Chapter 13 Mission in the River

As Larry left the room, Roy felt awful. He watched his brother's back, wanting to know what exactly was going on in his head. He looked over at Larry's plate, at the cake that only had two bites eaten out of it. He looked down at his own cake. Somehow, it didn't seem nearly as appetizing anymore.

"It certainly is a pity," Iggy said, his voice low. Everyone else nodded except for Roy. He was too busy trying to wrap his head around what this meant for his little brother. What this meant for the rest of Larry's entire life.

"Kind of makes me wonder if his wish was even worth it," said Wendy.

Roy sighed as everyone else murmured their agreement. He decided right then and there that he couldn't handle being around his siblings if they were going to talk about this. Just thinking about this made Roy feel uncomfortable. He had his own opinion about this new development, and listening to other people share their own opinions hurt more than anything else.

"Excuse me." He got up from the table, leaving his cake there on the plate. He got out of the room as quickly as possible, frowning as he did. He thought about what he wanted to do before deciding that he wanted to talk to Larry. He imagined the little dude needed some words of encouragement. If Roy had made a wish that made him lose his sense of taste, he knew that he'd want some support too.

"Larry?" He said, checking up and down the long, long hallway. He walked carefully, hoping to see at least some sign of his brother's presence. "Larry, where are you?" He searched various parts of the castle before something occurred to him, something that made him cringe and slap himself. That being, if Larry were to be anywhere, he would be in his room. He had said that he wanted to go out and do more hero stuff, and his room was the perfect place to prepare himself for that.

So, Roy made his way there. He started to sweat, and his body only grew wetter the closer he got to Larry's room. He didn't know for sure what he was going to say, or even what he wanted to say. He racked his mind for some words, smart and thoughtful words that would be sure to comfort Larry in his time of need. By the time he reached the east wing's second-floor hallway, he thought he had nailed down something that was semi-decent. Sure, it wasn't award-worthy, but with how much he had rehearsed it in his head, and how he wanted to say it to the youngest Koopaling, Roy figured it would provide Larry with some level of relief. That was what he hoped anyway.

Roy took a deep breath when he got to Larry's door. He adjusted his shades before knocking. "Larry?" There was no response. Roy's sweating increased as he knocked again. "Larry, are you in there?" Maybe he was just refusing to respond. Maybe he was too busy preparing himself to go back out to answer Roy. Roy figured that if he wanted to comfort Larry, he needed to do it no matter what. So, he opened the door.

And Larry wasn't there. Roy, his heart pounding, stepped further into the room. His eyes scanned over it until he noticed a cool breeze, flying in from the open window. Roy's heart sank when he saw it, and he shook his head.

"Damn it."

…

Larry flew over the Koopa Kingdom, his cape flapping in the wind as the sun began to set. Adjusting his mask, he focused entirely on his mission. He tried not to think about anything else. He didn't want to think about anything else.

But even with that said, his mind kept traveling places without his permission, and it irritated him to no end. The most common path his mind led him to was that tasteless cake. Recalling the lack of flavor, ironically, made him feel bitter. At least, somewhat. The main emotion he felt right now was sadness, sadness and emptiness. There were so many foods that he loved to eat: potato chips, grilled cheese, steak, as well as countless others. But now, he was never going to eat them again. He was probably… no, definitely going to go the rest of his life without eating. If enough time passed, he was probably going to forget what those foods even tasted like.

Just the mere thought made Larry shudder. Don't think about that, he told himself. You're preoccupied. You're doing something completely different. Your job right now is to find someone in this kingdom who needs you. Who needs a hero to save them?

Yes, helping someone who needed a hero would be the easiest and best thing to do right now. The only problem was that Larry had no idea where to look. He could go back to Amber. In fact, that would probably be the best move. However… well, something inside him told him not to do that. He had this feeling that what he was supposed to do didn't involve Amber in the slightest. He couldn't say why this was; call it a hunch, call it a wild guess, call it whatever. Larry just didn't feel like he should be in Amber right now.

So, he was going to go somewhere else.

Letting his instincts guide him, he flew over the Koopa Kingdom, passing over several different towns. The first was Stonebrim, drab and unwelcoming as ever. Larry scanned over this particular town as thoroughly as possible, wanting to see if the person(people) he wanted to help happened to be there. It would make sense if they were; as said before, a lot of crimes were committed in Stonebrim after dark, so maybe there was someone here who needed his assistance. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on one's viewpoint), Larry didn't see anyone. Everyone in who wasn't asleep in Stoenbrim just went about living their normal lives, and there was no sign of any criminal activity or anyone who was in any form of pain.

So, Larry decided to check somewhere else. He flew straight toward Thwompville, the town that was essentially a glorified gated community. Thwomps guarded the gate leading into the town, but that didn't matter to Larry right now. His new flying abilities would allow him to enter the town anyway, which he was beyond grateful for. As he entered the town, he scanned over it like what he had done in Stonebrim. Honestly, he wasn't expecting to see too much here either, as the crime rate in Thwompville was one of the lowest in the Kingdom (if what Iggy said was to be believed). And he was glad he didn't get his expectations too high because he didn't find anything even resembling a person in need. His frustration threatening to boil over, he flew out of Thwompville and decided to head to Sparskville.

Sparkville was on the border of the Koopa and Mushroom Kingdoms, so the flight there to an extra long time. While flying toward it, Larry tried to give himself some much-needed encouragement. You'll find someone in need of help eventually. He let out a breath. Sure, you haven't found anybody yet, but that doesn't mean anything. There are close to a billion people in this kingdom. Statistically, you should find at least one person who needs you. Just for fun, he considered using his new abilities to access the internet and calculate what the statistics of that were. He ultimately didn't, but he could've certainly tried.

It seemed like two hours passed when Larry finally got to Sparksville, and by that time everything was dark. But that didn't matter in the grand scheme of things. What really mattered was that he do his job, and do it to the best of his ability. He scanned over Sparksville, taking note of everyone and everything. The people here were happy. Kind of… too happy. Not a single one of them was experiencing emotional or physical distress; in fact, they looked relieved and relaxed as they all got ready to sleep the night away. Every one of them smiled, and they went about their everyday lives with a sort of joy and peace. All things considered, it was a really nice sight to see. Even Larry, desperate to find someone who needed help, couldn't help but appreciate that everyone here looked as though they were on top of the world.

At least. To an extent. The fact that he wasn't finding anybody still irked him to no end. Once he had scanned the entire town, he officially gave up. With a heavy heart and a frustrated groan, he landed next to the Rio Shroom and sat down by the bank. He rubbed his face, trying his best to not delve into a pit of aggravation.

"It's fine," he told himself out loud. "It's all perfectly fine." He moved closer to the river. He wasn't sure if his new robot body was waterproof, so he avoided dipping his feet into the stream. However, one thing he did allow himself to do was peer into the water. He saw his reflection in the moonlight, a sight that made him feel… weird. Aside from his Captain Metal costume, he looked exactly the same as he did before. In other words, he looked exactly like a normal Koopa. But of course, he wasn't. He wasn't a normal koopa anymore and would never be again. This thought, paired with the normal sight of Larry in the river, made the youngest Koopaling feel strange. He frowned, trying to figure out how he felt about all this. On some level, it was amazing. On the other level…

Larry stopped his mind from going down that road and shook his head. No no, this was a good thing. This was a great thing. He didn't need to worry about anything anymore. Even his future held a promise of awesomeness in a way that it hadn't before. This was a good development! Despite not being able to taste food anymore, he was still happy with the wish. He had no reason to be upset about this.

Right?

Larry shook his head. This thought pattern was just bumming him out. He needed to do something different, do something to preoccupy his mind and distract him from everything that was happening within him. Saving people who needed him would probably be the best way to do that. But how was he supposed to do that when there was nobody around who needed saving?

"HELP!"

Larry perked up. Oh! It looked like there was someone after all! Smiling, Larry turned toward the sound and ran toward it. The path toward the civilian led him up the river, which told him what kind of mission he was going to have to complete. No doubt there was a kid who fell into the river. No doubt that the person who called out to him needed him to fish him out of the Rio Shroom. Oh man, Larry's excitement at the prospect of saving someone grew exponentially with each step he took.

"HELP US! PLEASE!"

Within no time at all, Larry found the people who needed his help. Standing under a bridge on the river's shore, a little Koopa boy with black hair stared into the Rio Shroom. Another Koopa boy, this one with white hair, seemed to have fallen off the bridge into the river. They kicked and gasped, trying to keep their head above the water. Larry wasn't one hundred percent sure why they weren't flowing upstream, but that hardly mattered at the moment. The kid needed help before they drowned.

"Don't worry, kids!" Larry said. The black-haired kid on the bank turned toward him, gawking when they saw him. In response to this, Larry puffed out his chest and put on a confident grin. "Captain Metal is here to save you!"

The black-haired Koopa Kid blinked. "Captain Metal? Are… you're a superhero!" His gaze traveled back and forth between Larry and their friend. "Please, sir, do you think you can get my friend Roger out of the river?" Roger's kicks and gasps increased, causing the first kid to furrow their brow. "I don't know how much longer they can go on like this!"

"Well, don't worry kid!" Larry said. He faced Roger. "I'll get him out of there if it's the last thing I do."

The second he finished saying that, he activated his rocket boosters and rose into the air. The black-haired boy gasped, his eyes growing wide when he saw this. Larry, still smiling, went over to Roger. He made sure to both keep his body far away from the water and to keep the fire coming out of his feet away from Roger.

"It's okay, buddy. Give me your hand!" Larry held out his hand, and Roger took it. Smiling, Larry tried lifting Roger into the air. Unfortunately, Roger was stuck on something. What exactly it was, Larry couldn't say for sure. However, it did present a whole new level of difficulty in terms of getting Roger out of the water.

"Don't worry Roger." Larry started to pull on him, grunting as he did. "I… I can get you out!" He pulled and pulled and pulled. Unfortunately, he didn't make any progress. Roger was completely stuck, unable to be moved.

"It… it hurts!" Roger exclaimed. Larry pulled on him again, but he just yelled "OWW!" Tears sprung up in his eyes, and he looked like he was going to pass out. "It hurts so bad!"

"I know buddy, I know." Larry grunted and gave one more effort-filled tug. "Just hang tight; I'm sure I can get you."

Unfortunately, no amount of pulling seemed to be doing the trick. Larry stopped after a little bit, trying to reassess the situation. How exactly could he get Roger unstuck? There had to be a way! Maybe if he was able to move whatever object was pinning him to the ground. Oh, but how could Larry do that? He didn't want to risk getting into the water himself. If he wasn't waterproof and therefore caused electricity to be released, then Roger wouldn't just be stuck. He would be dead.

No, there had to be another way. Larry thought about this, all while Roger gasped and tried to stay afloat. Right as Larry was about to start panicking, he got an idea. He pulled one of his hands out of Roger's grasp and activated his sonic cannon. As a blast built up within it, he frowned. This… this plan would present a lot of risk. There wasn't even a guarantee that it would work. But… well, it was the only plan Larry had. Might as well give it a try.

"Hold still as you can, Roger." He aimed his cannon into the water. "I'm gonna blast you out."

Roger gasped, but before he could say or do anything, Larry blasted the river's floor. The BOOM! Was deafening; there was no doubt in Larry's mind that all of Sparksville heard it. Thankfully, as painful as the blast was, it seemed to do the trick. Larry managed to pull Roger out of the water. The young boy coughed, hacking his lungs out as Larry flew him back to the shore.

The black-haired kid cried when he saw his friend. "Roger! Roger, are you okay?"

Roger nodded. "I… I'm alright, Marcus." He tried to lift himself up but immediately winced. The reason why became obvious the second Larry looked at his foot. Cuts and gashes were all over it, bloody and full of dirt. The parts of Roger's foot that weren't bleeding were pink as opposed to gold, and there was one cut that was bigger than the others on the sole. Looking at it was enough to make Larry feel sick.

"D… don't worry, kids," he said. He grabbed hold of both of their hands. "I'm gonna fly you two to the nearest hospital."

The boys nodded. Breathing a sigh of relief while simultaneously trying not to panic too much, Larry rose into the air.

…

The trio got to the hospital within no time. Larry stayed with Roger the whole time, as when the kid wasn't looking ready to pass out from the pain, he was freaking out. Larry made sure to tell the doctors to be extra careful when bandaging up Roger's foot, an order that they followed without any need to protest. It wasn't until Roger's foot was covered in bandages that Larry's fright decreased. When it did, he couldn't help but feel grateful.

"You all set, buddy?" Larry asked Roger. They nodded, and Larry cast them a smile. "Good. Now, I'm gonna go check on Marcus, and see how he's doing. Will you be okay without me?" Roger nodded again. "Okie dokie!"

With that, Larry left and went to the waiting room. He found Marcus there talking on the phone. He seemed to be talking to his parents, which made perfect sense. What also made perfect sense was the fact that Marcus was talking about the rescue mission with the most excited tone possible.

"You should've seen it, Mom! This actual superhero showed up, and he flew over to Roger and pulled him out of the Rio Shroom! It was so cool! Oh man, you really should've seen it! I think you would've totally flipped out!"

Despite everything, Larry smiled. Somehow, after finding out that he couldn't taste food anymore, such high words of praise were exactly what he needed.

"Uh huh, uh huh," Marcus continued. "Anyway, we're at Emberton Hospital. I already called Roger's parents. Get here quick, alright? I really want you to meet Captain Metal!" With that, Marcus hung up. When he looked at Larry, he wore one of the biggest smiles Larry had ever seen. "Hey!"

"Hey!" Larry walked closer to him. "How are you feeling, Little Man?"

"Awesome!" Marcus leaned forward. "How's Roger?"

"He's all bandaged up. Based on what the doctors said, I think he's gonna make a speedy recovery."

Marcus' smile turned into a grin. "Awesome!" They reached out and took Larry's hand. "I can't thank you enough!"

"Aw, shucks!" Larry chuckled. "I was just doing what I had to do."

"I know! But still; you just saved Roger's life! I… I was so worried for him when he fell off the bridge. I thought he wasn't going to make it! But then you showed up and…" Marcus, suddenly, jumped up and hugged Larry. "Thank you so much, Captain Metal! You are the number one best hero!"

Larry's heart melted right then and there. He even sniffled a little bit, his emotions becoming overwhelming. "Of… of course, Marcus." He hugged him back. He smiled, all while Marcus' words of admiration echoed in his ears. Number one best hero... oh man, he never in a million years would've imagined someone calling him something like that. "I would do it again if I needed to." They hugged for a little bit before Larry ultimately let him go. "Anyway, I should probably get going."

Marcus blinked. "But what about my and Roger's parents? They want to meet you."

"I know, I know. But other people in other parts of the Koopa Kingdom in need a hero. I can't just leave them alone." Marcus' face fell, prompting Larry to get down on his knees so he was standing at his level. "Hey, it's okay. Just take good care of Roger for me, okay?"

Marcus hesitated before nodding and smiling. "Okay."

Larry smiled back, and he kept the smile on his face as he exited the hospital. He took a deep breath, thinking about all that had happened. The event with the cake now seemed like a distant memory. On some level, the joy of seeing people happy after saving them kind of made up for the fact that he didn't get to experience the joy of eating anymore.

Battery at thirty-nine percent.

Larry did a double take. He looked this way and that, trying to determine where that voice came from. He ultimately didn't see anybody, so he shrugged and rose into the air. He was going to save more people. He was going to be the hero that the Koopa Kingdom needed.