Palace of Power, VideoLand.

The Palace of Power one hour before midnight:  usually a beautiful spectacle to see in the light of the Palatial Twin Moons, but, at the moment, because of the rain, it was dreary-looking.  In the throne room of the Palace, the original N-Team, the Mario-Team, the Justice Ducks, the Thunder Cats, and the Silver Hawks were taking stock of their situation.

            "Oh, great," said Darkwing Duck.  "Now that you, Lana, have personally surrendered to the most powerful force of evil in the galaxy, we'll probably all be dead meat.  I don't like that.  I do not think that is very nice.  In fact, I THINK IT'S NUTS!!!"

            "I want Kevin rescued," said Lana.

            "Baby, surrendering to that barnacle-brain," said Neptunia, "is about as intelligent as taking penicillin when you know you're allergic to it.  I do not think that you fully considered the consequences of giving yourself up to that no-good, rotten, dirty snake.  And, baby, I'll bet you a billion that that emperor of evil will not give you Kevin.  That is the most important thing you overlooked.  I smell something fishy about that joker."

            "You probably ought to start smelling yourself, too, if you're worried about people smelling fishy," said Darkwing.

            "Why you overgrown. . ." shouted Neptunia, right before she grabbed Darkwing and tossed him into the wall.

            Embedded in the wall, Darkwing faintly uttered, "-Moan!-  I think, Neptunia, that you have once again over-reacted."

            "Well, then, keep your nasty comments to yourself!" shouted Neptunia.

            Steelheart said, "Very funny, you two.  Now, think of some way we can. . ."  She put a hand to her head.  "Wait a minute!  Major brainstorm!  I get it. . . I get it. . ."  She paced around a few seconds, the wicked smile on her face getting much more despicable per second.  "Hee, hee, hee!"

            "When she does like that, guys," Quicksilver informed the rest of the N-Team, "you know that she has an excellent one coming."

            "Oh, boy, are they going to get it!" said Steelheart, still pacing, her despicable smile getting larger and larger.  Suddenly she ceased her pacing, turned abruptly to the others.

            "That signals the end of her brainstorm," said Quicksilver.  "That means she knows her plan and may or may not be ready to tell it to us."

            "I may know the plan," said Steelheart, "but there's no way in the world I'm entrusting it to anyone right now.  If this leaks out, we may be in thick soup, but, if it stays in, all I can say is that Ludwig and his pals are going to get their butts kicked tomorrow!  Get some rest, everyone, and try to awaken at an hour before dawn.  I have my best trick up my sleeve!"

            Quicksilver said, "And she's not pulling your sleeve - I mean, your leg - either, guys.  When she says that it's the best trick up her sleeve, it's the best trick up her sleeve!"

            "Awfully darn right!" said Steelwill.  "The rest part sounds good, too."

            "Going to join us in our slumber, Commander?" asked Bluegrass.

            "I can't," said Steelheart.  "I have to stay up all night so I can prepare the plan for full operation.  When we get through with them, Ludwig and his friends are going to be sorry they messed with us!"

            "Just watch out," warned Mario.  "That wicked scoundrel has a zillion tricks up his sleeve."

            "He may be a reptile," said Luigi, "but his brainpower is at least equal to that of a normal human."

            "Everyone," said Steelheart, "please go to bed.  I may be the brains of this plan, but, without most of you, I cannot pull it off.  Even with the tricks I pull, I predict that it will not be enough to hold back Ludwig.  I'll need the strength and powers of each of you to give the Brain-Team a run for their money."

            "Well," said Hotwing, "when she wants us to hit the hay, she wants us to hit the hay."

            "So, let's go all ready!" said Flashback.  Everyone except Lana went to bed.

            "Lana, what is it?" asked Steelheart.

            "I don't often double-cross anyone, Steelheart," said Lana.  "I hate doing it.  It isn't good democratic ruling practice."

            "Your Highness," said Steelheart, "in case you haven't noticed, the power of the VideoLand Monarch is absolute.  You can do anything you want."

            Lana shook her head.  "Steelheart, I want to be a kind ruler."

            "Is it a kind ruler who turns over her kingdom at the drop of a dime to an emperor of evil who won't keep his promises?  Is it a kind ruler who allows the powers of her kingdom, one of the most powerful in the galaxy, to be available for use to create an empire of evil?"

            Lana suddenly got the idea.  "Okay, but what about Kevin?"

            "To me," explained Steelheart, "Prince Ludwig 'Kooky' von(Bowser)Koopa is not the type to keep such a promise as turning one of the most powerful and cunning heroes over to us when you turn yourself and the kingdom over to him.  He's reaching for your weak spot, Lana.  This crazy turtle is out to use Kevin to become an emperor by conquering the whole galaxy as soon as you turn yourself and the Kingdom of VideoLand over to him.  I know your weak spot, and von(Bowser)Koopa does as well:  it is Kevin.  Ever since he came here, you've owed every bit of freedom you have to him, since he stopped MotherBrain from turning VideoLand into her empire."

            "True," said Lana.  "I love him because he has saved us too many times to mention.  Of late, my mind is occupied by other kinds of thoughts concerning him, as well."

            "Ah-ha!  I understand."

            "I just wanted to save him and to repay him at least a little."

            "As soon as you turn yourself over," added Steelheart, "Ludwig will rule VideoLand and possibly attempt to destroy every one of us with his vast amount of power.  I cannot allow that to happen.  That's why I tried to come up with a plan in the first place, to make sure Ludwig does not make VideoLand the first part of his empire.  Ludwig doesn't want to give us Kevin.  He wants to give us hell, if you'll pardon my language."

            Lana sprang up.  "You're right, Steelheart!  Go ahead and do your stuff."

            "And you, young lady," said Steelheart, "need your beauty sleep.  I'll make sure you get your belovèd hero back, Lana.  I swear it."

            "Thank you, Steelheart," said Lana, going off to her bedroom.

            "And, now," said Steelheart, "it's time to kick some (Bowser)Koopa shins!"  Steelheart ran off to do her work.  It had been decided that everyone should stay at the Palace so they would be better placed.

            * * 

            December 19.

            Library.

            At 4.00 the next morning, Copper Kidd went down the hall to an elevator.  On the wall next to the elevator, the wall saying what is on each level of the Palace, he looked for LIBRARY.  He noticed several listings, so he looked for one that contained books in the fields of science, mathematics, and technology.  Finding it, he entered the elevator and proceeded to that floor.  When the door of the elevator opened, he looked around the corner to make sure that Steelheart was not around.  Satisfied that she was not, he quietly tiptoed down to the library.

            Getting out a pass that Lana had given him (as she had given library passes to the Silver Hawks, Thunder Cats, and Justice Ducks), Kidd quickly keyed a code into a computer from the pass and inserted the pass's magnetic information strip into a special reading device.  The door to the library unlocked.  He entered and looked around for a book on the subject of advanced geometry so he could brush up a little.  He saw one empty space and no advanced geometry book in sight.  He guessed that Steelheart must have one, so he looked for a calculus book.  Finding one, he got it, went over to a table, turned on a reading light, placed the book on the table, sat down, and examined the book.  He located a piece of paper and a pencil and started to work.  After about ten to fifteen minutes of practising, he heard approaching footsteps.  The steps stopped for a few seconds, and then the door flipped open.  It was Steelheart.

            "Hi, Kidd.  What are you doing here?"

            "Brushing up," said Kidd.  "I woke up an hour ago and couldn't get back to sleep."

            "Well, maybe you can help me," said Steelheart.  "I'm trying to find just the appropriate angle to lay a certain booby trap, and I just cannot find out what it is.  I think it's something I'm doing wrong."  She put a book - the geometry book missing from the bookshelf - on the table, pulled up a chair, and sat down next to Kidd.  She opened the book.

            "Have you measured the walls and ceiling?" asked Kidd.

            "Not yet," said Steelheart.  "Why?"

            "Where were you going to put the trap?"

            "Yes.  Okay, you have a point.  I cannot figure out this blasted problem to save my life.  I want to set it so that the plane the floor represents is at an acute angle to the laser beam at a 45� angle so that Ludwig will duck and get one of his idiots blasted, and I cannot figure out how."  Kidd took some paper and began to draw a diagram.

            "Is the ceiling parallel to the floor?"

            "No, it is angled slightly to the floor.  It is floor 93."  Kidd suddenly realised something and got out a protractor, a ruler, and several pencils, all different colours.

            "It's simple!" said Kidd.  He drew several angles and lines with the protractor and ruler.  He showed her a diagram.  Her idea would work!

            Rubbing her hands together, Steelheart said, "Yeah!  Simple!  And rather amusing labels, too!  I don't know why I didn't think of that before.  Thank you, Kidd.  Keep 'brushing up.'  Your math knowledge comes in handy a lot.  See you!"  She took the plan Kidd had drawn out for her and the geometry book and got up and left.  Kidd continued his re-review while Steelheart continued her planning.