Act 76 - Date: 23 May 1993
Section 4: The Extended N-Team
Part 3: The Thunder Kittens' Heritage
Second Division - The Beginning of the Koopulan Empire
Second Chapter
Characters: Thunder Cats, Silver Hawks, Justice Ducks, Brain-Team Base, Fearsome Five
May 23.
Control Room, Cat's Lair, third-Earth.
I Bengali's voice replied, "Yes, I can, Wilykit. What is it?"
"I am going out to the Tower," said Wilykit.
Bengali asked, "Do you have Lion-O's permission?"
Wilykit answered, "I can't get his permission, Bengali. He's been captured by Liquidator." Bengali waited a few seconds to reply.
"He has?"
"That's right. Liquidator's captured four Silver Hawks, two Thunder Cats, three members of the N-Team Base, all the Mason-Team, and all the Justice Ducks." This time, it took Bengali even longer to answer. "Are you all right, Bengali?"
"Yes, I am. Come on out here, then. How are you coming?"
"I'm using my space-board."
"Then get out here as quickly as possible, 'Kit, and please explain everything once you arrive. Bengali out." The communicator beeped. Wilykit leapt onto her space-board and zipped over to the Tower of Omens.
* * *
Command Centre, Hawkhaven, Limbo.
Meanwhile, Metroid had warped to Hawkhaven. Ludwig had warped into the Command Centre, where the Steeltwins were still caught in Liquie's watery prison. "Well, well, Steeltwins! Fancy meeting you here!"
"Let us out, Ludwig!" ordered Steelheart, not in the mood for joking around.
Ludwig said, "I think not! Not now that Liquie has commandeered Hawkhaven! Heh, heh! Your sixth of the galaxy will be the first of my Koopulan Empire." The turbo-elevator doors opened. Liquidator emerged with six Silver Hawks plastered to the turbo-elevator's wall by his water.
"These six," said Liquidator, "made the mistake of finding me!" Ludwig smiled.
"Good work, Liquie," said Ludwig. "Kidd, Stargazer, Hotwing, Flashback, Condor, and Moonstriker. Very, very good! You, Liquidator, have made my day!"
"It is thou," said Steelwill, "who hast made the mistake, buster! When the remaining Thunder Cats and N-Team Base members and the Mario-Team catch up with you,. . ."
Liquidator interrupted, ". . .they will regret it! They will certainly live to do so! Heh, heh, heh!"
"Exactly!" said Ludwig. "Once I blast the entire N-Team and Brain-Team with a new invention I'm making, we'll be able to make you see all the progress the Koopulan Empire will make!"
Steelheart said, "I'll bet it will be completely totalitarian."
"Naturally, my pretty. We'll rule this galaxy for a thousand years and see how we do. Then, if we're so inclined, we'll stretch our borders as far as possible."
"What is this 'we'?"
"Oh, the Brain-Team will rule. I'll merely be the most superior officer. MotherBrain, Liquidator, and Dad will have a lot of influence on my actions, as will the leaders of the other divisions of the team."
Stargazer said, "Basically, the whole thing will probably be damned from the start."
"Stargazer!" said Steelheart. "Quit the cursing!"
* * *
Lion-O's and Wilykat's Cell, Brinstar, Metroid, orbiting Bedlama.
On Metroid, Lion-O and Wilykat were sharing a prison cell. Wilykat was pacing around, while Lion-O was sitting. Both were thinking. "This whole thing," said Wilykat, "disturbs me. What the devil is going on?"
"I don't know," said Lion-O, "but I'd be happier if they hadn't coated our cell with Thundrainium {thuhn-dráy-né-uhm}."
Wilykat sat down and sighed in resigned hope. "At least they haven't gotten the others." He closed his eyes. "I wonder what Wilykit's doing about this."
Lion-O said, "Probably everything she can." He sighed. "If the Sword weren't sealed in a soundproof chamber, I'd be able to call it." Wilykat felt around his waist area, and his eyes went wide.
"Wait a minute!" said Wilykat. "The fools forgot to disarm me! My pellet-belt and pellets are still on me!"
"Then," said Lion-O, "let's beat it!" Wilykat tossed a capsule at the door. It blew up the door. When they ran out, they ran in the direction of the room where the Sword was. . . and an alarm sounded. Those who showed up were Larry 'Cheatsy' (Bowser)Koopa and Roy 'Bully' (Bowser)Koopa.
"Thunder Cats are loose!" exclaimed Larry.
Roy said, "You forgot, 'Thunder Cats are on the move!' "
"Oh, cuss that silly song! Let's just get them!"
Wilykat tossed a smoke pellet in their direction and blocked the evil ones' progress. The two Thunder Cats got to the door closing off the chamber where the Sword was. Wilykat burst it open with another capsule. Lion-O ran to the Sword of Omens and took it. He saw the Claw Shield and got that as well. The two then left to go to the warp hall. "We'll return later with reinforcements," said Lion-O, "and free the others then." Wilykat nodded in assent. They were grossly outnumbered, and they knew it. In the warp hall, they proceeded immediately into the warp to Cat's Lair.
* * *
Cat's Lair, third-Earth.
Lion-O and Wilykat found themselves across the chasm from Cat's Lair. After crossing the bridge, they ran in. "Wilykit?" called Lion-O. "Wilykit, are you here? Let's split up, Wilykat." Wilykat nodded. The two separated.
A few minutes later, when Lion-O was in the control room, Wilykat ran up to him. "Any luck, Wilykat?"
"Her space-board's gone," said Wilykat. "She must have gone to the Tower of Omens."
Lion-O said, "Then, that's where we are going. To the ThunderClaw!" They went to the ThunderClaw, a flying vehicle, and went out toward the Tower.
* * *
Control Room, Tower of Omens.
At the Tower, Wilykit explained the situation to Snarf, Bengali, and Lynx-O. Bengali said, "That news is not very good. Tygra's about to call. You probably picked a good time to come out here to tell us this, Wilykit."
"Well," said Wilykit, "there was nothing else I could do. I wish there were something."
Tygra's voice came over the comm-line. "Tygra to Bengali. Come in."
Bengali tapped on the comm-line so that Tygra was shown on the large viewscreen. "Bengali here, Tygra. What is your progress?"
"We're doing pretty well," said Tygra. "We've found the Bracelet of Power, the Jade Dragon, the Totem of Dera, and the Chain of Loyalty."
Bengali said, "Well, there's a pretty urgent situation down here. Wilykit came out here to explain, so I'll let her explain."
Tygra asked, "What's wrong, 'Kit?"
Trying to stay brave, Wilykit said, "I know this: four Silver Hawks, - yet, I now believe all the Silver Hawks - Lion-O, Wilykat, Captain N, MegaMan, Kid Icarus, all the Mason-Team, and all the Justice Ducks have been captured by that blasted Liquidator, the Mutants, and the Luna-tacks." Tygra's jaw dropped. . . and it did not just drop. It DROPPED.
After a few seconds, Tygra said, "Oh, my gosh!"
"To go even further," continued Wilykit, "Liquidator has cancelled our warp zone system at Hawkhaven and commandeered Hawkhaven."
Tygra said, "Bengali told me that the Silver Hawks finished the molecular transporter. What about that?"
"That has been cancelled, too. For the time being, we no longer have any form of nearly instantaneous transportation."
Lynx-O picked up something on the Braille Board. "Wilykit, Bengali. I've picked up something. It's approaching at a quick velocity. It's the ThunderClaw!"
"The ThunderClaw?" asked Wilykit. "I don't understand. Who's in it?"
Lynx-O exclaimed, "It's Lion-O and Wilykat!"
Wilykit said, "They must have escaped from Liquidator!" She touched a comm-panel. "Tower to ThunderClaw. Please come in."
Lion-O's voice responded, "This is the ThunderClaw, Tower. Yes, I think an explanation is in order. We'll provide one as soon as we get in."
"Okay," said Wilykit. "Tower out." She deactivated the comm-line.
In a few minutes, the ThunderClaw landed. A little after that, Lion-O and Wilykat came in. By sheer impulse, the Thunder Kittens hugged. "Oh, Wilykat, I thought. . ." She stopped off.
"Well, whatever you thought," said Wilykat, "you were wrong." In a moment, they relinquished each other.
"Hello, Tygra," said Lion-O. "How's everything?"
"Okay with the operations up here," said Tygra. "I hear it's not so good down there."
"No, it isn't," said Lion-O. "Wilykat and I just escaped from Metroid."
Wilykat said, "We're lucky that whoever was supposed to disarm me didn't."
"Yes," said Lion-O. "Get back here as quickly as possible, Tygra. I don't like this situation."
"We'll be underway very soon," promised Tygra. The screen image changed to the Cat's Eye symbol above the words, 'End of Transmission.'
"What can we do?" asked Wilykat.
Lion-O said, "I don't know, Wilykat. I don't know."
* * *
Thunder Cats' Camp, Pyramid Ruins, New Thundera.
On New Thundera, the Thunder Cats there were wrapping up their operations. "That is what I call awful news," said Cheetara.
"At least we got some of the Treasure," remarked Panthro. Tygra sighed.
"Yes," said Tygra. Snarfer came up to him.
"Pumyra says that everything's ready, Tygra," said Snarfer.
"Well," said Tygra, "we can't do anything more around here, so the thing to do is to return to third-Earth for Lion-O's instructions." The Thunder Cats boarded the Feliner. Tygra and Panthro got in the forward seats. Pumyra and Cheetara got in the seats to the rear, as did Snarfer. The Feliner took off and headed at top speed back to third-Earth.
* * *
Control Room, Tower of Omens, third-Earth.
At the Tower, Lion-O, Snarf, Bengali, and Lynx-O were taking care of each station, so the Thunder Kittens were sitting in a corner and talking. . . about something that troubled them a little. The others were too busy to take note of the Kittens' conversation, and the two preferred it that way. "So," said Wilykit, "why do you think our bodies have not physically matured much since we were eleven?" Wilykat shook his head, indicating he did not know. "Let's endeavour to hypothesise."
"A genetic disorder?" he suggested.
"That's improbable. We've suffered nothing that we know of that would cause such a defect."
Wilykat thought a little harder. "A disease?"
"Maybe, but I don't think so."
"A natural genetic part of our race?"
"I support that theory." She sighed. "Tygra adopted us, so we didn't learn much about our race." She frowned thoughtfully. "And our race died out before Thundera exploded. . . except for us." She looked at Wilykat with a slight smile. "I wonder if Bengali would mind answering a few questions."
"That might get us into T - R - O - U - B - L - E with a capital T with Tygra," said Wilykat. "Why not ask him instead?"
"Because he isn't here," said Wilykit.
"Okay," said Wilykat. "But I don't want to assume responsibility."
"Scaredy-cat!" remarked Wilykit smugly.
"All right, 'Kit," said Wilykat. "But this is your idea!" They got up.
"Got your notebook?" Wilykat searched himself.
"No; I forgot it."
"You might forget your head if it weren't attached!" She got out her notebook. "Luckily, someone remembered!"
"Oh, sure. Show me up, why don't you!" Wilykit looked where his communicator was supposed to be.
"Your communicator. That Liquidator told me he stole it, which was why the Steeltwins subsequently deactivated the transporter system."
"Yes. He plucked it off when Aluro was bathing us with his mesmerising beams."
"That water-brain is seriously beginning to annoy me," said Wilykit.
Wilykat smiled. "Well, water you going to do about him?" Wilykit frowned. Wilykat's expression changed to one of worry. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Because of the stupid pun!" snapped Wilykit.
"Ahem!" said Wilykat. "That was a little loud, 'Kit." He smiled. "I might misinterpret it as yelling."
"Wilykat," said a rather perturbed Wilykit, trying to keep her voice low, "don't make me yell at you!"
"Gee!" said Wilykat. "You're rather pretty when you're angry! You know that, Wilykit?" Wilykit smiled.
"Wilykat, I make you cry when I yell." Her mouth abruptly turned to a straight line. "And I yell when you make me extremely angry! So, do not make me extremely angry."
"Okay," said Wilykat.
"Why do you try so hard to annoy me at times?"
"It's the kid inside me, Wilykit. It takes control of my mind and makes me do these silly things." He put his hand on Wilykit's shoulder. "Of course, you aren't always the perfect little angel, yourself." Wilykit smiled.
"I know that." She sighed. "I wonder if Steelwill ever exasperated Steelheart as much as you irritate me sometimes."
"Maybe. Or maybe Steelheart irritated Steelwill as much as I irritate you." Wilykit nodded.
"Whatever," she said.
"Of course," said Wilykat, "Tygra told me that, in the adolescent stage, young ladies got particularly annoying!"
"Of course!" said Wilykit. "According to what I've read about Kevin's earth, young human men in the adolescent stage can get pretty annoying."
Wilykat said, "Yes. Well, we're getting pretty far afield. Let's ask Bengali those questions."
"Yes." They began to go over to Bengali. Suddenly, Wilykit's courage about asking Bengali all seemed to leave her. She turned to Wilykat and began, "Of course, . . ."
Smiling and noting the expression on Wilykit's face, Wilykat asked, "What's the matter? Lost your courage?" Wilykit was almost shocked.
Her cheeks wanting to flame with colour and her voice wanting to yell, Wilykit said, "I certainly have not!"
"Oh, sure!" said Wilykat annoyingly. "I can see it. You're afraid to ask him because he might get angry and tell Tygra, who might get angry at us."
"You're annoying me again," warned Wilykit. Wilykat's eyes, though laughing at her along with his mouth expression, begged her not to yell.
"Yes, I am, am I not?"
"Look, Wilykat, if you stick to your part and keep from annoying me, I'll try to keep from yelling at you! I can't guarantee that I'll not yell at you if you continue to annoy me. Please?" Her eyes were pleading. "Please don't annoy me. I don't like to yell at you any more than you like being yelled at."
"Okay," softly said Wilykat while putting a hand on her shoulder. "I'll try not to."
She smiled and replied, "I know that. I was just. . ." Blue smoke formed in the middle of the room.
In surprise, Bengali exclaimed, "What is that?"
"You needn't alarm yourselves. It's only that conceited quack, Darkwing Duck," said Wilykit.
From the smoke, Darkwing's voice said, "I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am duck who knows how to conceal his warp-zone smoke from the Koopas' poking and prodding!" He came out of the smoke. "I am Darkwing Duck!"
"You," announced Wilykat, "have dire need of a shorter intro, Wingie!"
"So!" said Darkwing. "You two Thunder Kittens are not dependent on one another, eh? Then how come you always stick together?"
"Because we love each other!" snapped Wilykat.
Wilykit said, "Look, duck, we don't need any arguments. We're in an awful fix as it is. Liquidator's captured the rest of the Silver Hawks, the Mutants have captured the rest of the Mason-Team, and Melodia has captured Kevin, MegaMan, and Kid Icarus."
"Don't you think I know that, bratty little cat?" demanded Darkwing.
Pretending to be shocked, Wilykit said, "Ooh! I've been insulted by an idiot!"
"Darkwing Duck," said Lion-O, "you're welcome if you came out here to help, but you're not welcome if you came out here to argue. Understand?"
Darkwing said, "Yes, I understand."
Turning to Wilykat and Wilykit, Lion-O added, "And, Thunder Kittens,. . ."
"We know, Lion-O," said Wilykit.
Wilykat complied, "Yeah."
Relieved, Lion-O said, "Okay, then, I guess that's settled."
Darkwing got out two gas-bombs. "These two bombs," said Darkwing, "have warp-zone gas in them. If you can get the gas of one bomb into several of your pellets, Thunder Kittens, there will be less to waste. They're yours." Wilykit took one of the bombs and examined it.
"We'll see what we can do with one for right now," said Wilykit.
"Uh," asked Darkwing, "are you sure you two can do it?" Wilykit was indignant in a second, but she suppressed it greatly.
Wilykit said, "Relatively, Darkwing."
"Okay," said Darkwing. "Just making sure." This seemed to cool her down a little. She and Wilykat went into another room to 'see what they could do' with the gas-bomb. In the room where they would work, Wilykit put down the bomb and turned to Wilykat.
"Wilykat," warned Wilykit, "cover your ears."
"What?" asked Wilykat. "Why?"
Wilykit said, "I feel like I'm about to scream, but not at you this time. That stupid duck and his stupid questions!"
Wilykat began, "I'm sure he was only trying to. . ."
". . .pretend that we were as stupid as he wants us to be!" interrupted Wilykit. "He hates us, Wilykat. He hates that we're smarter than he."
Going over to a computer to set it for evenly distributing the warp-zone gas from Darkwing's gas-bomb into several capsules, Wilykat asked, "Why?"
"Because we're young! He thinks that we are presumptuous little brats."
"Well, maybe we are." As soon as the words had left his mouth, he knew the mistake he had made. "Oops! I re-. . ."
"How could you possibly believe that, Wilykat!? That's the last thing we could possibly be!"
"Well, we could very well be a little too bold."
"A little too. . . blast it, Wilykat!" exploded Wilykit furiously. "I'll tell you what 'a little too bold' is! 'A little too bold' is single-handedly taking on the entire Brain-Team with both hands tied behind your back! It's also a little too stupid!" She stopped herself and calmed down. "Why in the world do you make me angry?"
"I wasn't trying," said Wilykat. "I just wanted to make a point."
"-Sigh.- Well, I felt you were insulting us." She paused. "I have to do something about this temper of mine. It drives me up the wall!" She pressed a button. The gas-bomb was opened, and the gas flowed through a tube and was distributed evenly into twenty capsules. When this was done, the capsules were closed. Wilykit took them and put them on her capsule-belt. She then took one off. "Now, let's see if this stuff works." She tossed it on the ground and was enveloped in the warping gas. When the gas cleared, she was gone! In a few seconds, more gas appeared in the room in another location. When this gas cleared, she was there. "It works."
"Ha!" laughed Wilykat. "And that stupid quack probably thought we couldn't do it!"
"Probably thought we'd mess it up," said Wilykit. "Let's get that other warp-zone gas-bomb from him and make some warping-capsules for you." She took off one of the capsules and tossed it on the floor.
Smoke appeared in the control room. When it faded, the Kittens emerged from it. "We did it, Darkwing."
"Showoffs!" Darkwing mumbled to himself.
"What was that?" demanded Wilykit.
Darkwing said, "I said, 'Good job!' "
"Funny," said Wilykit. "It sounded a lot like, 'Showoffs!' May we have the other bomb, if you please?" She held out her hand expectantly. Darkwing put the other gas-bomb with warping gas in her hand. "Thank you."
* * *
Office, Hawkhaven, Limbo.
Meanwhile, in the office of Hawkhaven, Larry was giving a report to Ludwig, who had taken complete control of Hawkhaven. Ludwig was sitting in the chair at the commander's-end of the desk.
"Let me get this straight," said Ludwig. "Wilykat used a capsule so that he and Lion-O could escape the Thundrainium-coated cell, and they got the Sword and escaped. Then, Darkwing used one of his smoke bombs to escape."
"Right," said Larry.
"Whom," asked Ludwig, "did you assign to have the capsules removed from Wilykat and the smoke bombs removed from Darkwing?"
"Morton 'Big Mouth,' " answered Larry. "Apparently, he was jabbering about something when he was supposed to do it."
"Obviously," agreed Ludwig. He activated a comm-line. "Morton, this is Prince Ludwig. Get into the office of Hawkhaven. . . and don't stop to yak on the way!"
Morton's voice came over the comm-line and said, "Yessir, Prince L.! I'll be up there in two shakes of a crocodile's tail!" Then, Ludwig deactivated the comm-line. In a few minutes, the loud-mouthed Morton Koopa was in his presence. "What is it, Prince L.? Do you have an underhanded assignment for me, perhaps? Or. . . I have it! You want me to give a lecture! That'd be perfect! Or maybe. . ."
"Shut up!" said Ludwig tersely. "Larry tells me that he assigned you to remove Wilykat's capsules and Darkwing's smoke bombs. Why did you not do so?"
"Well," said Morton, "I was going to do when that fat-headed Eggplant Wizard popped one of his stupid fried, green tomatoes on me, and. . ."
"I understand," said Ludwig, calming down considerably. "I'll just blame it on the veggie!" He activated another comm-line. "Eggplant Wizard, into Hawkhaven's office on the double, or you'll be fried!" Just before he deactivated the comm-line, the door opened and Eggplant Wizard popped in. "You sure are prompt. Morton tells me that you popped a tomato on him."
"Yes," said Eggplant Wizard. "He said something about his going to remove capsules from Wilykat and smoke bombs from Darkwing, but he blabbermouthed at me and kicked me around."
"You deserved it!" said Ludwig. "And this will be for preventing him from stopping Wilykat and Darkwing from escaping!" He tapped another comm-line. "Liquie, I'd like to see you up here. . . right now." Out of the water-fountain came Liquidator.
"Right here, boss!" said Liquidator.
"Punish this stupid vegetable!" ordered Ludwig. "He prevented Morton from keeping Wilykat, Lion-O, and Dingbat Duck from escaping."
Liquidator grabbed the stupid vegetable and said, "Aye, sir!" He left and literally dragged out Eggplant Wizard.
"Good-bye, cruel world," Eggplant Wizard had said before Liquidator left the room.
"Larry," said Ludwig, "have Commander Steelheart brought in here."
"Yessir, brother!" said Larry. He left to get the lady.
"And, Morton," said Ludwig, "find our escapees. Bring them here so I can show Steelheart what happens to birds and kitties who succeed in escaping but who fail in escaping recapture. Got me?"
"Aye, Ludwig!" said Morton. He, too, left. A minute or two later, Larry brought in Steelheart, who had been separated from Steelwill. Her arms were secured by a strong ellipse of water.
Steelheart almost yelled, "I assure thee that thou shalt never get away with this, Ludwig!"
"Using 'thou'-forms, now, are we?" said Ludwig. "I like it! Why are you using them, though?"
"Because," said Steelheart, "I use 'thou' as though it and its inflections were unalterably singular in form. On the other hand, I use 'you' as though it could be either singular or plural in form."
"So," said Ludwig. "You are referring to me in particular. Excellent idea. I shall make it standard. . . along with the other changes I shall make to this galaxy once it falls inevitably under my control."
In French, Steelheart said, "Like I said, you will never succeed with this plan!"
In English, Ludwig said, "Oh, silly me! I nearly forgot! I wish to make Italian and French two of the official languages of the galaxy! How do you like that?"
"Surely," said Steelheart in the tongue common to the British, the Americans, and the Australians, "you dragged me in here to tell me things that are more important than that so-far trivial information."
"Certainly," said Ludwig. "Please be seated." Larry led her to the chair on the non-business-end of the desk.
"First time I've been in this one for a while," remarked Steelheart.
"I can imagine," said Ludwig. "However, I advise you to get used to this permanent change. I wanted you to be here to see something, but that something has yet to occur." Steelheart got slightly nervous.
"What kind of something?"
"Well, suffice it to begin with the fact that Lion-O, Wilykat, and Darkwing managed to escape. Morton's going after them. I'll not tell you what that which I want you to see is yet. However, you'll find out. . . in due time."
* * *
Control Room, Tower of Omens, third-Earth.
Slightly later, at the Tower of Omens, everyone was waiting rather impatiently for the Feliner to arrive and land.
"I'll be glad," said Lion-O, "when they arrive." Into the room warped Morton (the evil one)! "What the. . ."
Morton announced, "Morton 'Big Mouth' (Bowser)Koopa, Jr., here to show you what happens to those who escape and are unfortunate enough to be recaptured!" He pointed his Koopa-sceptre at Lion-O, Wilykat, and Darkwing in that order. "You three, come quietly, or your punishment will be a devil of a lot worse!" Wilykit took a sneeze-pellet off her pellet-belt.
"Try to make them, loudmouthed creep!" exclaimed Wilykit before sending the sneeze-pellet flying toward Morton. When it hit him, it coated him in sneezing powder. He began to sneeze uncontrollably.
Morton said, "-Achoo!- Ludwig will - achoo! - get you for this, little - achoo! - lady! -Achoo!- -Achoo!- -ACHOO!!!-" Wilykit then hit him with a warping-capsule and sent him to the control room of Metroid.
"Nice shots!" remarked Darkwing, earnestly impressed.
"Nice thinking!" added Wilykat.
Wilykit said, "Thank you both. He'll have to face Ludwig now." She got a thought. "Speaking of facing Ludwig. . ." Everyone was suddenly worried.
"No, Wilykit!" Lion-O said. "You can't. He might destroy you if you go after him alone."
Wilykit said, "Only if it becomes necessary, I shall do it." This relieved everyone very much.
"I hope it doesn't become that desperate, Wilykit," said Lion-O.
Darkwing impulsively said, "If Ludwig beat us adults, she wouldn't have a prayer!"
"Darkwing!" said Wilykat angrily.
"Sorry," said Darkwing. "I just don't think it's a good idea to let kids handle such situations."
"Why not?" demanded Wilykit.
Darkwing said, "Because it's too dangerous!"
Wilykat said, "Thanks for the thought, but Tygra told the two of us that this career, as you might call it, was very dangerous before we decided to take it."
"In a way," said Wilykit, "merely being a Thunder Cat is a peril."
"If you had known that being Thunder Cats was this dangerous before you became them," asked Darkwing, "would you have become them?"
"Most certainly," said Wilykit.
"Double for me," said Wilykat.
Darkwing said, "Well, I certainly didn't expect that answer. Oh, well."
* * *
Office, Hawkhaven, Limbo.
Meanwhile, at Hawkhaven, Morton had returned to the office. "What the hell is wrong with you, Morton?" demanded Ludwig. "What in the world am I going to do with you?"
"Uh, leave me alone about it, perhaps?" suggested Morton. Ludwig rose out of the chair.
"Wrong, loudmouth!" Ludwig picked up his sceptre and swung it in a forty-degree arc across his chest. A bar of soap appeared in Morton's mouth! "Now, go to your room before I decide to send you to the dungeon!" Morton wisely beat it. "Blast it! Not even my younger brothers have any. . ."
"Ludwig," interrupted Larry, "that's it! Younger brothers-s-s-s! Lemmy and Iggy might be able to fix those Thunder Kittens!"
"Hmm!" said Ludwig. "Good idea, Larry!" He tapped a comm-line. "Lemmy and Iggy," said Ludwig, "come to the office on Hawkhaven."
Steelheart, still in the chair across from the desk, said, "They haven't the slimmest hope of even coming close to defeating Wilykit and 'Kat, my dearly repulsive snake!"
"I say," said Ludwig, "that we shouldn't speculate about that. They haven't fought before."
"Lemmy and Iggy (Bowser)Koopa are Tortoisians," said Steelheart. "The Thunder Kittens are Thunderians."
"Come on. That doesn't mean an accursèd thing," said Ludwig.
"Oh, doesn't it?" asked Steelheart. "Cats can react far more quickly than turtles."
"Ah!" said Ludwig. "But a hawk can sure fix a house-cat in a hurry! Now, let's not be so hasty to react in such situations. Almost everyone on both of our groups is a humanoid."
"The Thunderians," said Steelheart, "resemble humans more closely than you and your family."
"True. Lemmy and Iggy are about 13 years old. How old are your precious little Thunder Kittens? Certainly, they can be not much older than that."
Steelheart shook her head and said, "Let's see. When they left Thundera, I think they were twelve. All the Thunder Cats spent ten units they call galacto-years in their suspension capsules while going to third-Earth. Ah. . . and it's been about six years since they crashed on third-Earth. So, I would estimate that they are about - gasp! - twenty-eight years old, twenty-seven if they haven't had their birthday yet!"
"Improbable!" cried Ludwig. "They look as though they are fourteen or fifteen years old!"
"Strange!" said Larry. Lemmy and Iggy entered the office, Lemmy on his ball.
Lemmy began, "Yes, Prince. . ."
"Ludwig?" continued Iggy. "What. . ." Lemmy continued, ". . .is it you want. . ."
". . .us to do?" concluded Iggy.
Ludwig said, "I want you two to go to the Tower of Omens and catch Lion-O, Wilykat, and Darkwing and, if possible, Wilykit. However, she may be left behind, if need be."
Lemmy began, "Okay, Prince. . ."
Iggy said, ". . .Ludwig!"
"Whatever. . ." said Lemmy.
". . .you say!" concluded Iggy. Lemmy opened a warp to the Tower. He and Iggy then entered it.
* * *
Control Room, Tower of Omens, third-Earth.
At the Tower, things had quieted down to 'normal.' Lynx-O reported, "The Feliner should be back in ten minutes, Lion-O."
Lion-O replied, "Thank you, Lynx-O." Darkwing, utterly bored, was pacing around.
Darkwing said, "I wish you'd let me warp to Metroid and free the others. I hate it when nothing's happening."
"Oh, cool it," said Wilykit. "I think that Ludwig's going to try for us again."
"Oh?" demanded Darkwing. "How do you know, Wilykit?"
"Let's just say," said she, "that my feminine intuition tells me so."
"Ha!" exclaimed the duck. The comment had completely amused him. "You? Feminine? What a laugh! How can you have something feminine when you don't act feminine?"
Wilykit smiled. "Look, Darkwing, you have this bad habit of getting on everyone's nerves. I should let you know that I dislike it immensely." Her smile abruptly disappeared, replaced by a frown. "And, if you want to stay here, please don't be annoying! If you want to be annoying, you are not welcome here. Do you understand me?"
"Well," said Darkwing, "excuse me! All I do is risk my neck for a few hundred thousand people every night! It's even harder that everyone thinks that I'm a clown in a mask and cape! Half the police department thinks I'm a crook, and the other half hates my hat! I didn't get into the crime-busting business for the glory. I did it because . . ." He sighed. ". . .Mega Volt showed up on my graduation night and tried to do away with my high school friends. He wanted revenge on them for their mocking him. He was the first villain I fought."
Wilykit asked, "Why did everyone make fun of him?"
"Well," said Darkwing, "in my day and on my world, real geniuses often aren't appreciated during their lifetime. Mega Volt, whose real name is Elmo Sputterspark, was and is a science genius. He knew and knows chemistry and physics and all subjects closely related to them like the back of his hand. But something that turned Elmo Sputterspark into Mega Volt happened. My guess is that it has something to do with two particularly annoying high school comrades of mine. Anyway, I saved Saint Canard High School that night." Lemmy and Iggy (the evil ones) warped in.
"Yeah," said Lemmy. "He told us about how Ham String tied him up to the treadmill and turned up the running speed several times."
Iggy said, "He was creating static electricity and powering an incandescent bulb. After he had run on the treadmill for several hours, the bulb and its power source exploded. When Sputterspark went to open the door, he faced some serious static charge when he touched the metal knob and turned into Mega Volt."
"Hm," said Darkwing. "Yes, Terror-Twins, that does sound pos-. . . -gulp!- TERROR-TWINS?!?"
"That's we!" said Lemmy. "Ludwig wants you, Lion-O, and Wilykat."
"Well," said Wilykat, grabbing a capsule of laughing gas, "he's not going to get us, Terror-Twits!" He blasted the Terror-Twins with the capsule. The two burst out laughing.
"Ha, ha, ha!" said Lemmy. "Blast - ha, ha! - blast you, Wilykat! Ha, ha, ha, ha!" Darkwing withdrew his Gas Gun.
"Suck warp-zone gas, evildoers!" said Darkwing. He blasted the Terror-Twins with gas that warped the two to Steelheart's (temporarily the evil Ludwig's) office. "They're not doing too well against you, Thunder Kittens. But what would you be without those capsules?"
"Darkwing Duck," said Wilykit, removing her capsule-belt, "you're on! I'll deal with the next intruder without my capsules!"
* * *
Office, Hawkhaven, Limbo.
Back in Hawkhaven, the Terror-Twins were in their oldest brother's presence. "You two," said Ludwig, "let Wilykat blast you with laughing gas."
"Hee, hee! Yes, he - ha, ha! - he did! Ha, ha!" said Iggy, still under the influence of laughter.
Ludwig leant forward and frowned. "Why?"
"He - ha, ha! - he reacted too - ha, ha! - too quickly! Ha, ha, ha!" Ludwig's anger grew.
Ludwig said, "Steelheart was right. He did react far more quickly than you."
"See what I told you?" said Steelheart, smiling.
"Blast it," said Ludwig. "Leave, my two brothers." Iggy and Lemmy left. "Wendy and Roy will react more quickly than the Kittens!" Before he opened a comm-line, MotherBrain's voice came over another comm-line.
"Ludwig," said MotherBrain, "please respond." Ludwig opened the comm-line.
"What is it, MB?" he asked.
MotherBrain said, "I think that we've finished the final touches on the cloaking device." Steelheart's eyebrows went up.
"Good," said Ludwig. He went to the window and saw Metroid out there. "Engage it." In a moment, the entire planet of Metroid melted out of view. "Scan the area," he ordered Larry. Larry performed certain functions on the desk.
"The scanners," said Larry, "pick up no disturbance whatsoever." The ends of Ludwig's lips went up to his eyes almost, so wide was his wicked grin.
"Excellent," said Ludwig. He went to the desk and re-opened the comm-line. "You may disengage the cloaking device, MotherBrain. It is working properly on the outside." Out the window, Metroid melted back into view. Ludwig nodded. "Good. Now, MB, you and Dad pay that little visit on third-Earth."
"Right!" said MotherBrain. "MotherBrain out." As Metroid turned away from Bedlama and Hawkhaven and toward third-Earth, it cloaked.
* * *
Control Room, Tower of Omens, third-Earth.
Later, at the Tower of Omens on third-Earth, the Feliner had landed, and Tygra, Cheetara, Panthro, Pumyra, and Snarfer had made their way to the control room, where everyone else was. "Well, it sure took long enough!" spouted Darkwing Duck.
"Shut up!" said Wilykit.
Panthro said, "We had it floored all the way. What has gone on around here?"
Wilykat said, "Most recently, Morton, Iggy, and Lemmy (Bowser)Koopa have attacked us here and failed."
"Ludwig," announced Lion-O, "has commandeered Hawkhaven."
Tygra asked, "Has he taken any more prisoners?"
"Not that we know of," said Bengali. "DW, here, escaped."
"Whoever was supposed to take away Wilykat's and my weapons didn't," said Darkwing.
Wilykit said, "All-in-all, it's been a pretty bad affair." Her eyebrows went down. "And Ludwig may have had time to have gotten his cloaking device operational again."
"Oh, no!" said Lion-O. "Why did you have to say that?"
"I'm sorry if it bothers you," said Wilykit, "but it is possible."
"Thanks a lot!" said Lion-O in a tone that indicated that he did not mean it.
"Well," said Wilykat, "they probably can't fire their weapons when they're cloaked."
"Probably?" said Tygra.
Wilykat said, "And they'd only be vulnerable for a second after they decloaked."
"Lynx-O," ordered Lion-O, "if you get any disturbances whatsoever, tell me."
"Yes, Lion-O," said Lynx-O. In a moment, something beeped on his console. He 'read' the information on his Braille Board. "There. . . there appears to be a disturbance. It is large and moving, but I cannot locate it, nor can I get it on the viewscreen." Bengali performed some functions on his computer terminal.
Bengali said, "It could be Metroid. It is large enough."
A few minutes of anxiety. Then, Lynx-O exclaimed, "I have a lock! They are disengaging their cloaking device!"
"Put it on the viewscreen," ordered Lion-O. The viewscreen showed a black, star-dotted sky. There appeared to be a slight bending effect of the light. Lion-O turned to Wilykit. "Can you make out a distinct shape, Wilykit? You and your brother have the best vision."
Wilykit examined it. "Very faintly. I can slightly see the shape of a huge brain."
"Metroid!" exclaimed Panthro.
"Well," said Lion-O, "if they're disengaging their cloaking device, why haven't they appeared?"
"The signal is decaying," said Bengali. "I. . . I've lost them. They're gone."
"No," said Wilykit, squinting. "I can still barely see the disturbance caused by their cloaking device. They are there; they just haven't decloaked."
"They know," said Cheetara, "that we know that they become vulnerable a second after they decloak. They were trying to establish our intentions." Lion-O nodded. Wilykit blinked and opened her eyes all the way.
"The viewscreen's pixels," said Wilykit, "can't show its disturbance anymore. Therefore, I cannot see Metroid."
Wilykat asked, "Aren't you receiving any signal?"
"No," said Bengali. "No disturbance that I can make out."
"They were establishing our intent," Wilykit said positively. "Otherwise, they'd have decloaked and blasted us." Everyone agreed silently. A few more minutes passed. Wilykit then shook her head. "This seems hopeless." Then, something else on Bengali's panel beeped. "Or not."
"Lion-O, they're back!" he said excitedly. Almost everyone turned to the viewscreen. Metroid melted into view and moved toward third-Earth.
"Amazing! I never thought," said Pumyra, "that I'd ever see it this close."
Snarf said, "Their weapons systems are completely armed. Snarf, snarf!"
Lion-O nodded. "They've not fired, though." The screen turned black and, when it re-lit, King Bowser Koopa and Queen MotherBrain were shown in front of a brain-logo, the symbol of the Brain-Team and of the Kingdom of the Evil Koopas.
"MotherBrain!" exclaimed Wilykit.
"That's I," said MotherBrain. "How do you guys like our cloak?"
"We don't!" ejaculated Darkwing.
"Where is your leader?" asked Lion-O.
King Bowser Koopa replied, "My son, Prince Ludwig von(Bowser)Koopa, is at Hawkhaven. Lion-O, you, yourself, shall surrender at once, or we shall destroy your puny little world. . . what do you call it? Ah, yes. . . New Thundera!"
"Destroying," added MotherBrain, "any chance of fully recovering your blasted Treasure."
Darkwing expelled, "You don't even belong in Thunder Cat Territory!"
"Silence your dinner, Lion-O!" instructed MotherBrain.
"My dinner?" exclaimed Lion-O incredulously. "Even if I were going to eat him, his exclamation would still be valid!"
"To even make such an exclamation," said Bowser, "implies that we require permission." He smiled. "We do not."
"If you surrender," said MotherBrain, "we shall leave this puny sixth of space you own to yourselves." Lion-O turned to Bengali and put the index finger of his left hand across his lips perpendicularly. Bengali pressed a mute-button.
"Mute," said Bengali.
"Cheetara?" asked Lion-O.
Cheetara said, "She has no intention of keeping her word. . . except for the destruction of New Thundera."
"So, either way, we're all in jeopardy," said Lion-O. Cheetara nodded. "Wilykit, I have an idea. It's a long shot, but it just might work. I'm going to pretend to give myself up and leave you in command. If they break their word, I want you to do something about it." Wilykit nodded.
"Okay," said Wilykit.
Lion-O made the same gesture to Bengali. "Open," said Bengali after pressing the mute-button.
"Your decision?" asked MotherBrain.
Lion-O said, "You have a deal, MotherBrain."
"Excellent," said MotherBrain. "We'll warp you here. Leave that Sword of Omens behind."
In the background, Eggplant Wizard's voice said, "No, MotherBrain! Don't make him. . ."
MotherBrain's jar turned so that she looked through a doorway behind her, and she said, "Shut up, Eggplant Wizard!"
"But MamaBrain," insisted Eggplant Wizard, entering view between MotherBrain and Bowser, "the Thunder Kittens. . ." King Koopa put his right hand over the idiot vegetable's mouth.
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH, IDIOT!!!" Koopa screamed. "The Thunder Cats won't disobey their precious code. That means that the Thunder Kittens won't attack us!" He relinquished the idiot.
"But," said Eggplant Wizard, "if we're planning to. . ." Liquidator sloshed into the room.
"We're planning," said Liquidator, "to destroy you if you don't shut up!!"
"All right, Waterhead," said Eggplant Wizard. Liquidator turned into a huge flyswatter and squashed Eggplant Wizard. "Yike!"
Liquidator said, "Please excuse me, Thunder Cats. I do so hate that vegetable. If he had a brain, he'd be a danger to himself!"
"Lion-O," said MotherBrain, "we are prepared to warp you up to Metroid. Please stand by." The viewscreen faded black; then, it showed a brain-symbol with the words, 'The Kingdom of the Evil Koopas,' which were above the words, 'The Brain-Team.' In a moment, a warp opened.
Lion-O took the Sword, looked at it, sighed. Then, he handed the Sword to Wilykit.
"I'll let you explain this, 'Kit," said Lion-O. He put his hand on hers.
Wilykit said, "Go with truth,. . ." Tygra and Wilykat put their hands on Wilykit's and Lion-O's.
". . .honour,. . ." said Tygra and Wilykat. Cheetara and Panthro put their hands on Wilykit's, Lion-O's, Wilykat's, and Tygra's.
". . .justice,. . ." said Cheetara and Panthro. The other five (Lynx-O, Bengali, Pumyra, Snarf, and Snarfer) put their hands on the others'.
". . .and loyalty!" concluded Lynx-O, Bengali, Pumyra, Snarf, and Snarfer.
All the Thunder Cats said, "Thunder Cats, HO!" Then, Lion-O waved good-bye to the others and entered the warp.
* * *
Office, Hawkhaven, Limbo.
At Hawkhaven, Ludwig, Larry, and Steelheart were still in the office. "Very good," said Ludwig. "Now, drop shields, recloak, and plan an attack procedure."
"Right, Ludwig," said MotherBrain. Metroid faded from the 'view' of Hawkhaven's sensors.
"Excellent," said Ludwig. "Larry, you know what to do." Larry smiled.
"Aye, Prince L.," said Larry. "I'll get over to what is to be named Canardia and get the preliminary parts." A swish of his hand, and he disappeared.
"Canardia?" asked Steelheart.
"I am renaming all of the planets named 'Earth,' " explained Ludwig, "to make identifications easier. The earth on which Darkwing lives is to be renamed Canardia. The earth on which the Thunder Cats live is to be renamed Koopulus. The earth on which you used to live is to retain its name, Earth. The earth on which Kevin, Mason, and the Mario Bros. used to live will be renamed Videolus {vih-dé-ó-luhs}. The entire galaxy will be renamed the Koopulan Empire."
Steelheart inquired, "And just what might those parts Larry's supposed to get be?"
"Parts," said Ludwig, "which are to be some of the components of my new star-ship and battle-cruiser."
"Metroid serves as such."
"I know, but, hey, I want something that looks something like the technology in the hardly known sixth of the galaxy. I'll need the advanced technology to be used in my new ship just to enter that area of the galaxy."
"What might you be talking about?"
"I needn't tell you, Steelheart. All I can say is Q, R, F, K, and B."
"Q, R, F, K, and B?" She shook her head. "I don't understand."
"Thou shalt, my dear Steelheart. Oh, believe me, thou shalt understand. . . only too well, and only too soon!" Steelheart frowned.
"Could it mean Q, Romulans, Federation, Klingons, and Borg?"
"It could," said Ludwig. He knew full well that she was correct. "I'm not going to even tell you."
* * *
Control Room, Tower of Omens, third-Earth.
At third-Earth, the Thunder Cats readied the Feliner. . . on the order of Wilykit herself. "Okay," said Wilykit. "Attack only if provoked enough."
Tygra said, "Lion-O's surrender was on the condition that Metroid leave this area alone. If the Brain-Team violates that agreement, then Lion-O's surrender is no longer valid." Wilykit nodded.
"Bengali, Lynx-O, Wilykat, and I will keep an open frequency on our communicators," she said. "If they attack, try to stop them, and, if you do, proceed immediately to Hawkhaven. Got it?"
"Got it," said Tygra. "See you later." The Feliner took off.
* * *
Control Room, Metroid, orbiting third-Earth.
On Metroid, the Brain-Team members there saw that the Feliner was coming. "Good," says MotherBrain. "They've sent the Feliner."
Bowser said, "They wish to make sure that we did not destroy New Thundera."
"Well, we'll destroy them! Hee, hee, hee!"
"I knew not to trust you!" said Lion-O.
"Something of thy tone," said Liquidator, "says that thou didst not come here because thou trustedest us. Thou mustest have come here because thou wishedest to protect thy puny New Thundera." Lion-O glanced at something. "What art thou looking at?"
"Oh," said Lion-O, pressing a button, "this must be the cloaking control!"
"No!" exclaimed MotherBrain. Metroid melted into view above third-Earth. "Drat you, Thunder Cat! Since you knew of our intent, I am ordering Liquidator to fire!" She turned to Liquidator. "Blast that cursèd Feliner out of the sky, Liquie!"
"Aye!" said Liquidator. He pressed a few buttons. A laser blasted at the Feliner, but it did not hit the Feliner.
In the Feliner, Tygra said, "They've fired! Let's hit them!" The Feliner blasted the left hemisphere of Metroid. In Metroid, MotherBrain and Bowser appeared to experience some sort of convulsions.
"Yaaah!" screamed MotherBrain. "They've hit the motor control area!"
"What in the world!" exclaimed Lion-O.
Bowser said, "Blast it, Lion-O, Metroid is the control centre of our brains!"
"Engage the cloaking device!" ordered MotherBrain. Liquidator tried.
"Blast!" said Liquidator. "The Feliner has knocked out its power!" He turned to Lion-O. "Blast you, Thunder Cat!" He whistled. Up came Bushroot, Mega Volt, and Quacker Jack. "Mega Volt, take the navigation control and get us out of here!" Mega Volt complied. He set Metroid on a course for Limbo.
In the Feliner, Tygra contacted Wilykit. "They're going toward Limbo, Wilykit. Want me to follow them?"
"Yes," said Wilykit. Panthro plotted a course to follow Metroid.
"Hang on to your seats!" said Panthro. "This thing is going to fly!"
Back on Metroid, when he was satisfied that Metroid was going to make it to Hawkhaven, Liquidator went to Lion-O, who was in Quacker Jack's and Bushroot's grips. "So," said Liquidator. "Cats are always trouble. They get into everything. Thanks to you, our plan has been ruined!"
"It deserved to be ruined!" snapped Lion-O. Liquidator growled.
Liquidator said, "Cats also make the mistake of infuriating dogs ten times their size. As a result, the cat usually gets creamed. That's the way it will be in this case. However, first, you will be taken to suitable accommodations. Take 'im away, QJ and BR." Quacker Jack and Bushroot took Lion-O to a Thundrainium-coated cell and tossed him in. They closed the door.
Looking through the bars at eye-level on the door, Quacker Jack said, "You shouldn't have gotten on Liquidator's bad side, Lion-O. That will carry quite a punishment. . . quite a nasty punishment!" Quacker Jack and Bushroot then returned to the control room. MotherBrain and Bowser were no longer suffering from brain-pains.
"As soon as possible," said MotherBrain, "cloak the planet." Mega Volt nodded in agreement.
"Right, MB," said Mega Volt.
Quacker Jack announced, "The kitty is in the cage, Liquidator."
"Good," said Liquidator.
Something beeped on Mega Volt's panel. He pressed a button, engaging the cloaking device. "We're now cloaked," said the spark-tossing maniac.
Liquidator snapped, "Contact Ludwig!" Mega Volt pressed a button. Ludwig appeared on the screen.
"Hello, guys," said Ludwig. "What's up?"
"Thanks to the Lord of the Thunder Cats," said Liquidator, "our plan to conquer third-Earth did not work too well."
"No wonder I recently felt brain-pains," said Ludwig. "And the cloak?"
"In working order," said Mega Volt. A pause.
"Right," said Ludwig. "I just checked the scanners. The Feliner is on your tail, but they cannot track you."
Liquidator said, "They must have been planning to go to Hawkhaven."
* * *
Control Room, Tower of Omens, third-Earth.
At the Tower of Omens, Bengali was keeping watch. "So far, so good, Wilykit," said Bengali. "Of course, Metroid recloaked as soon as possible."
"To be expected," agreed Darkwing. "Those do-badding twits." The Eye of Thundera flashed.
"Something's happened," said Wilykit. She took the Sword, which had been secured by her pellet-belt, and looked through the Eye of Thundera. "Sword of Omens, give me sight-beyond-sight." The hilt-apertures formed. The Eye and her eyes glowed. Through the Eye of Thundera, she saw when Quacker Jack and Bushroot had shoved Lion-O into the Thundrainium-coated cell. When she took the hilt from in front of her eyes, the Eye closed and the hilt shrank back to a straight line. (Good accompaniment music for these few seconds would be the beginning of the fourth movement of Gustav Mahler's First Symphony to portray Wilykit's mood.)
"What's happened?" asked Wilykat.
"Bushroot and Quacker Jack have shoved Lion-O into a Thundrainium-coated cell!" said Wilykit, blazingly furious.
Also quite mad, Darkwing said, "That does it! I'm going to Metroid, whether you like it or not! 'Bye!" He got out his Gas Gun and fired a warping-gas cartridge onto the floor. When it encased him, he was warped to Metroid.
* * *
Control Room, Metroid, en route to Hawkhaven.
In the Metroid control room, everything was going along smoothly now for the Brain-Team. "We're proceeding at the proper course and speed," said Mega Volt. "We'll be there in ten minutes."
"Excellent," said MotherBrain. Smoke appeared. "It's that blasted duck!"
Darkwing's voice said, "I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am the water that short-circuits your wicked plans!" The smoke faded. He held his cape at its widest span. "I am Darkwing Duck!" Having prepared himself during Darkwing's intro, Quacker Jack leapt on Darkwing and buzzed him on the rear end with an electroshocker joybuzzer. "YOW!!!" Darkwing jumped into the ceiling in pain. He landed with a crash.
"Nice work, Quacker Jack," said Liquidator. "Now, strip Darkwing of everything that may contain gas capsules, and escort him to a cell."
"Right!" said Quacker Jack. "One idiot going to a cell immediately! Hee, hee!" Someone leapt on him. "-Gurgh!- Who. . ."
"What was it I said to Lion-O earlier about cats?" asked Liquidator.
"I don't know," said Wilykat, the one who had jumped Quacker Jack. "You tell me, he who is all wet!"
"Cats," said Mega Volt, "only get in the way! Why don't you go chase a mouse or something?"
"Sorry," said Wilykat, "but I have better things to do than chase mice." Mega Volt rolled up his sleeves.
"Well," said Mega Volt, "prepare for an electroshock, Thunder Kitten!"
Wilykit's voice, filling the room, said, "He did not come here alone, Sparkie!"
"Blast it, don't call me 'Sparkie'!" screamed Mega Volt. Then, Wilykit jumped him. He crashed to the floor. Before Mega Volt crashed, Wilykit leapt perfectly next to Wilykat. "That hurt, brat!"
"Good!" said Wilykit. "Now, maybe you'd like to consider releasing all of our friends."
"Presumptuous little brats, aren't they?" remarked Bowser.
Wilykit went over to him and said, "Presumptuous? Presumptuous? You evil ones were the presumptuous ones! You directly violated our agreement!" She drew the Sword of Omens and put its hilt to her eyes. "Now you'll be punished." The apertures formed; the Eye awakened. She held the Sword high. "Thunder, Thunder, Thunder, Thunder Cats, HO!" The Sword's blade increased in vertical height three times; at 'Thunder Cats,' the Eye turned into the Cat's Eye; and, at 'HO!' the signal shone out the Eye. It showed beyond the cloak of Metroid and showed the Feliner where Metroid was.
"That's the Thunder Cat Signal!" remarked Panthro.
"What're the Kittens doing on Metroid?" asked Tygra.
Panthro said, "I don't know, but we're going to move!" They increased speed and went to land on Metroid.
Back on Metroid, the Thunder Kittens had matters well-in-hand. "Darn you!" exclaimed Bowser. He got his sceptre out of his shell. "Try outdoing this!" He fired an energy bolt at Wilykit. She leapt over it. The energy bolt harmlessly hit the floor.
Wilykat said, "Ha! Not nearly good enough!" He deactivated the cloaking device.
"Blast you brats!" yelled Liquidator. Wilykit tossed a pudding mix capsule into Liquidator and turned him into pudding. "Ew! I hate pudding mix."
Wilykat asked, "How about a dessert, Mega Volt?" He knocked Mega Volt into Liquidator. Mega Volt short-circuited, and pudding was blasted everywhere and onto everyone. "Yuck!" said Wilykat. He fingered some off his shirt sleeve and tasted it. "Mm! Pretty good! At least you have good taste, Liquie!"
"All right!" said Bushroot. "You Thunder Kittens are going to be plant-food! Heh, heh, heh!"
"Oh, yeah?" said Wilykit. "How about we fry a vegetable?" She aimed the Sword at Bushroot and microwaved him with a ray from it.
"Hey!" said Bushroot, smoking. "That wasn't very nice!" Wilykit got some clippers off her pellet-belt. "Yah! Hedge-clippers!" He turned and ran right into the wall. He was knocked out.
"You're next, toy-brain!" said Wilykat.
Quacker Jack said, "Ooh, I hate cats!"
Darkwing's voice, from behind Quacker Jack, said, "Good!" Quacker Jack turned around and saw Darkwing. " 'Cause you're not going to laugh anymore! Suck gas, evil-doer!" He aimed his Gas Gun at Quacker Jack and blasted him with tear gas. Quacker Jack began to cry.
Quacker Jack said, "Waah! I hate do-gooders! Sniff, sniff!" He got out a handkerchief and blew his 'nose.'
"Blast you!" screamed MotherBrain. Suddenly, Bowser was thrust into a wall! "What in the devil. . ."
"Ow!" said Bowser, rubbing his head. "Hey! Who did that?" He was lifted into the air and thrown against MotherBrain's jar. "Yah! Who in the world did that?"
Tygra's voice said, "It was Tygra, King Bowser." His outline appeared; then he completely appeared. He took his whip from around his waist. "To be more complete, it was Tygra the Invisible." Something zipped by him and tied a rope around Bowser.
"What?" demanded Bowser.
The 'something' stopped; it was Cheetara. "Cheetara the Quick, at your service!" said she. Panthro, with his fighting sticks around his neck, came in.
"And don't forget Panthro the Deadly!" said Panthro. He took one of the sticks and moved it so as to spin the other. He then tossed them at Metroid's navigational system and destroyed it.
"Yaah!" screamed MotherBrain. "No!"
"YES!!" said Panthro. "You'll not be taking us too lightly!" Tygra swung his whip so that the three red balls on the end whacked and destroyed the cloaking device controls.
"And don't try to recloak, pea-brain!" said Tygra.
"Ooh," said MotherBrain, "I've been insulted by a lesser life form!"
Wilykit said, "Ha! Lesser life form, my foot! None of us had to get that stupid jar!"
MotherBrain said, "You probably haven't even had all your shots!"
Wilykit said, "Save it, you huge cerebellum." She examined an undamaged console. "Let's see. . . this button looks interesting. It says, 'Opens cells for all captured N-Team members.' "
"Yaah! Don't touch that!"
"Try to stop me, MotherBrain!" Wilykit pressed the button. All the cells in which N-Team members were being held opened.
"Blast you, Thunder Kitten!" said MotherBrain. "Cats are nothing but trouble! They get into everything!" The door from the short passage from the prisons to the control room opened. In came the captured N-Team members. . . except the Silver Hawks (who were being held on Hawkhaven) and Lion-O. Pumyra came in from outside.
Pumyra said, "Tygra, I've connected the carry-beam and have set the Feliner on a direct course for Hawkhaven."
"Good," said Tygra.
Concerned, Wilykat asked, "Where's Lion-O?"
"Lion-O?" asked Kevin. "We didn't see him." Eggplant Wizard and King Hippo stepped in.
"That," said Eggplant Wizard, "is because he's in a Thundrainium-coated cell, nitwits! He's probably too weak to move!" He stuck his tongue out and said, "Nyah, nyah, nyah,. . ." King Hippo punched Eggplant Wizard in the chin so that his teeth closed with extreme abruptness on his tongue! "YAAAAAAAAAH!!!"
King Hippo said, "That's what you get for spilling the beans, idiot!" Wilykit tossed a net-capsule at the two and caught them in a net.
Wilykit said, "What do you two think you get for being such morons?"
"Ludwig will get you, Thunder Cats!" MotherBrain exclaimed.
"We'll see about that!" said Wilykat.
* * *
Office, Hawkhaven, Limbo.
At Hawkhaven, Ludwig was in the office when Metroid entered orbit. "Ah!" said Ludwig. "Metroid is here." He thumbed open a comm-line. "MotherBrain?"
"The great MotherBrain," replied Wilykit's voice, "is unable to answer you right now. If you leave your name and number and a brief message,. . ."
"Darn you, Wilykit!" screamed Ludwig.
". . .she'll call you back when she is less occupied."
"WHAT IN THE WORLD HAVE YOU DONE, YOU BLASTED THUNDER KITTEN?!?"
Wilykit said, "Oh, we've merely turned Liquie into pudding, short-circuited Mega Volt, knocked out Bushroot, made Quacker Jack cry, and tied up your dad. We've also destroyed your cloaking device and have freed all the N-Team whom you had here." Steelheart smiled.
"Blast you, little twerp!" exclaimed Ludwig. "You've stopped this attempt to make the Koopulan Empire, but I swear that, one day, you, little lady, are going to be up the proverbial creek without the proverbial paddle!"
Wilykit replied, "That's a one-humanoid opinion, of course."
"I hate you and your brother, you little brat!" He took out his sceptre and swung it in a semicircle. The bonds on the Silver Hawks were done away with; all the N-Team on Metroid was warped to the Command Centre of Hawkhaven; Ludwig disappeared to Metroid; and Metroid disappeared to its appointed place in VideoLand.
"Now that," remarked Steelheart, "was one H-word of a spell!" She entered the Command Centre and saw the majority of the N-Team standing there. "That evil, despicable, little rat got away. . . again!"
"I guess so," said Wilykit. "But at least he failed." She handed the Sword to the still-weak Lion-O. The Sword gave Lion-O the energy he needed to fully recover.
"Yes," said Steelheart, "at least he failed." She went to a computer and began to reactivate the transport systems.
"Uh, Steelheart?" said Wilykat. Steelheart looked at him. "Do you remember that Liquidator has my communicator?"
"Don't worry," said Steelheart. "I can take care of that very easily."
* * *
Control Room, Metroid, VideoLand.
On Metroid, Ludwig was steaming. "Those Thunder Kittens!" he exclaimed. "They're just like felis domesticus kittens: nothing but trouble!"
Liquidator said, "Well, what're we going to do about them? They always beat us because of our weaknesses."
Ludwig said, "Yeah. I want a one-on-one encounter with one of the two. One of them! Not both of them!"
"How do you expect us to be able to separate them?" asked Mega Volt. "I can't even get around them without them tossing water at me!"
Bushroot said, "Hang on! Hee, hee, hee! This could be easier than I thought!"
"Why?" asked Ludwig.
"One of their favourite activities is swinging through trees!"
"Hmm! So, you propose to use the trees to capture them?"
"Exactly! With my telepathic contact with the trees, those two kittens will be out-powered!"
"Very good, Bushie. Do it! Use the trees, and bring the Thunder Kittens to me! Ha, ha, ha, ha!"
Bushroot said, "Hee, hee, hee! Yes! I shall do it, my evil commander!"