Chapter 22 An Evil Scheme

Ludwig couldn't help but shake his head as he paced. Roy watched him do this while sitting on a rock. The eldest Koopaling felt taken aback to the enth degree. He couldn't help but pace back and forth, back and forth. Normally this action would help him think better, or at the very least calm his nerves a little bit. Unfortunately, pacing wasn't producing the same results as it so commonly did.

"How could he be so stupid?" Ludwig grit his teeth. "Actually, stupid isn't even the correct word to use!" He turned back around. "He's selfish! He's being incredibly selfish!"

"I couldn't agree with you more," Roy said. He had a nail file in his hands and was shaping his nails, smiling the biggest and brightest smile as he did.

"Seriously!" Ludwig exclaimed. He gripped his hand into a fist as he turned back around. "What will Bowser think when he comes home only to find out that Iggy voluntarily trapped himself in the TV?"

Roy shrugged. "He'll probably freak out."

"No, he will definitely freak out!" A growl escaped from Ludwig's throat. "And Iggy…flipping Iggy doesn't even care!" If he still had his powers, he would be bursting into flames right on the spot. "I guess all the times where he said 'oh we're family; there's nothing more important than family' were just empty words coming out of his backside!"

"Mmhm." Roy raised his hand to look at his nails in the light. The smile on his face grew bigger. "Man, why aren't guys allowed to use these things; my nails look sensational!"

Ludwig cast him a glare. He crossed his arms."I'm trying to figure out a way to convince Iggy to come back home with us, and all you care about are your fingernails?"

Roy gave Ludwig a glare of his own. "Hey, I like to have my nails look good."

"They're not even your nails!" Ludwig said. "They belong to Natasha Nastiness, or whatever name the creatively bankrupt people who created this show call her!"

"So?" Roy asked with a shrug. "I don't see how that makes any difference." He stood up, facing his brother seriously. "Besides, I don't hear you coming up with plans so much as you are complaining."

Ludwig sucked in a breath. He wanted to punch Roy's lights out for that; he really, honestly did. However, he didn't for one simple reason.

"You're right." He redirected his gaze away from him. "God damn it, I hate it when you're right."

Roy chuckled. While he wasn't saying it outright, it was obvious he was taking great pride in making a good point and great pleasure in seeing Ludwig admit it.

Ludwig looked back into Roy's eyes. "So, what do you think we should do?"

Roy put his hand to his chin as he considered the options. "Well, why don't we try the easiest option first." He looked right at Ludwig. "We grab hold of Iggy and force him to come home with us."

"Hmm," Ludwig said. "Not the worst idea, but…" He sighed. "If we do that, not only will Iggy become extremely pissed at us, but he more than likely will just put the Internet Explorer back on his head and jump right back into the TV." He frowned. "I want to use a method that will guarantee that he stays with us. After all, imagine having to search through all the shows we've seen a second time."

Roy's face fell. "You're right." He bit down on his newly shaped nail. "Man, I would not look forward to being chased by a lion again."

"Exactly," Ludwig said. "We need a plan that will show Iggy that this show isn't all it's cracked up to be. We need to make it so that he leaves willingly." He bit his lip. "We just need to figure out what to do to make that happen…"

Roy nodded. The two stood in silence for a minute, mulling over their options. Then, a smile appeared on Roy's face.

"You know, this might sound crazy…but I think I might actually have something."

Ludwig raised an eyebrow at him. "Go on…"

"Okay," Roy said, the smile he wore growing into a grin. "Iggy said that the two of us are villains, right?"

"Villains of this show, yes." Ludwig's eyebrow rose even higher. "But how's that going to help us?"

"Well…why don't we just play the roles of the villains? Why don't we make Iggy's life hell by enacting some sort of evil scheme? If we do that, then he will realize this isn't a dream come true, and will want to go back with us!" He beamed. "What do you think?"

Ludwig considered this option, tossling it around in his head like a dice. "It's…actually not bad." He cast Roy a smile. "I like it."

"Yes!" Roy said as he did a fist pump. "I knew my brain could be used right!"

Ludwig snorted. "Once every thousand years, sure." He thought about Roy's plan some more. "The only question is, what kind of evil scheme should we put into motion?"

Roy stopped and thought about. The more he thought, the more despondent he appeared. "I…I don't know." He sighed as his shoulders slumped. "Gosh darn it, my brain let me down again."

Ludwig's own spirits sank as well. It was a good plan; really, it was. But without any tools, henchman, a secret lair…heck, without any extensive knowledge on what exactly this show did with its villains, there really was no practical way to put it into place. This just left the two Koopalings with essentially no plan and no direction they could go that would get Iggy back.

"It's okay, Roy." He patted his brother on the shoulder, making sure that the gesture was reassuring as possible. It was difficult considering his own disappointment, however.

Roy shook his head. "So what do we do now?"

"I don't know." Ludwig sighed. "Talking to Iggy isn't going to produce any results. We don't even have any reason to believe he would stop smooching Bunny long enough in order to listen to us."

"You're right." Roy's shoulders drooped like a wilting flower. "Man, that evil scheme plan was our only option. Too bad we don't have any idea how to do it."

Ludwig let out a breath. "Yeah, it's unfor…" Before he could finish speaking, a ringing sound erupted from his back pocket. He exchanged a look with Roy. "What the Koop is that?"

"Don't look at me," Roy said. "Answer it and find out!"

Reluctantly, Ludwig pulled the phone out of his pocket and placed it to his ear. "Um…hello?"

"Mr. Von Evil," a gruff, scratchy voice said from the other end of the line. "Are you with Natasha right now?"

Ludwig snuck a glance at Roy. "Uh, yes." He scrunched up his brow. "But why does that matter? And for that matter, who the hell are you?"

There was a pause on the other line. "Are you kidding?" The person asked with an incredulous tone. "I'm your henchman, Arty Mickmarty. Me and all the other guys in your lair have been helping you with your scheme to take down Derek and Bunny."

Ludwig blinked before the corners of his mouth turned up into a grin. "Oh, really?"

"Yes. So, do you want to enact the plan anytime soon or was all that planning a waste of energy?"

Ludwig smirked. "Oh no. I definitely want to to enact the plan." He chuckled. "Tell you what; if you give me and Natasha directions back to the evil lair, and tell us what the plan is in great detail, I will be more than happy to go through with it."

"Wait, directions back to the evil lair?" Arty asked, his tone rising. "Why would you need that? You're the one who built it!"

"Hey!" Ludwig said. "Your job as my henchman is to serve me, not question me."

Arty paused before sighing. "Yes, yes, you're right. I'll…give you directions."

"Perfect." He turned to Roy. "Come on, bud, follow me?"

"Where are we going?" Roy asked with a blink.

Ludwig chuckled. "Well, let's just say that we might be able to follow your plan after all."