Chapter 15 Ageless

Larry dropped to the ground, hitting it like a thwomp. Roy blinked, looking as his youngest brother lay on the ground. He blinked again, trying to determine why Larry was doing this. Swallowing a lump, he took a step toward him.

"Uh… Larry?" He didn't respond, which in turn made Roy's heart rate pick up. He looked over at his siblings, who all stared at Larry's immobilized form with wide eyes. Iggy and Wendy stepped forward, with the former cringing and the latter getting down on her knees.

"Larry, what are you doing?" Wendy asked. She shook him, but he still stayed perfectly still. "Come on buddy, get up." Her voice was soothing while conveying a no-nonsense attitude. Roy had to admit that he felt more or less the exact same as her; if this was a joke on Larry's part, it certainly wasn't a good one. "Larry, I'm serious, get up! This isn't funny!"

Still, Larry didn't respond. Roy's heart pounded against the roof of his mouth. While Lemmy started to shake and Morton wore a furrowed brow, he stepped forward. He grabbed hold of Larry's arm and lifted him up.

"Dude, I really don't understand what you're trying to do…"

He stopped the second he saw Larry's eyes. They… they were so glassy, so void of life, so empty. This sight freaked Roy out so much that he instantly dropped him and shrieked. Ludwig took a step forward, turning Larry over so he could get a look at his dead-eyed expression.

He gasped. "Oh my God!" His eyes were as wide as the sun as he pulled away from Larry's body swiftly. "He's dead!"

"Dead?" Lemmy shrieked. His shaking sped up. He stepped over to Larry while Ludwig pulled away. "No, that can't be!" Like Wendy before him, he shook his younger brother. And again like Wendy, Larry still didn't respond to this action. "Larry, come on! Wake up! This isn't funny!" He continued shaking, all while dealing with his own bout of trembling. Still, Larry was silent, still, and stone cold. Tears came out of Lemmy's eyes, and desperation practically leaked from his voice. "LARRY, PLEASE!"

His tears came down in a torrent, but still, Larry didn't respond. Feeling like he was going to throw up, Roy wiped a tear from his own eye. Wendy and Lemmy continued shaking, the action clearly in vain. Roy told himself to stop crying, to not turn into a mess. That would make everything worse. But even with that sentiment… well, his brother was dead! He dropped dead right in front of them! His youngest brother, his best friend! How else could he react to this aside from going into a panic?

"LARRY, PLEASE WAKE UP!"

Like Lemmy, Roy started to shake. He wanted to scream, throw up, and cry, all at once. "This can't be happening…" he whispered. He collapsed to the floor, his heart still pounding. "This can't be happening…" A hand touched Roy's shoulder. Still shaking like an out-of-control maraca, Roy looked up. He was surprised to see it was Iggy, with a furrowed brow and eyes filling up with tears.

"Let's… let's not panic." He patted Roy on the shoulder, trying to look strong when he was clearly a wreck within. "There's got to be a perfectly reasonable explanation for this."

Lemmy and Wendt stopped shaking Larry and looked up. All the Koopalings gathered around Iggy. Roy noticed through their expressions that they were right on the cusp of hope and despair. Perhaps, like him, they couldn't decide which of the two emotions they should be feeling.

"What explanation?" Ludwig squeaked. "How could you possibly explain this?"

"I don't know; how do you explain a young boy turning into a robot?" Iggy stepped toward Larry. He readjusted his position so that he laid flat on his back (or at least, as flat as possible). "I do not believe our youngest brother has perished." He began to examine him. "Call it denial, but I have a feeling that there is more to this than meets the eye."

Roy picked himself back up. By all means, he should think that Iggy was crazy for even suggesting this. But… well, he was willing to hope. He was willing to hope that there was more to this, that Iggy wasn't barking up the wrong tree.

So, he watched Iggy as he examined Larry. Even though everyone else was panicking, and would more than likely rush through the examination, Iggy remained calm and looked over Larry slowly and intently. It was pretty impressive, all things considered. Unfortunately, to Roy, it felt as though the precious seconds needed to potentially save Larry's life were draining away. He shook like there was no tomorrow. He almost collapsed again, with the only reason he didn't being Iggy as he maintained a cool front.

"Hmm," Iggy said as he felt Larry's chest. "Hmm hmm hmm." He adjusted his glasses and moved onto the face, touching it and feeling every last inch of him. Roy heard Lemmy whimper. If he were to wager a guess, he would say that Lemmy wanted to push Iggy to the side and just shake Larry in the hope of waking him up. But, again, those efforts would more than likely be in vain. And besides, if there was anybody who would be able to find the answers in this daunting situation, it was Iggy.

"I wonder…" Iggy mused. He allowed his gaze to travel to Larry's eyes. When he saw them, he blinked. He leaned in closer, staring at them in a way that one should never do with a corpse. He blinked multiple times. Right as Roy was about to grab Iggy and shake him, yelling at him to get his act together, Iggy smiled. He stood up and looked at the others, the smile almost creepy given the circumstances. "I believe I have uncovered the answer to the mystery."

"You have?" Wendy asked with a gasp.

Lemmy shot toward Iggy, grabbing hold of his torso and shaking him. "What is it? Please tell us!"

Iggy gestured for the others to gather around. When they were close enough, he pointed at Larry's eyes. "Look there." Roy removed his shades, staring into Larry's lifeless eyes. "Notice anything different?"

Roy kept staring. He checked the whites and the irises, seriously questioning what was making Iggy so happy. He was just about to give up completely when he noticed something, something in Larry's pupil. It was really tiny, but… it kind of looked like a symbol Roy had seen on his phone. The symbol that conveyed… empty battery.

"Oh my God." His jaw dropped. The others all did double-takes, all while Iggy grinned. "Is… is he…?"

"I believe so," Iggy said. He lifted himself up, grinning down at Larry's body. "I believe our little brother here forgot to charge his battery."

"So… he's not dead?" Morton asked.

When Iggy nodded, Lemmy let out a breath and put his hand to his chest. "Oh, thank the lumas." He now looked at Larry with a tiny smile of his own. "So… we just need to charge him, and he'll be alright?"

"I believe so," Iggy stated.

Roy never felt so relieved in his life. Larry would be okay! He was actually, legitimately going to be okay! Oh, was there a better feeling in the world than the feeling Roy had right now?

"Wait," Ludwig said, looking confused. "Where exactly would Larry…" he cleared his throat. "'Plug in?'"

"Huh." Iggy looked back down at Larry's body. "That, I am unsure of." He got back down on his hands and knees, examining Larry once again. It was while he did that Roy realized Larry would NOT appreciate finding out Iggy put his hands on him in this way when he woke up. Well, whatever; they could cross that bridge when they got to it. Roy's primary concern was Iggy finding out where Larry's charging port was.

"I think… I think…" When Iggy took hold of Larry's hand, he paused. "Wait." He took his hand in his, paying extra attention to his pointer finger. "Hmm… maybe it's…" he touched the place just under the tip, and his face lit up. "Aha!" To Roy's surprise, he pushed against the tip, and it bent back. It was still attached to the finger, hanging on by this bendable part that resembled Larry's skin. And underneath the tip was…

"It's the charging port!"

"Yes, yes it is!" Iggy exclaimed. He stood up. "So, now that we found that, let's get Larry back to the castle. I will find out what kind of chargers are compatible with his and let him recharge back in my lab."

Roy nodded. "Sounds good." He picked up Larry, smiling at him while holding him in his arms. "Don't worry, buddy," he said as the group made their way back to their Koopa Clown Cars. "We'll get you working again in no time."

…

Battery full. Activating internal systems.

Larry's eyes snapped open. He blinked, looking up at the sight that met him. To his confusion, he saw the ceiling to Iggy's lab over his head, not the sky or anything like that. He blinked again, trying to wrap his mind around everything. "What…. What the hell is going…"

"Oh good, you're awake."

Larry did a double-take. "I… Iggy?" He pulled himself up into a sitting position. Putting his hand to his head to combat a round of dizziness that had just hit him, he took in his surroundings. Yep, he was definitely in Iggy's lab, as all the machines, chemicals, and lab tables were laid out plain to see. Iggy himself sat at a lab table near the entrance, looking at Larry with a serious frown.

"The others will be so relieved to see you up and active again," Iggy stated, his expression joyless. "Roy in particular; he's been in quite the tizzy waiting for you to charge."

Larry blinked. "Waiting for me to charge?" It was then that he noticed a weird sensation in his right pointer finger. Looking down, he let out a gasp to see a wire plugged into it. Trying not to freak out, he removed the charger, studying his finger and feeling taken aback by the fact that the tip could now bend back. "What… what's been…"

"You ran out of battery in Generica," Iggy stated, "and you collapsed." He sucked some air through his teeth as he took off his glasses and polished them. "Ultimately, I am thankful that it happened while we were around. If you had been all by yourself… well, I shudder to think about what would have become of you."

Larry tried to wrap his head around what Iggy was saying. "So… I operate on a battery now." He took a deep breath. "That's…"

"Yes," Iggy said, the frown on his face so sour. "Even with how advanced of a technological device you are, it seems that you still function in ways similar to how other devices operated." He picked up his phone from off the table. He stared at it, frowning as he did. "I can imagine that you probably feel a little disappointed at this revelation."

Larry flinched. "A… a little." He thought about what this meant, and how exactly this would impact his daily life. No longer would he be able to spend extensive periods outside, doing anything and everything he wanted to do. He would probably spend countless hours in this lab, laying on this very cot as he waited for himself to reach one hundred percent. Just thinking about how much this would inconvenience him was enough to make Larry whimper. On top of that, this revelation combined with his newfound lack of taste was… well…

"I really am sorry, Larry," Iggy said.

Larry sat in place for one minute, his lower lip trembling. He looked down at his finger. He looked at the charger, plugged into an extension cord. He remembered the voice in his head, constantly informing him about his battery percentage. Why hadn't he listened to it? Why had he been so stupid? Iggy was right; if it had run out when his siblings weren't there, there was no telling what would've happened to him! He might never have woken up again! He might have been found by someone completely unaware of the truth and put into a grave!

"I…" The thoughts running through Larry's mind were definitely overwhelming. He tried to keep himself from trembling, tried to keep himself from freaking out over all the disturbing scenarios that could've been. "Thank you, Iggy." He rubbed his temples. "I suppose this is a good lesson for me to learn. When I hear that my battery is low, I come back here immediately and start charging."

"Well… it does not need to be here specifically," Iggy said. "Your charging port accepts just regular phone chargers, so you can keep one in your hammerspace. And, when you're running low, you can find the closest station to plug in and charge there."

"Right." Larry sighed. "Still though, it'd be extremely inconvenient."

"True. But think of it this way; it is a necessity. It'd be like you taking a pill or medication; sure, it can be seen as inconvenient, but it's something you need to do to keep yourself healthy and functioning." Iggy cleared his throat. "If you look at it that way, I believe it might help you feel a little better."

Larry frowned. "Yeah. Better." He thought about this before letting out a breath and putting on a smile. "Well, thanks for your help, Iggster!" He got up from the cot and put the charger in his hammerspace as Iggy suggested. "Now that I'm fully charged, I can resume with hero work, so you guys really did me a solid." He started making his way to the lab exit, his mind thinking about all the crimes he could prevent.

"Wait."

Larry paused, looking back at his brother with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

Iggy took in a big, shaky breath. "There's… there's one other thing." He finally got up from the table and walked over, his face grimmer than Larry could ever remember seeing from him. It made chills run up and down both his spine and his arms.

"What is it?"

Iggy's brow furrowed. "I… while you were out, I took a sample of your skin." Larry raised an eyebrow. He was about to question why in the whole, ever-loving world Iggy would EVER do something that creepy when Iggy spoke back up. "Um… I was curious. I wanted to see and understand exactly how the inorganic body you now inhabit functioned, find out what its deal was, I guess you could say."

Larry's heart pounded, and he didn't know why. "And?"

Iggy wiped some sweat off his brow. "Well… I discovered something. I found that your body isn't composed of living cells anymore. You're mostly made up of just pure, untainted atoms." He adjusted his glasses. "Honestly, I came to expect that. But… it made me concerned. I ran some tests and… well, I discovered that the metallic skeletal structure within you is… for lack of a better word, fused together."

Larry's heartbeat grew even stronger. "And… what exactly does that mean?"

Iggy looked so sad. He looked to be on the verge of crying while looking at Larry. "It means… that it is physically impossible for your body to go through any form of physical growth."

It took a second for that statement to sink in. When it did, Larry's eyes grew wide. "So… wait. Are you… are you saying that I won't grow up?"

Iggy nodded. "It pains me to say that's the case."

Larry's jaw dropped. He looked down at the floor, his mind reeling over this new information. A pit formed in his stomach, and emotions within him piled up on top of each other. His palms became clammy. His heartbeat now physically hurt him.

"I am profoundly sorry, Larry." Iggy took a step closer. "I imagine this isn't what you wanted when you made your wish on Fortune's Comet."

Larry bit his lip. He refused to take his eyes off the floor, and refused to look at Iggy. This… this…

He put on a smile. Little laughs escaped from him, making Iggy do a double-take and step back. His eyes were wide as he looked at Larry, still chuckling like he had been drugged with laughing gas. "L… Larry? Are you…?"

"It's fine, Iggy!" Larry smiled, the expression so wide that it probably would've made his face hurt if he could still feel pain. "It's perfectly fine! This is great news! Awesome, even!"

Confusion now appeared on Iggy's face with the fear. "Are… I don't know if…"

"It's great! I was always really scared of the idea of becoming an adult! I didn't really have any plans either. Sure, I may have entertained the idea of finding a nice girl, settling down with her, and starting a family. But you know what? That doesn't matter!" Laughs came out at a swifter rate. "I'm now gonna be stuck as a fourteen-year-old forever! I don't need to worry about getting old, or having my body fall apart on me. I don't need to worry about the future, cause I essentially have no future!" He laughed some more, making Iggy cringe. "All I have now is a present! A present filled with stopping crimes, saving the day as Captain Metal all the time! That's awesome! That would make for an amazing life! I… I have nothing to worry about anymore." He laughed at the top of his lungs. "THIS IS THE BEST THING TO EVER HAPPEN TO ME!"

Iggy looked ready to cower in the corner. "Um, Larry, I don't know if…"

"DON'T!" Larry held up his finger, staring down Iggy with an intense gaze. "Don't start, Iggy. This is great. This is even better than what I hoped for when I made the wish." Laughter came out again. "Everything is working out for me now! I know exactly what my life will be like from here on out! I DON'T HAVE ANY REGRETS!" He glared at Iggy. "And if you say anything about that, I'm going to physically hurt you. Capiche?"

Beads of sweat appeared on Iggy's head. "Ca… ca…" he wiped his brow. "Capiche," he squeaked.

"Thank you." Larry grinned once again. "Now, if you'll excuse me…" he turned on his heel. "I'm gonna go do more hero work."

With that, he left, leaving Iggy trembling in the lab.