have to tell Bowser about their leave, but Doopliss and Popple decided to come with them for morale support.
A loud laugh was heard from Bowser's room, as all of them told the king they were to leave to steal Mario's hat. Bowser thought this was the perfect time to strike an attack on the Mushroom Kingdom, for they thought the Koopas had gone soft helping them defend Plit from Waluigi, and attending Peach's party! But, the only thing Bowser didn't understand was why the hat? Popple told him it was Mario's good luck charm and it would fetch a pretty penny, but he then wished he’d left out the last part. Bowser asked for a portion of the money. More money, down the drain. Popple agreed once again, shaking Bowser's claw. By the time this heist was over, he was going to be about twenty-five coins richer. He got more money in items when he stole from that shop!
When the newly formed quartet was chatting in the lounge about what they were going to do, Morton decided to grace them with one of his speeches, this one about thievery. He spoke on and on, and the only person that seemed to care was Doopliss. He listened to Morton, and discussed pointers with him. After about twenty minutes, Karma really couldn't stand Morton any longer, so she grabbed Popple and Ludwig, but left Doopliss behind. He seemed to enjoy his new friend, so she let him be.
Popple and Ludwig were being dragged by Karma up to her room, where it was quiet and Morton-free. While passing through the halls, he noticed something that caught his interest immediately. He asked Ludwig how he could escape Karma, but the prince had yet to find a way. Popple invented one right there. The sly Bean slipped out of his sweater, and ran for the pool! Ludwig started to laugh, and Karma looked back, seeing Popple dive in. It was a nice cool down, and luckily, he could enjoy the dip without Wendy being around. Ludwig and Karma decided to join him, for a swim sounded pretty good right about now. Ludwig, Karma, and Popple continued about the plan, enjoying this final swim, for it would be a long while before any of them swam in this pool again.
After a while, the three of them got out of the indoor pool, drying themselves off. Just as they were about to put the heist into action, it started to rain. So the Koopas donned cloaks, and Doopliss would transform into an umbrella after looking at one of Wendy's. Popple stole one of Larry's raincoats, which was pretty hard, seeing as Larry had his room well guarded by vicious plants. As they opened the castle gates, the remaining Koopalings with Clawdia and Bowser said goodbye and wished them luck, giving them high hopes of catching the fabled hat. The rain poured hard as the quartet of thieves walked off into the distance, out of sight.
As they walked down the cold brick road, the three thieves huddled under Doopliss, taking advantage of his umbrella form. Popple asked Ludwig how far it was to the Marios' house from here. Ludwig had to think on that for a moment. That Universal Pipe Dig had moved over to Dark Land, so all the pipes were out. Ludwig estimated about a week. Karma shuddered at the thought of walking in the rain for a week, since the weather was forecasted to be terrible lately. Doopliss was getting mad, and said they would have to buy another umbrella because he wasn't being one for this whole trip. Everyone except Doopliss laughed a little, and they marched off the castle limits.
When they reached the middle of Dark Land, the rain turned into a torrent of thunder. Ludwig feared that the thunder would catch the metal frame of Doopliss' umbrella form, so he closed the umbrella doppleganger. Doopliss turned back into a sheet, and couldn't keep up, for the wind kept blowing him back. Karma, wanting to stop his whining, folded him up and stuck the Duplighost in her pocket. Ludwig found a cave, and signaled for the bandits to take shelter here until the thunder eased. Popple sprinted towards the cave, since he not only hated wet clothes, but had a fear of lightning. Karma followed just as fast with Doopliss' muffled cheering for shelter inside the confines of her pocket.
The storm only seemed to get even worse by the passing minutes. The bandits dried themselves off, and Popple pulled up a rock. He sat on the rock, and they discussed the quickest route to the Mushroom Kingdom. Ludwig had set up a drying rack from one of the stalactites and hung the wet rain coats and Popple's sweater on it. Popple asked Doopliss if he could change into a car to make the ride smoother, but the sheet shook his head, reminding him that he can only change into something he sees. Doopliss continued to ring himself out while Ludwig and Karma started talking about something, which left Popple to think. The Shadow Thief had moved his rock up to the edge of the cave, and watched the storm, wincing at every streak that lit the midnight sky. Soon, everyone had fallen asleep, tired from their walk across Dark Land.
In the morning, Popple awoke to the smell of veggies and chocolate. Doopliss was still asleep on the drying rack, and snored loudly. Karma was asleep also, on the far side of the cave, huddled against the wall. Ludwig started a fire and was cooking... something. Popple smelled a lot of chocolate, mixed with the smell of a salad. Popple asked the mad genius what he was doing. Ludwig was making a salad with... chocolate sauce? Ludwig started to explain, since Popple looked very, very confused. The Prince of Koopas had been talking to Karma last night, and she told him to make a salad for breakfast, since he usually awoke very early. She gave him some veggies, and went to bed. Ludwig had really wanted to make pudding for breakfast, and tried to debate with Karma, but she was sound asleep. So, he decided to combine salad with a chocolate dressing! It was like a vegetable pudding! Popple thought it was brilliant, and was awed by the aroma.
Ludwig found a big boulder and rolled it out for a table, while Popple found rocks for seats. Ludwig had brought silverware and bowls, and set the table up. Popple tossed the salad, and added the "salad dressing". When the two were about to awake Doopliss and Karma, a loud bolt of thunder crashed down in the plains, not too far from the cave. Popple almost fainted, and Karma shot up, her heart racing, but she was soothed by the smell of... something. Ludwig walked her over to his concoction Popple was dealing with, and she gave Ludwig a dumbfounded look. Chocolate salad? That was probably his weirdest idea yet, but she played along. Popple noticed the lightning strike hadn’t woken Doopliss, so he walked over to the sheet and tried to pull him down from the drying rack. Doopliss let out a big snore, and his shoe fell off, hitting Popple on the head. Popple threw a rock at him, and it hit him in the back of the head, making Doopliss plummet to the rock floor. Popple laughed at the dazed Doopliss, and led him over to his seat.
Ludwig told everyone since the storm had lifted and it was a light mist, they would be leaving after breakfast. They ate the chocolate salad, which was pretty good, and they donned their raingear. Karma stuck Doopliss in her pocket again, and they set off, away from the vegetable- and chocolate-smelling cave.
They bandits jogged across Dark Land, with no interruptions, except Doopliss constantly having to get air. Soon, they found themselves at the end of Dark Land. As soon as they passed through the border, they would be in the Mushroom Kingdom, not their own territory. They were likely to get ambushed, because Kooky and Popple just happened to be wanted criminals. The thieves would have to stay on their toes. It wasn’t their turf anymore...
The four thieves found themselves in somewhere in the Mushroom Kingdom, but it wasn't nearly as beautiful as the rest of the kingdom. They were at the foot of a castle, but it wasn't nearly as big as Bowser's. It was black and wet from the ongoing rains. It looked to have been unused for a while, judging by the untidiness. It looked pretty old, and had a gaping hole in the side of it. The thieves looked at it for a second, and decided it was pretty worthless, walking past the giant fortress.
Just as they were about to leave, Ludwig stopped and looked back at the fortress with a quizzical look. He'd seen this castle before, but he just couldn't place his claw on it. It was eerily familiar, and it looked as if it was calling him. All of the thieves told Ludwig to get a move on, but Ludwig asked them to stay here for a second. He wanted to investigate the castle. After some persuading, Popple agreed to stay. Doopliss jumped out of Karma's coat pocket for air, lay eyes on the castle, and was drawn towards it. But Karma had other thoughts than her fellow bandits. She had a sick aftertaste of rotting vegetables from Ludwig's "salad", and wasn't about to just shiver in the rain while her crazed Met, a Bean, and a sheet stared at a castle. The hybrid looked their way and was about to tell them off, but they were making their way to the fortress! As she stood in the rain, she cursed loudly and ran inside the castle, just to retrieve them and leave.
As Karma ran in, a large pool with stairs protruding from it was what the foyer had to offer. She walked around it and saw the three boys, just staring blankly at the ceiling. Karma walked up to Doopliss and waved in front of his face. Doopliss pointed up, and she looked up into the darkness. She saw nothing, and gave up looking quickly. She tried Popple, hoping he would be more help. The hybrid snapped her fingers at him, but he told her to be quiet. She growled at him fiercely, but he just shushed her. Karma tried Ludwig by taking some water from the pool and splashing it in his face. Ludwig rubbed his eyes and shook his head. Karma asked him what they were gawking at, and Ludwig just said they were listening to something. He told he to be quiet and just listen for a second. Karma grumbled, and was silent. For a second, she heard nothing. When she got frustrated and could wait no longer, her face got red. The hybrid thought a trick was being played on her, and raised her hand to smack Ludwig. She hit him, but his screech was drowned out by a cannon blast.
What was it? It was just a loud boom! Popple guessed that it was some fireworks, and Karma agreed with him. Ludwig said it was something like a gunshot, and Doopliss hypothesized that it was a Bill Blaster. All of them, even Karma, were intrigued by this, and they decided to climb the stairs to figure out what it really was.
The quartet swam over to the stairs, eager to see what had caused the explosion. They clambered the seemingly-endless staircase, and exchanged looks of exhaustion. These stairs dragged on forever! The more they climbed, the more dramatic the looks became. Finally they reached the top, only to find a second set of stairs! They all grumbled to themselves and started their way up another staircase.
About ten minutes later, the four of them reached their destination, and collapsed immediately, being so fatigued. Doopliss was on the verge of throwing up, and Ludwig was asleep. Karma asked Popple in a tired voice how high they’d gone. Popple scratched his head in wonder, and spit downward from where they came. They both listened intently, and after a good thirty seconds, they heard his loogie drip into the pool. They were both wide-eyed. They had climbed THAT high?
After a while's rest, Ludwig awoke and helped everyone up. They walked toward a double doorway, and opened it. The entire room was completely illuminated by a lightning flash. Popple had never been so scared in his life! He screamed and ran about halfway across the catwalk they were on, when the room dimmed. Doopliss, Ludwig, and Karma looked back at Popple, and all bit their lips trying not to laugh. Soon, the pressure was too much, and Ludwig fell over, letting out his famous laugh. Doopliss followed with an equally weird, yet completely different laugh, and Karma let a high-pitched giggle out. Popple glared and walked back to the double doors, and emerged outside in the freezing rain. The other three followed behind and donned their raingear, still laughing quietly.
The four thieves found themselves on another catwalk, but this one was much thinner than the last. Popple was leading the quartet, and he saw a couple silhouettes in the rain. The silhouettes were shaped like big cylinders, and they were unmoving. The mysterious things wound up and shot something, and the explosion that was heard before was now loud enough to deafen someone. Popple covered his ears and saw two objects racing towards him at very high speeds! They came close enough so he could see two white eyes staring at him on each object, and he could feel the heat from them dashing towards him. Just when they came close enough so he could identify them, the winds turned for the worst, and the rainwater blinded Popple. Ludwig grabbed him and whisked him away into the fortress, back where the larger catwalk stood.
Everyone was panting from sprinting from the objects so quickly, and they deduced that Doopliss was right. It was a pair of Bill Blasters, and those objects were Bullet Bills. Karma huffed and asked why they were even bothering with this castle. Popple, Ludwig, and Karma looked at each other with confused faces. Why WERE they bothering? The castle seemed to be interesting and telling all four of them to investigate it, but this "interesting" castle had just made them all lose precious time for looting that hat! They could've reached at least the end of Pleasant Path by now! The three turned to collect Doopliss, wanting to make up the time they’d lost. But he was nowhere to be seen. They called his name, looked around, and prodded each other, asking if it was Doopliss in disguise. Ludwig called for Doopliss, but he remembered he’d neglected to shut the door when he saved Popple from the Bill Blasters. The prince thrust his head to the door, only to see Doopliss in midair, screaming for help while being pulled away by the violent winds. Ludwig's heart raced, and he grabbed Popple and Karma's hands, rushing to his helpless friend's aid.
When they got outside to where Doopliss was, things looked grim. The freak sheet was being pulled further down the catwalk, where he was painfully tugged out of sight. With their vision impaired by the rain, it was hard to see where Doopliss was being pulled. They sprinted to keep pace with their friend, telling him to keep yelling so they would hear the sound of his voice. As they darted down the airborne walkway, the explosion was heard! The Bill Blasters were still operational! The three of them gathered on one side of the bridge, waiting to either dodge the blast or be blown into oblivion. Suddenly, the three of them felt a surge of heat, and Popple's arm started to bleed slightly. It was a Bullet Bill going so fast that a slight graze would cause a burn! Popple grabbed his arm and swore, feeling great agony. Nonetheless, the trio kept pace, hoping to bring Doopliss back alive. Just then, a second explosion was heard, and they jumped to the opposite side, hoping to have enough luck to dodge another wave.
Lightning flashed across the skies, and Ludwig saw a faint, black image of a bullet rocketing towards them! He shoved Karma and Popple to the other side, and jumped high enough for the missile to miss him. He came down to the bridge with a severe burn to the hand, and both Ludwig and Karma felt it, being Mets. They resumed running, and saw Doopliss! He was pinned against double doors, the rain smacking him relentlessly. Karma noticed the Bill Blasters that spewed the Bullet Bills, and saw one wind up for another shot. It was heading right for Popple and Ludwig, and they didn't seem to notice! Karma thought quickly, and saw wheels on the bottom of the cannon! She thought on her feet and, sprinting up to the cannon, jumped behind it and shoved hard. The wheels were rusted and weathered from so much rain, but her strength amounted. She turned the cannon to face the other one, and it shot. The cannon's Bullet Bill pierced through its partner Bill Blaster, making it explode. The cannon that shot the missile was mangled from its partner's explosion, and it also blew up from the gunpowder inside being caught by the flames. Karma was blown back, and was smashed against the very door Doopliss was pinned upon, face first. She slid down the door slowly, and apparently unconscious. Popple and Ludwig ran up to Karma and Doopliss, hoping they were ok.
They couldn't see what condition the two were in while battling the rain, so Popple and Ludwig opened the doors that the two unconscious thieves had slammed against. When they went inside, it was eerily quiet, with nothing but cobwebs inhabiting the room. The coast was clear, so the two lay their fainted partners on the cold ground to check for injuries.
Popple examined Doopliss, and he seemed to be in pretty bad shape. The back of his head was covered in a fresh wound from bashing against the door, and his whole body was all damp from the rain. Popple dared not ring him out, worrying that he might damage something else. He was bleeding from several places, and the water made it stain himself. He would also have a rude awakening, seeing how his party hat was crinkled from all the rain.
If Doopliss was hurt, Karma was probably in agonizing terror. Ludwig had come to her aid, only to find that her pulse was racing. She had a burn from the explosion from the Bill Blasters that covered half of her left forearm, and had a big gash from smashing against the doors. She had a clean slice down her right thigh, and several severe bruises on her hip. Ludwig tried everything he’d read about in the fields of medical science, and prayed to DAD that Karma stayed alive.
Popple had constructed makeshift beds for Doopliss and Karma with Ludwig's drill and several rocks lying around. Popple argued with himself for a long time. Why had he stayed there? This had only led to his friends almost dying, precious, precious time for plundering that hat going down the drain, and his getting serious burns on his arms from a Bill Blaster. Popple and Ludwig just looked at each other and swore as loud as they could. They were so ticked right now it was laughable. Ludwig looked like he was about to have a stroke from all the pressure of Karma dying and the Metbond taking him down too. Popple was pacing the floor, thinking about how he was to take care of a sheet. A SHEET!
The Shadow Thief had turned to complain to Ludwig, but he had fallen asleep from exhaustion and anxiety. His head rested on Karma's lap, and he sighed heavily before each snore. Popple took a picture for blackmailing purposes, and his stomach ached. He hadn't eaten anything since that chocolate salad earlier, and decided to steal a few chocolates from the prince. Popple sat next to the foot of Doopliss' bed, and fell asleep, hoping they would only stay in this wretched fortress overnight.