Luigi had finally drifted off into a peaceful slumber when all the commotion happened. Completely unaware of the chaos that had unfolded, Luigi remained cozily curled up in a chair, wrapped snugly in a thin blanket. The air was filled with the haunting melodies of scratchy, almost eerie music emanating from a nearby record player. Dimentio had initially turned on the music to mask any noise coming from upstairs, but little did he expect that it would actually lull the man in green into a deep sleep. Sometimes, unexpected victories come in the most peculiar ways.

Dimentio, however, caught every word that was exchanged. Mindful of not disturbing Luigi's slumber, he hurriedly made his way outside, only to witness the sight of Bobby and Merlon darting off in opposite directions.

Bobby's mind was racing. On the one hand, he was terrified on Olivia and Olly's behalf. He had no idea what Merlon was going to do to them. Was he really going to lock them up? They didn't deserve that, they did nothing wrong!

On the other hand, what was Merlon going to do with him? Bobby had seen how Merlon sent criminals away for even the smallest of crimes. He had no dark magic in him, but Merlon most definitely could come up with some sort of crime that applied to him and get him shipped away forever. He was already a sailor, so being shipped away wasn't all that big of an issue, but he loved Flipside and Flopside. The thought of never seeing the towns again terrified him to his core. Not to mention the fact that he'd never get to see Olivia again either. 

On the third hand, or... on the foot? Most people didn't have three hands... whatever, on the foot, there was Count Bleck. He had seemed so angry when Bobby came in and ruined whatever was going on. He knew he was a little abrasive, but he never meant to upset his friend. He had just been so excited to finally meet people who didn't care that he was a Bob-Omb. Most people turned him away because he was a lesser species, but in his eyes, Count Bleck had been so kind and open-minded. He really hoped he hadn't just unintentionally ruined one of his only friendships. 

Dimentio let out a weary sigh, sensing that something had gone wrong. The fact that Merlon was fleeing, still alive, spoke volumes. If Count Bleck's plan had unfolded perfectly, Merlon would have met his demise and that Bob-Omb wouldn't have been present. Just by observing their hurried departure, Dimentio could piece together the unfolding events.

He let out a sigh and stormed up the stairs, forcing the door open.

"What's with all the running and shouting?" Dimentio questioned, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "Are you trying to wake up my guest?"

Count Bleck stood in eerie silence, the room cloaked in an unsettling stillness. The chair in the center had been ominously tipped over as if disturbed by an unseen force. His staff, once a symbol of power, now lay discarded in a desolate corner, casting long, haunting shadows. Count Bleck's heavy breaths echoed through the room.

"I had him," Count Bleck whispered, his voice filled with frustration and regret. "He was right there in front of me, and then..."

"Then the sailor boy came in. I saw them both running down the streets. You know, I've grown to kinda like that boy, but he's got such bad timing-"

"I HAD HIM!" Count Bleck's voice trembled with anger, his eyes filled with despair. "I was so close, just seconds away from achieving it, and now... he's gone forever, never to return!"

Dimentio detected the frustration and hatred in Count Bleck's tone. He shook his head, then took a deep breath, hoping to calm the count down. 

"Hey, it'll work out eventually," Dimentio said. "You just have to be patient-"

"Be patient, be patient, I'VE BEEN PATIENT!" Bleck hysterically cried out. "I tried waiting. I waited too long, and now he'll never come again! That's the problem! The waiting! The waiting, the waiting, the waiting!"

He shook his head, feeling something deep within him finally snap. Flopside was a dark, twisted void in the world. A place filled with all the worst kinds of people. People who turned a blind eye while Timpani suffered. People who allowed Merlon's cruelty to persist. They all deserved to die. Every last person in that Grambi-forsaken world. There were two kinds of people; those who stay put in their place and those who keep others in their place. 

"We all deserve to die," Count Bleck hissed, turning and glaring at Dimentio. "Even you and me. The wicked people deserve to die, and the less wicked people deserve relief from this horrible, horrible place. Every last person in Flopside deserves to die."

Tears started to fall down the count's face as his voice suddenly grew softer. His emotions felt like they were spiraling out of control. He no longer could control himself. He no longer could think straight. He thought he had lost it before, but this felt like a whole new level. Any last remaining pieces of Blumiere inside him had vanished, and it was only Count Bleck, now. 

"He'll never get to see them again," he cried, dropping to his knees and covering his face. "Olivia, Olly, Count Bleck will never get to hug them or apologize, or... heh... heh heh heh..."

Dimentio's eyes widened with unease as Count Bleck's laughter grew louder and more unsettling. Feeling a chill run down his spine, Dimentio took a cautious step back, unsure of what was unfolding before him.

Count Bleck's laughter echoed through the air, growing more sinister with each passing moment. "All of them... he'll kill all of them... as many as he can," he chuckled, his voice dripping with malice. "For Timpani. For his lost love. For Olivia and Olly. For Blumiere. Heh... heh heh heh."

Dimentio awkwardly rocked back and forth on his heels as the count continued to have what looked to be some kind of psychotic break. He knew calming down the count at this point was not going to happen. Besides, his little mental breakdown seemed fairly justified. Dimentio couldn't say he wouldn't do the same thing if he was in his shoes. 

"Yeah, that's all very good. But... what are we going to do about him?" Dimentio asked, nodding over at the chest still containing Mario's body. 

Dimentio's patience wore thin as Count Bleck continued to laugh, seemingly unaware of his surroundings. With a mix of exasperation and determination, Dimentio snapped his fingers in front of the count's face, hoping to break through his trance. When that failed to garner a response, the jester resorted to clapping his hands, the sound echoing in the air. But even that seemed futile. Frustration building up, Dimentio couldn't help but let out a sigh of annoyance before giving the count a sharp slap, hoping to jolt him back to reality.

"Are you listening?!" Dimentio asked, hoping to grab some of the count's attention. "We've got a real problem! Not to mention his brother, who's still sleeping downstairs. I think he'll be easy to take care of. I can come up with some kind of story about why his brother left him. But what are we going to do with the body?! You can't exactly get revenge if you get arrested for murder! And they won't just ship you away for something this big. They'll have you executed. How do you expect to avenge your wife if you're dead?!"

Count Bleck slowly looked at the chest, now with absolutely zero remorse or compassion in his eyes. 

Right, he almost forgot he killed that stupid Italian earlier.

"Once it's darker, we'll find a secret spot to bury him," Count Bleck said, his tone chillingly composed. 

Dimentio shrugged, then started to pace around while bringing a hand to his chin in thought. Flopside was a fairly packed town, so finding a place to bury the body without anyone noticing would be quite difficult. Plus there was the problem of moving the body without anyone seeing. Yes, Count Bleck and himself both had magic, but living in Flopside so close to Merlon made practicing those skills quite difficult. He probably couldn't teleport very far without messing up and getting caught. 

"I guess we could do that," the jester breathed. "I doubt there are any other relatives who'd go around looking for him. But-"

Dimentio's pacing abruptly halted, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling intensity. It was as if a sinister revelation had dawned upon him. Slowly, he turned to face Count Bleck, his smile stretching wide across his face.

"You know... It's funny. Sometimes ideas just pop into my head," the jester chuckled. "I mean... it seems a downright shame..."

"Shame?" Count Bleck asked.

"Yes, a downright shame," Dimentio nodded. "To let such a person go to waste. I mean... the price of meat nowadays is so high. It's hard to keep up with. Do you get my drift?"

Count Bleck tilted his head slightly, confusion evident in his voice. "...No?" he said, his tone tinged with uncertainty. 

Dimentio chuckled, then rolled his eyes and sat atop the chest Mario was in. How to explain what he was thinking without outright saying it?

"Alright, think of O'Chunks and his pie shop. Ever since all the cats have gone missing around him, business has never been better! And a cat is so small, it's only good for like, two or three pies. I'm sure it can't compare to-"

"Oh my Grambi, Dimentio."

"Aha ha ha, NOW you've got it." Dimentio's grin widened, his voice dripping with an eerie delight. "I'm all about conserving resources, you see. As an environmentalist, this seems like the most eco-friendly, logical solution..."

Count Bleck's mind came to a halt as he pondered the idea. The mere thought sent shivers down his spine. It was beyond horrific, utterly repulsive, and completely unthinkable. The very notion made him feel sick to his core. O'Chunks using cats was bad enough, but to even consider using actual people... No, it was a truly abhorrent idea! There was absolutely no way they could entertain such a notion.

But...

Count Bleck's voice grew somber as he reluctantly admitted, "It would indeed eliminate any evidence."

Dimentio's eyes lit up and he frantically nodded. 

"Yes! Just think of it! Anyone who comes to you for a fortune, we can just," Dimentio drew a line across his throat, then laughed. "Then, think of all the pies I'd make! After all, we're in a world where you can't get anywhere without pushing others down. These are desperate times, and desperate times call for desperate measures!"

With all the people who seemed interested in coming to Count Bleck after that competition against Mario, why, they'd have people lining up to see him! It was the perfect scheme! They'd both be making enough money to get by, and they'd be doing the world and all these people a service by killing them. 

"We won't discriminate from big or small," Dimentio beamed. "We'll accept everyone! That way, we get a variety of flavors! Rich, poor, evil, good, tall, short, skinny, fat, buff, we'll accept everything!"

Then, eventually one way or another, Count Bleck would find a way to kill Merlon. Merlon was still the goal. He'd kill Merlon. Kill Bobby too, if he had to. Then, he'd take Olivia and Olly back. He could have part of the family he always wanted. 

"Would Bob-Ombs work?"Count Bleck questioned. 

"Hmm, I don't know. We'd have to try it and see," Dimentio shrugged while tapping his foot on the ground. "I bet that pie would have quite the explosive taste, my friend! Some smoky flavoring. Aha ha ha ha!"

Count Bleck quietly laughed to himself, then walked across the room and picked up his staff. 

"Yes...  This will work quite well, Dimentio," Count Bleck smiled.

For the next few hours as Luigi continued to sleep, Dimentio and Count Bleck both set up a trap door that would lead down to the furnace beneath Dimentio's pie shop, where he would usually bake his pies. The work would have been much harder had they not both been dark magic users. Soon enough, they made a long metal slide that slid from Count Bleck's room all the way down to that basement. After that, they went out to town and purchased the largest meat grinder they could find. Blumiere would have been uncomfortable with this, but Count Bleck didn't feel an ounce of worry. This was just something he had to do to get by in this world. He was doing the people of Flopside a favor by helping Dimentio keep some of them fed and freeing others from their terrible existence. In a way, he and Dimentio were heroes. 

The heroes that Flopside deserved.