Chapter 10 Is This Even a Fight?
Admittedly, Iggy found the scene before him and his siblings fascinating. The Toad who had described the Shroobs on the news had done a brilliant job of doing so, as they appeared exactly how Iggy had visualized them. The Shroobs also didn't seem to be carrying items of value. When they ransacked buildings, they didn't return with any money. Instead, they returned either with a person or an everyday object. Iggy laughed when he observed the confusion of one of the Shroobs as they messed with a hairbrush. They pricked the individual bristles like they were the keys on a keyboard.
"Amazing," Iggy said. He reached into his hammerspace and pulled out a notepad. "Even though their behavior on this planet has been primarily hostile, the Shroobs still take the time to study the culture of the people they are invading."
The Shroob who had the hairbrush appeared to grow more and more frustrated. That frustration grew to anger, and they expressed that anger by tossing the hairbrush over toward the Koopalings. As the hairbrush landed on the sidewalk, the Shroob blinked before it barked out to its brethren.
"● ◇《》_/&$!" The Shroob shouted. This caused Iggy's interest to grow a hundred fold.
"It appears...that they use verbal...communication," Iggy stated as he wrote in the notepad. "Sensible considering that they possess orapheuses."
"Iggy, come on!"
Iggy snapped out of his trance when he heard Ludwig's voice call out to him. He looked behind and saw the other Koopalings gesturing to him from an alleyway. Iggy felt confused.
"Ludwig, why are you…?" He looked in front of him and saw the Shroobs approaching at an alarming rate. "Oh, shoot!" He ran with Larry attached to his wrist and his hair trembling like a puppy toward the alley. When he got there, he looked toward the others with a look of fright. "What do we do?"
"Why don't you tell us?" Larry asked from up above. "You're usually the brains of this operation."
"Yeah," said Roy as he slithered around Iggy's feet. "That hair of yours hasn't eaten your brain yet, so why don't you make use of it?"
Iggy glared down at Roy before realizing that his other siblings were looking at him expectantly. He realized that both Larry and Roy were right. If there was anybody who could formulate a plan well thought out enough to take out a throng of attacking aliens, it would be him.
"Okay," Iggy said hesitantly. He reached into his hammerspace, looking for something that would be of use. His lips curved into a smile when he came across a laser gun of his own. "Oh, score! I had forgotten I had put this here!" He grinned at his siblings. "Wish me luck guys!"
"Ood uck," said Lemmy.
"Woof woof!" Wendy said.
With that, Iggy stepped out of the alleyway. Despite the fact that the Shroobs were approaching at an alarming rate, he stood before them without any fear. He brandished his ray gun.
"Hasta la vista, aliens!" Iggy shouted.
"Yeah!" Larry said from above. "Get ready to eat Iggy's dust!"
The Shroobs kept advancing. Their red eyes were slanted down at a steep incline. Their little legs ran with purpose. They themselves brandished ray guns, but thankfully, Iggy was not afraid.
"I can do this," Iggy said to himself. "I can do this!"
He aimed his ray gun. He closed one eye and squinted at his target, ready to fire. Unfortunately, just as he was about to pull the trigger, he heard whimpering from up above. He looked up and saw that his hair was shuddering. Badly.
"Hair," Iggy said. "There's no need to be afraid."
The cajoling that Iggy did had no effect on the little monster. The closer the Shroobs got, the more Iggy's hair shook. When one of the aliens was just three feet away, the hair shrieked and tried pulling Iggy in the opposite direction. At first, nothing happened to Iggy himself. After about a second, Iggy was literally swept off his feet and dragged away by the scared hair.
Iggy screamed. "Stop it!" He slapped his hair. "Stop it right now!"
The hair just continued with pulling Iggy away from the aliens. All Iggy and Larry could do was watch helplessly as they were dragged down the street.
…
Ludwig groaned. His heart was dropping like a parachueter as he watched Iggy and Larry be dragged away by Iggy's hair.
"Ho!" Lemmy said.
Roy looked at Lemmy in confusion. "Ho? What's a gardening tool got to do with Iggy getting dragged away?"
Lemmy rolled his eyes and facepalmed. He pulled a whiteboard and marker out of his hammerspace. On it, he wrote "I meant to say 'oh no!'"
Roy laughed. "Oh, oh no! That makes much more sense!"
Lemmy just growled. "Tupid urse."
"Stupid curse indeed, Lemmy," said Ludwig. He looked in the opposite direction of where Iggy and Larry were being dragged and saw that there were still Shroobs gracing the streets. Tons of them. "I don't know what we're going to do!"
"Well, duh!" said Roy as he slithered up to the pink special. "We use your powers!"
Ludwig glared down at Roy. "Are you stupid?" He held up his hand and showed Roy the cotton candy that had overtaken his hand. "We can't do anything of the sort."
Roy's eyes filled with comprehension. "Oh, right."
Morton laughed. "Maybe we could give ourselves tooth decay with the cotton candy. And after they fall out of our heads, we can use them as amo."
Lemmy burst into laughter. Ludwig's entire body was overtaken by the cotton candy, which just made his glare ever more concentrated. It didn't help when Wendy started to lick up the spun sugar. He sighed in frustration.
"Anybody have any suggestions that don't involve anything stupid?"
The other Koopalings exchanged looks with each other. They looked like they were searching for an answer, but nothing was coming.
"Sorry, Luddy," said Roy. "I've got nothing."
"And I would expect nothing less from you, Roy," said Ludwig. Right before Roy could respond, Morton gasped.
"Wait a minute! Why don't you try your electrokinesis!"
Ludwig snickered. "My electrokinesis? Morton, if my pyrokinesis doesn't work, what makes you think that my electrokinesis will?"
Right at that moment, Ludwig heard growling coming from behind. He looked and saw that the Shroobs were staring at them, their teeth gritted tightly. The other started to back up.
"Oh boy," Roy said. "Ludwig, can you please see if your electric powers still work?"
Ludwig sighed. "Fine." He stepped forward and outstretched his hand. "Be prepared Shroobs, because you're about to get…"
A spray of bubbles burst out of the palm of Ludwig's hand. The Shroobs backed away, covering their eyes like they would melt off. The other Koopalings blinked as Ludwig turned back toward them. The oldest Koopaling shrugged.
"Well, you've gotta give me credit for trying, at least."
The Shroobs who had gotten hit by the bubble stream stood up. Their teeth were gritted even tighter than before. Their eyes appeared to be glowing a deep red.
Ludwig gulped. "Uh guys?"
"Yeah?" asked Morton.
"I think now would be a good time to run."
"Yeah, that sounds reasonable," Morton responded.
With that, the Koopalings began to run. The Shroobs were straight on their tails.
