Control Room, Tourian, Metroid, VideoLand.

MotherBrain, Eggplant Wizard, and King Hippo were already in the control room; Ludwig and Larry came in.  To Eggplant Wizard and King Hippo, MotherBrain screamed, "No, no, no!  You two good-for-nothing idiots!  You would forget your bitty brains if they were not sewn into your heads!"

            Eggplant Wizard said, "Sorry, MotherBrain.  This idiot keeps getting in my way!"

            "What are you talking about, you repugnant vegetable?" asked King Hippo.  "You are the one who is always messing up!"

            Ludwig 'Kooky' von(Bowser)Koopa said, "Enough, you two dumdums!"

            Larry 'Cheatsy' (Bowser)Koopa said, "Yes.  Ludwig has an idea that will fix those goody-goody idiots!"

            "Okay," Eggplant Wizard said.  "You heard him, King Hippo."

            "You did too, veggie-brain!" retorted King Hippo.

            Larry said, "Hush up before you get on a roll, dummies!"

            "What tricks do you have up your sleeves, kids?" MotherBrain asked.

            "I have an idea that will make those goody-goods writhe in agony!" boasted Ludwig.

            "Hoo, hoo!  I love it already!"

            "Ha, ha!  And it is not a whole load of trash, either!"

            "So, what is your idea, bright-boy?"

            "We lead those idiots on a wild goose chase through the warp zone connecting Metroid and my Castle of Koopa."

            Larry said, "Yeah!  Then, we can seal the warp zone and seal them all into the Mushroom World forever!  Ha, ha, ha!  We sacrifice the Mushroom World, but that's not so bad."

            MotherBrain laughed, "Hee, hee!  I love it!  Let's tell Bowser and the other Koopalings about it; then, we can carry it out."

            "Oh!  And there is one minor requirement that we must meet first," Ludwig said.

            "What is that, big brother?" asked Larry.

            "The stars must be in proper alignment first. . . and I'm not talking about any psychic junk!  I'm talking about the charge of stellar particles and the problem of gravity.  The Sun, the star to which Kevin's Earth belongs, and the star Alpha Centauri must be in line directly out to our east. The star around which MegaLand's Earth orbits must be to our precise west.  We do not have to worry about the other billions of stars within the Milky Way.  We do, however, have to worry about our and the stars' positioning along the outside of the centre cluster of the whole galaxy.  We and our sun must be aligned to the west of the centre cluster, and the two other stars must be aligned to the east of the centre cluster.  It takes about as long the last theoretical dinosaur would have theoretically extinguished on the Earth to the year A.D. 1989 for the whole galaxy to rotate around its very centre.  I predict, from my recent stellar studies, that the precise event will occur at 12.00 tomorrow, my watch's time.  At the time my watch reaches 12.00 noon, we shall be able to seal the warp zone until 12.15.  If we play our cards right, we should be able to lure those goody-goodies through the warp and seal it in time.  We'll have to be very serious about our actions, not to goof off like fools, and go by my watch ONLY!  Let's synchronise."

            "Did you hear that, Eggplant Wizard and King Hippo?  No goofing off!" said MotherBrain.

            King Hippo said, "Yeah, Eggplant Wizard!  No goofin' off!"

            "You are the one always goofing off, King Hippo!" Eggplant Wizard said.

            MotherBrain said, "I'm talking to both you nit-wits!  No goofing off!"

            Eggplant Wizard put his hand up to his head in a salute.  "Yes, Queen MotherBrain!"

            "Yes, Queen MotherBrain!" said King Hippo.  When he put his fist up to his head in an attempt to salute, he bashed himself in the head and knocked himself out.

            MotherBrain said, "See, King Hippo?"

            "That is exactly what Ludwig was talking about," Larry said.

            Ludwig said, "Precisely.  Now, you two brainless idiots, we probably shall not need you."

            MotherBrain said, "Yes.  I can see why.  Only they could mess up such a simple instruction as 'speak.'  Take Eggplant Wizard for example.  Eggplant Wizard, speak!"

            "You want me to speak?" asked Eggplant Wizard.  "Okay.  How about I recite Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address?"

            "No, that won't be. . ."

            " 'Four-times-twenty plus seven years ago, our daddies brought a new nation forth on this land mass, the nation being dreamed of as in liberty, and dedicated to the thought of all humans being equal in every way.'  Boy, this Lincoln was some kind of sap, was he not?"  MotherBrain looked at Ludwig as if to say, 'See?'  " 'Now we are in the Civil War, testing whether that nation, or any nation so thought of and so dedicated, can survive.  We are met with the battlefield of that tragic war.  We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a last resort for those who gave their lives so that the nation may live.  It is very fitting and proper that we do this.'  Why do the soldiers need a resort if they are already dead?  'But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate - we cannot consecrate - we cannot hallow - this ground.  The courageous males, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our weak power to add or subtract.'  The dummies could not add or subtract?  No wonder the Confederate Government lost the war. . . they could hardly add or subtract!  'The world will hardly note or long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.'  The fool!  He should have known that future beings would note and remember what he said.  The Democratic U.S. Government won the war with Lincoln leading them. . . and Lincoln was Republican!  He was true, however, that we could not forget what they did there.  'It is for the living humans, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.  It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honoured dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that here we highly resolve that these dead have not died in vain - that this nation, under God, will have a new birth of freedom - and that the government of the people, by the people, and for the people will not die from the Earth.'  How can a government die?  They should have hauled this guy in for being crazy!"

            MotherBrain sighed.  "I rest my case.  They should haul you in for being crazy, Eggplant Wizard."

            Ludwig said, "We've done enough dawdling!  We have not the time for more."

            "I thought you had a watch on," said King Hippo.

            Ludwig zapped him with his sceptre.  "I am not talking in that sense, dumdum!"  He put his sceptre away.  "Let's get busy.  We have a lot of work to do!  Ha, ha, ha!"  Eggplant Wizard and King Hippo laughed.

            "Shut up, Eggplant Wizard and King Hippo!" said MotherBrain.

            * * *

            Congregation Hall, next to the Throne Room, Palace of Power, VideoLand.

            As the Brain-Team was plotting VideoLand's doom, the N-Team, totally oblivious of their wicked plan, was in conference.  "The Brain-Team spoils everything," Lana said.

            Kevin said, "Well, they have been quiet for several days.  Of course, that can only mean trouble."

            "Correct.  If they're quiet, we know that they're planning something really big."

            Toad said, "I wonder what the Koopas and MotherBoob are planning this time."

            "Whatever it is, I shan't like it," said King Spike.  "I don't like it already."  Suddenly, a Mushroomian warped into the room.

            The Mushroomian cried, "Queen Toadstool and King Spike, I have urgent news!  Every one of the Koopas is in Ludwig 'Kooky' von(Bowser)Koopa's evil castle. . . unarmed!  The guards believe that now would the best time to apprehend the Koopas once and for all!"

            Toadstool said, "Thank you for the tip."  The Mushroomian bowed and left.  "Now is the time to toss those evil Koopas in prison!"

            * * *

            Throne Room, Ludwig von(Bowser)Koopa's Castle of Koopa, Valley of Koopa, Dinosaur Land, Mushroom World.

            King Bowser Koopa, Ludwig 'Kooky' von(Bowser)Koopa, and MotherBrain were watching via their monitor in Ludwig's evil castle.  Ludwig laughed, "Ha, ha, ha!  That Mushroomian bozo has made the N-Team play into our hands!"

            King Bowser Koopa asked, "Are you sure that this will work?"

            "I am this time!"

            "That must be the 100 quintillionth time that you said that you were sure that a plan of yours would work!"

            "I know; this time, however, I am more sure than ever.  While they are stuck in my castle, we shall all warp to the Palace of Power and seal the warp between my castle and Metroid at noon tomorrow!"  Little did they know that a little spy camera was working for the N-Team in this room!  "And, when we seal the warp, we shall rule all of VideoLand!  Ha, ha, ha!"

            * * *

            Congregation Hall, Palace of Power.

            A short while later, when they were sure that the Brain-Team was not watching them, the N-Team watched the spy tape.  Perry Mason said, "So!  That is what they're doing."

            "Right," said Paul Drake.  "They want to trick us all into coming to the Mushroom World so that they can seal us in there."

            Della Street said, "Apparently, they will stop at nothing."

            "Now, that is the truth!" Hamilton Burger said.

            Lt. Arthur Tragg said, "I ought to arrest them for pulling a hoax."

            Captain N asked, "I need suggestions on what we should do about it."

            "I've got it!" said Princess Lana.  "Listen carefully."  She told them her plan.

            * * *

            Throne Room, Ludwig von(Bowser)Koopa's Castle of Koopa.

            Almost everyone was preparing to return to Metroid.  Ludwig said, "All right.  The rest of you return to Metroid, and, if you manage to get it fixed, engage the cloaking device.  I shall stay here.  When I return to Metroid, we shall seal the warp."

            Bowser said, "Right, my intelligent son."  The whole Brain-Team except Ludwig warped to Metroid.

            "Okay.  Now to see what those N-Team pests are up to."  He pressed a button and turned on a monitor.  He saw the N-Team talking about nothing in particular.  He then saw them all entering the warp to Dino Land.  "Excellent!  We shall see if they can get all the way up here before noon tomorrow!"

            * * *

            September 28.

            Door to Ludwig's Throne Room, Ludwig's Castle.

            At 10.45 the next morning, the N-Team arrived at the door to Ludwig's throne room.  Captain N said, "Okay.  Now we have to stop them from conquering the Mushroom World."  He pushed open the door.  "All right, Brain-Team!  Prepare to. . . what?"

            Alone in the room, the evil Ludwig drew and activated his laser sabre.  "It was a trick, N-Team pest!  En garde!"  Today, he was wearing a royal suit.

            Captain N drew his steel sword.  He had been practising with the good Ludwig von(Spike)Koopa.  "Okay, von(Bowser)Koopa!" said Kevin.  "Prepare to eat this sword for breakfast!  The hilt is the hardest part to swallow.  Besides, you can magically eliminate the blade before it hurts."  Ludwig 'Kooky' swished his laser sabre at Captain N several times, missing every time.  Kevin then swung his sword and knocked the handle of Ludwig's laser sabre out of his hands.

            Ludwig said, "My sword!"  Kevin pointed the end of the blade at Ludwig's neck.  "Go ahead.  Thrust that through my neck."

            "I wouldn't be that cruel.  You seem a bit hot.  Maybe you require some ventilation."  Kevin slashed an 'N' in Ludwig's suit.

            "How humiliating."