Command Centre, Hawkhaven, Limbo.

"Good work, Liquidator!" said Ludwig as Liquidator warped into the Command Centre of Hawkhaven.  "You won!"

            "Thanks, Ludwig," said Liquidator.  "It was awfully da-. . . darned hard to beat that bi-. . . lady, Melodia."  Melodia warped into the room.

            "How dare you have the audacity to insinuate that I am a lady!" screamed Melodia.  "I would have preferred that you use the word you started to say instead of lady!  I am not a lady!"  She blasted a music laser at him, a laser that he barely missed.  "Get my point, water-body?"

            "I understand," said Liquidator.  "You are not a lady."

            "Thank you, Liquidator," said Melodia.  "Are the racers for the Brain-Team determined yet?"

            Reading from his paper, Ludwig said, "The order of racers at the finish line is as follows, with the first person mentioned being in first place and the last person mentioned being in last place:  Liquidator, Melodia, MotherBrain, Mon*Star, Windhammer, Luna & Amok, S-s-slithe, Mumm-ra, Mega Volt, Larry (Bowser)Koopa, Negaduck, King Bowser Koopa, Aluro, Mo-Lec-U-Lar, Quacker Jack, Ridley, ProtoMan, Pokerface, A-Tom-U-Lar, Chilla, Bushroot, Buzz-Saw, Zero, Red-eye, Roy (Bowser)Koopa, Wendy O. (Bowser)Koopa, Tug-Mug, Morton (Bowser)Koopa, Lemmy (Bowser)Koopa, Iggy (Bowser)Koopa, Mumbo-Jumbo, Timestopper, Hardware, Flintheart Glomgold, Dr. Wily, Don Karnage, Yes-Man, Ma Beagle, Big Time Beagle, Steelbeak, Ammonia Pine, Moliarity, Nimnul, Tuskerninni, Mouser, Monkian, Jackalman, Vultureman, Bouncer Beagle, Burger Beagle, Try-Clyde, Koopa-Troopa, King Hippo, Eggplant Wizard, Dump Truck, and Mad Dog.  The racers will be the first fifteen mentioned:  Liquidator, Melodia, MotherBrain, Mon*Star, Windhammer, Luna & Amok, S-s-slithe, Mumm-ra, Mega Volt, Larry (Bowser)Koopa, Negaduck, King Bowser Koopa, Aluro, Mo-Lec-U-Lar, and Quacker Jack."

            "Okay," said Steelheart.  "We've gotten this evaluation stuff finished before the target date and time.  I suggest that we hold a conference with the racers of each group.  Since the first officers of each just happened to be in first place, I think we shall not have to worry about saying that they are to be present.  I find it necessary to say Prince Ludwig 'Kooky' von(Bowser)Koopa and I would have to be present, though."

            "An excellent idea, Steelheart," said Ludwig.  "Where do you suggest?"

            "How about the Congregation Hall in the Palace of Power?" suggested Steelheart.

            Ludwig replied, "Good idea, good idea.  Let's get to it."  They 'got to it.'

            * * *

            Conference Room, Palace of Power, VideoLand.

            An hour later, in the Congregation Hall of the Palace of Power, the proposed meeting began with everyone who needed to be present being present:  (from the N-Team) Steelheart, Captain N, Copper-Kidd, Darkwing Duck, Bluegrass, Quicksilver, Prince Ludwig von(Spike)Koopa, Prince Larry (Spike)Koopa, Steelwill, Lion-O, Tygra, Cheetara, Panthro, Perry Mason, Della Street, Lt. Tragg, (from the Brain-Team) Prince Ludwig 'Kooky' von(Bowser)Koopa, Liquidator, Melodia, MotherBrain, Mon*Star, Windhammer, Luna, Amok, S-s-slithe, Mumm-ra, Mega Volt, Prince Larry 'Cheatsy' (Bowser)Koopa, Negaduck, King Bowser Koopa, Aluro, Mo-Lec-U-Lar, and Quacker Jack.  They sat on opposite sides of the table, Steelheart being at the far end on one side and Ludwig 'Kooky' being at the far end on the other side.  Both were to the left of the first officers of their groups.  Along the long side of the table, both teams were organised so that the best racer was to the right of the leader and it progressed from first place to fifteenth place from left to right, so that Kevin was across from Quacker Jack, Lt. Tragg was opposite Liquidator, and so on.  Princess Lana and the Thunder Kittens were present to help sustain something resembling order in the room, plus Steelheart had to speak with Wilykat and Wilykit after this.

            "I do not know if you have to be able to understand the statement I'm about to make," said Lana.  "It is written in Italian and, by tradition, it is always read in Italian.  That's just something one of my predecessors came up with to say at the beginning of meetings between enemy parties.  Please bear with me; I am not an expert in pronouncing Italian."  Slowly, she read:  �A Dîo, noi giuriamo di ritenere la pace durante questa riunione.  {Ah dé-ó, nóy jú-ré-ah-mó dé ré-táy-náy-ráy lah pah-cháy dú-rahn-táy kwáys-tah ryú-nyó-náy.}  [Italian]  (To God, we swear to keep the peace during this meeting.)�  "There!  Now that that is out of the way, I would like to know what it means.  I do not know how to translate Italian into either English, French, Spanish, or German."

            Before Steelheart said something, Ludwig chimed in with, "In English, it goes:  'To God, we swear to keep peace during this meeting.'  Do you understand?"

            Everyone nodded, and Lana said, "Yes, we understand."

            "All right, let's get this meeting underway," said Steelheart.  "One thing for which we called this meeting was to establish a few little rules."

            "Yes," said Ludwig.  "These 'little rules' are to be used to ensure the safety and honesty of the racers.  Anyone in the room who has a suggestion should make it.  Okay, now.  Here's the way I think it should be done.  Someone raises their hand if he or she gets a suggestion for rules.  It does not matter who makes a suggestion!  Then, we all vote on whether to adopt it.  All for the rule suggestion raise their hands.  Is that fine?"  Everyone nodded.

            "I think that that is acceptable," said Steelheart.

            "Okay," said Ludwig.  Time passed.  More time passed.  Even more time passed.

            Finally, Bluegrass said, "Well, a good song always gets my brain to workin'."

            "Anything to help us think," said Steelheart.

            "All right," said Bluegrass.  He got his guitar, turned off the laser, and began to sing the Mexican song La Cucaracha. . . in Spanish, of course.  Once he finished, a couple of people applauded very slowly.  "A warm reception," he said sarcastically.

            "No offence, Bluegrass," said Steelheart, "but who wants to hear a song about a silly cockroach who can't walk and Pancho Villa without his shirt?"

            "Well, pardon me!" said Bluegrass.  "It has historical significance!  It pokes fun at the Mexican Revolution."

            "Okay, okay," said Ludwig.  "We're not here to discuss Mexican history.  We are here to talk about the race."

            "Someone cook up some rules," said Kevin.

            "I know!" said Liquidator.  "Let's make it so that all members who are of both teams and who are not racing are required to watch all races to make sure that those thirty that do race do not violate any rules and to make sure that the members of our team not racing will not try to do any wicked deed."

            "Hey, now that is a good idea!" said Darkwing.  "What think you, Commander and Captain?"

            "Since many of the people in all of our home regions will probably be at the race, I tend to approve of it," said Steelheart.  "And you, Kevin?"

            "Oh, I think that I agree," said Kevin.  "Let's put this to a vote, shall we?"

            "All racers in favour of the proposed plan," said Ludwig, winking secretly at Liquidator, "say 'I.'  All not in favour of it say 'not me.' "  Liquidator had done well.

            "I!" said Captain N.

            "I," said Liquidator.

            "I," said Copper-Kidd.

            "Not me!" said Melodia.  Ludwig glared at her.

            "I," said Darkwing.

            "I," said MotherBrain.

            "I," said Bluegrass.

            Mon*Star said, "I."

            "I," said Quicksilver.

            "I," said Windhammer.

            Prince Ludwig von(Spike)Koopa said, "I."

            "I," said Luna.

            Larry (Spike)Koopa said, "I."

            "Yes-s-s, I too," hissed S-s-slithe.

            "I," said Steelwill.

            Mumm-ra said, "I."

            "I," said Lion-O.

            "I say I!" said Mega Volt.

            "I," said Tygra.

            Larry (Bowser)Koopa said, "I!"

            Cheetara said, "I."

            "Negaduck says, 'I'!" said Negaduck.

            Panthro said, "I."

            King Bowser Koopa said, "I."

            Perry Mason said, "I."

            "I," said Aluro.

            Della said, "I."

            Mo-Lec-U-Lar said, "Ch-ch-ch-ch, I."

            "I," said Tragg.

            "I," said Quacker Jack.  He then got out Mr. Banana-Brain and asked, "What do you think, Mr. Banana-Brain?"  He then 'ventriloquised' to make it look as if Mr. Banana-Brain said, "I don't know about you, but I disapprove of the rule, fool!"  Quacker Jack then said, "Well, then, be that way!" before forcefully cramming Mr. Banana-Brain back into his pocket.  "Stuffed dolls nowadays!  One cannot teach them any manners!"

            "Shut up, QJ," said Mega Volt.  "One melodically disharmonious person said not me and twenty-nine yes, so it is now a rule.  True?"

            "True, Mega Volt," said Ludwig.  "Someone write it down."  Lana got out a sheet of paper and wrote the rule on it:

            1.            All members of both teams who are not racing must be present at all the races.  No exceptions at all!

            She took it over to Ludwig von(Bowser)Koopa.  "Good," said Ludwig upon reading the rule.

            "Ah-ha!" said Mega Volt.  "I think something is coming.  I've got it!  'I' or 'not me' to the following rule:  'Upon seeing such a malfunction occur, any racer must help a team member who has lost control of his or her vehicle.'  How about it?"

            "Well, I do think that it would be a good rule," said Steelheart.

            "Yes, so do I," said Ludwig.  "All in favour, say 'I'; all not in favour, say 'not I.' "  This time all racers without exception said 'I.'  Of course, Quacker Jack had Mr. Banana-Brain complain again.  Lana wrote down the rule in exactly the same way Mega Volt had said it.  They spent the rest of the day making rules.  Most rules were approved; a few were rejected.  And everyone was about ready to do serious damage to Mr. Banana-Brain!!  At the end of the meeting, Ludwig said, "First race:  tomorrow at noon.  Right?"

            "Right," said Steelheart.  She got up as everyone else stood and as Ludwig came toward her.  Ludwig shook hands with her.

            "I sincerely hope that you have a nice day," said Ludwig.  "I'll see you tomorrow at noon.  Thank you for letting us meet in your palace, Princess.  Let's go, guys."  All members of the Brain-Team left for Metroid.  As the N-Team members looked out the window, they saw Metroid turn away and recloak.

            Looking over the rules, Captain N said, "Not bad work."

            "I agree," said Steelheart.  "They will be of help and restriction to both teams."

            Kevin said, "True.  Well, it's getting rather late, and I would think that one would need one's rest before a trying race the next day."

            Steelheart said, "Okay.  Good night, everyone."  Everyone told each other 'good night' or something on that line and left.  Within a few minutes, only Steelheart and the Thunder Kittens remained.

            "What is it you want us to do, Steelheart?" asked Wilykat.

            "I hate to do this to you, Thunder Kittens," said Steelheart, "but I need you two to go to Metroid and spy on the Brain-Team in order to make sure that they do not decide to cheat or do anything else dishonest.  Okay?  I think Ludwig's got something up his evil shell."

            Wilykat shook his head, while Wilykit nodded.  Wilykat said "No!" beginning in the same millisecond in which Wilykit said "Yes!"

            "Why 'no,' Wilykat?" asked Steelheart.

            Wilykat said, "It's full of creepy creatures that just love to eat one's energy for breakfast.  And, besides, it's past my bedtime!"

            Wilykit said, "That never stopped us from following the Thunder Cats on an adventure when they told us to stay at the Lair before!"

            "Well," said Wilykat, "we usually got into some form of trouble doing that. . . both with the creatures we were after and with the other Thunder Cats!"

            Wilykit said, "Well, we have permission this time.  Maybe that will make a difference."

            "We have no weapons except our pellets," said Wilykat, "and we do not know Metroid's layout.  Is that enough for you?"

            "I'll tell you what one might do for getting a map to Metroid," said Steelheart.  "One might go to Captain N, ask politely for a map to Metroid, and, therefore, obtain such a map.  I can probably find Metroid and open a warp to it.  Is that a good enough to get you to go?"

            "It might if we had something with which to fight off those creatures!" snapped Wilykat.

            "Silly little brother!" said Wilykit.  "We're going."

            "No, we aren't, Wilykit!"

            "Darkwing Duck," called Steelheart on the intercom, "please return to the meeting room."  On the table, in its centre, smoke appeared.  That conceited duck.  It was Darkwing's trademark blue smoke.

            "I am the terror," said Darkwing, "that flaps in the night!  I am the newscast that interrupts a villain's favourite program!"  Darkwing appeared out of the smoke.  "I am Darkwing Duck!"  Darkwing shot his grappler at the ceiling.  It snagged a strong pipe.  Darkwing swung Tarzan-style to the others.  "Good evening, my friends!  Why did you call me?"

            Steelheart said, "Wilykat is afraid to go to Metroid without weapons other than his gas-pellets, and I think that he and Wilykit, having no weapons but their pellets, had the boldness to help cause some trouble in the past."

            "Now I don't think that I quite said that!" said Wilykat.

            "Well, it certainly was similar to that!" said Wilykit.  "We're going, Wilykat."

            "Sisters!" remarked Wilykat.  "Count on them to side with the adults!"

            "Cut it out, Wilykat!  We are going!  I am the older sibling!"

            "Darn you!"

            Darkwing said, "Well, I have some nerve gas that may have a pretty amusing effect on their creatures.  Can we open a warp to Metroid, Steelheart?"  They went to the Throne Room.  Steelheart went to a computer and typed a command.  A warp opened.

            "There's your warp, guys," said Steelheart.

            "Let's go!"

            Wilykat began, "But I . . .!" and stopped immediately when Darkwing grabbed his arm and led him to Metroid.

            "Steelheart, I have no explanation!" said Wilykit, feeling that Wilykat's refusal was her fault because she was the older sibling.

            "That's all right," said Steelheart.  "It is dangerous over there.  Don't worry about it, Wilykit.  I know how exasperating a twin brother can be.  It is not your fault."

            "Well, I'm going.  See you later, Commander."

            "See you later, Wilykit."