Chapter 21.03 Delicious Thievery

It didn't take Ludwig long to fully formulate a game plan. Just walking around the aisles of this vast and varied Shell Mart was enough to give him the inspiration he needed. He kept a smile on his face as he went down the snack food aisle, making sure that he was in full view of the store's patrons.

It wasn't until he got to a bag of cookies that he stopped and thought about what he was about to do. Was this necessary? Did he really have to do this? Some might say that seeking revenge, especially revenge brought upon from a transgression like Lemmy's, was morally wrong. That fact made Ludwig feel more than a little dirty. Should he do this?

He thought back to the sight of Lemmy playing. A bout of anger welled up in him, causing him to grip his hand into a fist. Lemmy should have listened. Why didn't he listen? Why did he have to play in an area that was open to the public eye and public ridicule? Ludwig didn't need any of that. He very very VERY much didn't need that. And yet, Lemmy put him in this situation anyway, with his flagrant disregard of his brother's warnings and requests.

So, yes. Yes Ludwig was going to do this. He'll give Lemmy a taste of his own medicine, indulge in the sweet sweet act of revenge.

Shaking his head, Ludwig reached for the closest bag of cookies. Looking around, he made sure the other customers could see him. Once he did, he smiled and opened the bag. Many of the customers looked at him in confusion and shock as he jammed the cookies into his mouth.

"Ah yeah, that's the stuff," he said between chews. His hand dove back into the bag, pulling out two huge chocolate chip cookies and feeding them to him. They were delicious. Almost as delicious as the knowledge that Lemmy wouldn't approve of this.

Once he finished, Ludwig tossed the bag right into the middle of the aisle. Customers traveling down this path looked at the bag with raised eyebrows. As Ludwig nabbed another bag of cookies and devoured his way through, they looked both horrified and confused.

One patron walked up to Ludwig and tapped on his shoulder. "Hey, uh, bud. Are you gonna pay for that?"

Ludwig chortled. "No, but my brother is." He tossed the now empty bag right into their face, causing them to remove it and stomp off with a less than pleased expression.

Ludwig laughed. "Oh, Lemmy is not going to like this." He reached for another bag and chowed down on that. "You know, this is killing two birds with one stone," he said to himself. "Not only does this make Lemmy look bad, but the high amount of calories are bound to make him put on a few extra pounds." He guffawed. "HA! Sometimes my genius impresses even me."

He walked out of the aisle, the bag of cookies still in his hand and visible for all to see. Grinning, he put on a burst of speed and threw the cookies into the air. Some landed on the floor. Others landed in the carts of other customers. Some landed on the customers themselves.

"Hey!" one said.

"What is wrong with you?" said another.

Ludwig laughed, the sound carrying throughout the store. He continued running, throwing more cookies. When he got to the candy aisle, he decided it was time to upgrade to the even sweeter stuff. He went down the aisle, picked up a humongous bag of jelly beans, and opened it up. He crammed half of the contents into his mouth. The other half he threw all over the floor. He twirled around, satisfied with these revenge-causing methods. He laughed some more. The sound kind of surprised him; he had no idea that he could sound giddy like this until this moment.

"Ludwig?!"

Ludwig stopped. There was Lemmy, his jaw dropped and his eyes scared. He walked up to the oldest Koopaling, a real sense of urgency in his steps. "Ludwig, what are you doing?!"

Ludwig snorted. "Ludwig? That's not my name." He cupped his hands around his mouth. "MY NAME IS LEMONADE NATALIE KOOPA! AND I'VE GOTTA SAY…THESE JELLY BEANS ARE DELICIOUS!" He poured the beans down his throat, the sugary taste and the satisfying sights making his day feel even better.

"Stop!" Lemmy exclaimed. He grabbed the bag. "Ludwig, you need to stop! You're stealing!"

Ludwig giggled. "Well, I don't care what you think…Ludwig." He grabbed the bag back, nabbed another handful of beans, and stuffed them down like they were the main course of a Koopsmas feast..

Lemmy shook his head. "Ludwig, please. Don't do this!"

Ludwig stopped. He cast Lemmy a glare, pouring every ounce of ire he felt toward his brother at the moment into the face. "No! You think you can act however you want? Well, naturally, I should have the exact same right!" He patted the bag. "Now, if you'll excuse me Ludwig, I have some more petty larceny that I need to commit." He set the jelly bean bag to the side and grabbed some chocolate off the shelf. Endorphins of all kinds went off in his head as he ate it. "Mmm mm. Stolen chocolate is the best kind of chocolate!"

…

Lemmy watched his brother eat the chocolate in horror. Did Ludwig have any idea what he was doing? If he got caught, Lemmy would potentially get a criminal record. Granted, his hands weren't the cleanest, as he often participated in Princess Peach kidnappings. But still! This was serious stuff! People went to jail over stuff like this!

When that thought occurred to him, shudders ran up and down Lemmy's spine. He couldn't go to jail! It was cramped and dirty and unentertaining…it was a Koopaling's nightmare! Mario's beatings only lasted a second. Jail or prison could last a lifetime.

No, he thought to himself. I am NOT going to prison. Unfortunately, Ludwig wasn't exactly listening to reason right now. Revenge was a dish to aromatic and tempting for him to ignore; Lemmy knew that. So, the only way for him to drill the message into his brother's head was through force.

But what kind of force? Lemmy wasn't going to resort to violence; he'd harm his own body and get in even more trouble than he was already in. So what could he do?

Lemmy mulled over his options, as few as they were. Then, an idea befell him. Turning on his heel, he made his way to the store's exit. With a pace similar to a rabbit's, he made his way into the costume store across the street.

This shouldn't be too hard, he thought. He studied the aisles, keeping his eye peeled. All I have to do is find…YES! He nearly jumped into the air when he found what he had been looking for; a clown suit that was big enough to fit Ludwig. He bolted over to the makeup section, grabbing anything that he knew would surely stain his brother's visage. After he had finished that, and after he grabbed a wig and clown nose from another section, he bought the items and grinned as he entered the store.

"Now all I need is to go back to Shell Mart…" His grin grew bigger… "And get ready to start the show."