Hospital, Palace of Power, VideoLand.

"Well," said Quicksilver, running his tricorder parallel to Wilykit's body, "nothing that I can determine is wrong with the two of you."  He went to a panel on a wall and transferred information from his tricorder to it.  "However, the device indicates that you are about twenty-seven and a half years old.  That agrees with your medical records."  He turned to them.  "And, according to this device, you have no disorders at all. . . genetic or otherwise.  And you're perfectly healthy. . . at least by standard humanoid characteristics."  Wilykat sighed.

            "I wish," said Wilykit, "that we could find out the cause of this."

            Wilykat said, "When we asked Bengali, he said that he knows nothing about this.  Maybe if we asked Tygra. . ."

            "Are you out of your mind?" demanded Wilykit.  "If we asked him, he might explode!"

            Quicksilver said jokingly, "I hope you don't mean that literally!"  Wilykit looked at him.

            "I don't," said Wilykit.  Quicksilver examined the computer on the wall.

            Quicksilver said, "According to this, your ageing processes are substantially slower than those of humans."  He shook his head.  "Other than that, I am not the one to be telling you anything.  From the looks of things, it's natural."

            Wilykit said, "Well, thanks anyway, Quicksilver.  'Bye."  The Thunder Kittens left and entered the main corridor on the floor, floor 135.  They walked to the elevator.

            "Why don't we go to ask Tygra?" asked Wilykat.

            As they entered an elevator and Wilykit pressed the button for 'main floor,' Wilykit said, "You heard what I said!  Tygra might get angry."  After the elevator door had closed and the elevator had begun to move up, Wilykat put his fists beneath his shoulders, flapped his arms like wings, and clucked.  "Shut up!"

            "Well," said Wilykat, "that's what you're acting like!"

            Wilykit angrily said, "You are annoying me again."  Wilykat smiled.

            "Well, as if that weren't news!"

            "Quit acting so. . . so. . . so childish!  You act like a disgrace."

            "Aw, c'mon!  You expect me to act serious?"

            "I don't expect you to act dead-serious.  I just want you to act like you have a little bit of common sense."

            "I have plenty of it.  There's just something that tells me not to show it."

            "You're awfully lucky that there was no one else in here when you did that chicken act, Wilykat!"

            "If there were anyone else in here, I would not have done it."

            "Just don't humiliate us."

            "Right, 'Kit."  He mumbled under his breath, "You little spoilsport."

            "Don't call me that!"  She grabbed his arm.

            Wilykat was getting nervous.  "Uh, 'Kit, about your temper. . ."

            "I don't like it, either, Wilykat, but it only gets like this when I feel that you are insulting me."  She moved her hand up to his shoulder.  "-Sigh.-  I'm sorry.  I just don't want to run the risk of getting Tygra upset."

            "You can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs."  Wilykit's teeth began to show.  "Uh, Wilykit?"

            "I'd rather not break any eggs at all!" said Wilykit, concealing her teeth.  She put her hands together behind her back.

            Wilykat said, "It's either ask Tygra or forget the whole deal."  Wilykit sighed.

            "I guess," she said.  She looked at him.  "I just don't like it when he's mad, that's all."

            "No one said that Tygra's going to get angry.  He might actually want us to ask."

            "Then again, he might actually get upset if we ask.  I don't want that to happen."

            Wilykat sighed.  "I think that you worry too much."

            "No, I do not!"

            "Calm down.  If you don't want to run that risk, I'll ask him alone."

            Wilykit shook her head.  "No.  I won't let you take all the blame if he gets angry.  I'll. . ."  She sighed.  "I'll take care of this."

            "With my help."

            "-Sigh.-  Okay, with your help."  She crossed her arms.  "Why is it that, when you're in danger, I can't stop worrying about you, but that, when you make me angry, I almost think that I hate you?"  Wilykat shook his head.

            "Don't worry about it."  He put his hands on her shoulders.  "You're my sister.  Brothers annoy sisters and vice-versa.  It's just something that's so."  A moment passed.  "You're tense."

            "You're a genius."

            "I wish.  Why're you tense?"

            "This whole blasted affair.  The Brain-Team obviously has some nerve to mess with the N-Team."

            "Yes.  They're full of a word I'm not going to say."

            "Why not?"

            "It is inappropriate."  When the elevator stopped, the door opened and the two got out.  They went toward the warping hall.  "And why are we going to the warp hall?  You could have just used your communicator and the transporter system."

            "Lazy!" remarked Wilykit.  "Besides, we're going to pick up your new communicator from Steelheart. . . since you let Liquidator take the one you were given originally."

            "I didn't let him do anything!  All my energy was spent just trying to avoid Aluro's mesmerisation."  In the warp hall, they entered the warp to Hawkhaven.

            * * *

            Command Centre, Hawkhaven, Limbo.

            The Wilytwins emerged in the Command Centre and entered the elevator there.  They took it down to the hangar and went to the Steeltwins' lab just off to the hangar's side.  "Hello, Wilytwins," said Steelheart.  Steelwill handed her a communicator.  "Thanks, Will.  Here's your new communicator, Wilykat."  She handed it to Wilykat, who put it in its proper place.

            "Thank you," said Wilykat.  "But what about the one Liquie stole?"

            "I've fixed it," said Steelheart, "so that the one stolen by Waterhead won't work anymore."

            "Be careful, sis," said Steelwill.  "Liquidator would lynch you if he heard you say that!"

            Steelheart said, "Mr. H₂O-brain won't come a light-year near anyone without Ludwig's permission."

            "Don't bet your life on it!" said Steelwill.  "Ludwig approves of everything that that fluid-brained apprentice of his does."

            "Yeah," said Steelheart.  "Liquidator probably beats up Eggplant Wizard and King Hippo, and that's probably the reason."

            Wilykat said, " 'The Blob' once ordered those two idiots to come to Cat's Lair and get us.  He probably just wanted a valid excuse to punish those two fools mercilessly."  He began to turn to leave, but he stopped.  "Thank you again, Commander."

            "You're welcome," said Steelheart.

            Wilykat said, "Farewell."  The Thunder Kittens left.  "Just to keep you from having to tell me about politeness."

            Wilykit shook her head and said, "You don't have to do it just to satisfy me, Wilykat."

            "Well, I didn't do it just to satisfy you.  Want to talk to Tygra?"

            "I guess so."

            "You guess so?"  He looked around and saw no one.  What he was going to do he would not do if anyone else was around to see.  He put his hands on Wilykit's shoulders.  "Don't just say that you guess so.  Aren't you sure?"

            "Not entirely."  Wilykat looked around again.  This time, he softly grabbed Wilykit's arms and pushed her to the wall gently.

            "Look, 'Kit, I don't want to push you into this.  If you don't want to face Tygra, that's all right by me.  I'll get to the bottom of this.  Just give me a definitive answer, please, blast it!"

            Wilykit said, " 'Kat, you're squeezing just a little bit too hard."  Wilykat let go of her arms.  "I'm not going to let you go into this alone, Wilykat.  You might need some backup."

            "No, I won't."

            "Don't get stubborn.  I'm going to help you, you sweet idiot, whether either of us likes it or not."

            "You were just worrying about Tygra getting mad."

            "I wouldn't want you to have to go through the ordeal alone!  Besides, if he does, my presence might make him less angry."

            "Why?  Because you're a young lady?  You are as much an imp as I!"  Wilykit began to get angry.  "Besides, let's go before we attract attention."

            "Lucky save, bro."  Wilykit touched her communicator and said, "N-Team Transporter, transport two to the entrance hall of Cat's Lair."  The two were beamed there in less than a second.

            * * *

            Entrance Hall, Cat's Lair, third-Earth.

            Once she and Wilykat had arrived, Wilykit said, "It's likely that Tygra's very busy right now.  Let's not disturb him until he's finished."

            "Okay," agreed Wilykat.  They went to find Tygra and found that he and Panthro were talking about something in Tygra's lab.  Panthro was standing in front of Tygra, who was sitting in a chair in front of his desk.

            "Well, Panthro," said Tygra, "go ask the Steeltwins about how the transporter works.  It's about time we wrapped up our operations today, anyway."

            "Okay, Tygra," said Panthro.  "I'll leave you to finish up, then; I'll go to Hawkhaven and see you later."  Tygra nodded in agreement.  After Panthro left, the Kittens came in.

            "Hi, guys," said Tygra, putting some plans in a drawer of a desk.

            Wilykit nodded and said, "Hello, Tygra."  Her manner was uneasy.

            "Panthro and I are working on the specifications for the holographic simulation environments.  It's taking forever."

            "Hmm," said Wilykat.  "How's it going?"

            "Well, we're progressing."  He got up out of his chair.  "I hope we finish in the near future.  And how are you doing?"

            "Okay," said Wilykit.

            "Is something wrong?" Tygra asked.  "You two have this . . . look."  The Kittens looked at each other.  Yes, they did have it.

            "Well," said Wilykat, "we want to talk to you about something."  He was feeling increasingly more uncomfortable.  Tygra noticed this.

            Tygra nodded and said, "Let's talk somewhere else.  This isn't exactly the best place."

            * * *

            Later, in Tygra's room, they began their conversation.  All three were seated.  Tygra said, "Okay.  What's troubling the two of you?"

            Wilykat said, "-Sigh.-  Well, we are rather curious as to why we appear to be only fourteen when we're twenty-seven and a half."  Tygra himself began to get uneasy.

            Tygra said, "Ah, I see.  What have you done about it?"

            Wilykit said, "Well, I looked through the Eye of Thundera about it, we asked Bengali about it, and we went to Quicksilver about it.  We found out nothing, except that our rate of physical maturity is substantially slower than that of humans."

            "Any speculation on your part?" asked Tygra.

            Wilykit said, "Just that it's something genetically common to our particular race or species."  Tygra closed his eyes and sighed.

            "Well," said Tygra, "since I did adopt you two, I am your father.  It's only fair that I provide the true explanation if I know it."  He got up and went over to the table next to his bed.  He opened the drawer built into it and took out a book of four or five hundred pages.  He closed the drawer and went back to his chair.  He sat back down in it.  "This book contains history and characteristics about your all-but-extinct race."  He gave a faint smile.  "I guess that the Thunderians are an all-but-extinct species.  Anyway, I never really allowed myself to read it that much. . . just enough to find out about your ageing rate and typical behaviour."  He handed it to them.  "It's yours.  It was with you when I first saw you."

            Wilykit gently took it and said, "Thank you, Tygra."  She noted the expression on his face.  "I guess we'll leave now.  See you later."  Tygra nodded a silent good-bye.  Wilykit and Wilykat got up and slowly left the room to go toward their own.

            Once there, Wilykit put the book on the small table between their beds.  Wilykat said, "Wilykit, I need to work up an appetite.  How about a little tree-leaping before dinner?"  Wilykit sighed.

            "Sorry, but I don't really feel like it."

            "If I should run into one of the Brain-Team, I wouldn't want to face him, her, or it alone!"

            "If you should run into a member of the Brain-Team," said Wilykit, "you'd be supposed to transport back here immediately."  Wilykat's eyes were begging for her to come with him.  "-Sigh.-  Never can deny you much.  Okay.  Let's go!"  They went.

            * * *

            In a few minutes, they were happily bounding and swinging through trees like. . . well, like cats.  Wilykat said, "Isn't this more fun than sitting at the Lair?"

            "Yeah, Wilykat!" Wilykit replied.

            Wilykit said, "Then, that would make two of us."  She closely examined the words made by the letters.  "Wait a minute!  The letters m {mü} and p {pahy}!"

            "Ah," says Wilykat, "doesn't p stand for a number approximately equal to 3.14?"

            Wilykit said, "Yes, but the letters were also part of the ancient Terran Greek alphabet!  Let's go!"  She put the letter in the book, closed the book, got the book, and led the way out.  Her brother followed.

            "Where," asked Wilykat, "are we going?"

            "We're going to Steelheart's office," said Wilykit.  "If anyone knows foreign languages, it's she!"  They went to the entry hall and entered the warp marked, 'Hawkhaven Command Centre.'

            * * *

            Office, Hawkhaven, Limbo.

            Steelheart heard a knocking on the door.  "Come in," she said.  Wilykit and Wilykat entered.  When they had entered, Wilykat quietly closed the door.  "Well, good evening, Thunder Kittens."  Steelheart indicated a stack of papers reaching almost to the ceiling.  "Don't sneeze, please."

            "Aw, hell!" said Stargazer.  "If they have to sneeze, they have to sneeze!  No damn thing wrong with that, is there?"

            "I was joking," said Steelheart.  "And how many times have I told you to quit that blasted cursing?"  Stargazer sighed.

            "A quintillion, give or take a couple of trillion," said Stargazer.

            "Now," said Steelheart, "how may I help the two of you?"  Wilykit laid the book on an unoccupied area of the desk.  She opened the cover, removed the envelope, and closed the cover gently.

            "This," said Wilykit.  "Could you read it?"  She handed the envelope to Steelheart.

            "Well, well, well!" said Steelheart.  "I haven't seen ancient Greek in a long time!"

            Stargazer said, "Yeah, not since that little situation a hundred years ago on our second-Earth.  Since Steelheart was the one with the highest understanding of ancient Greek, she had to go examine some newly found ruins near Athens."

            "Yes," said Steelheart.  "Those ruins were under the ground.  I found several strange messages inscribed on the walls.  In English, some didn't even make any darned sense to me.  But, let's see what this says.  My Greek is a little bit rusty, but I can do this."  She looked at the writing on the cover.  " 'To whom it may concern.'  Sounds as though it may be important!"

            As Steelheart opened the envelope and extracted the letter within, Wilykat said, "I guess that the person who wrote this was spoke ancient Greek and was more comfortable with that than with English."

            Steelheart nodded.  "The language and grammatical structure are virtually the same.  I always did have a little trouble with distinguishing the active voice from the passive voice in Greek, though not so much recently.  But I'll see what I can do."  She cleared her throat.  Then, she nodded.  She got a laptop computer terminal out of her top desk drawer on the right, put it on her desktop, turned it on, and selected a word processor program that would have it write what she said.  "Begin entry:  letter format with date, salutation, body, closing, and signature."  The computer showed a cursor.  She held a button.  "When I start reading, copy what I say."  She released the button.  'Request Complete' showed on the screen.  She read:

            "5 December 1775

            "Dear Sir or Ma'am:

            "I hope that you can help us!  It is our only hope!  Fifty years ago, a person called Rataro came, and he destroyed most of our part of Thundera.  He had already done that to another part of the planet.  The thing that happened there is happening here:  the bombs with which he bombarded us released some type of poison that kills everyone older than five years old.  My husband died because of this poison.  Everyone of our part of Thundera has died or is dying because of this poison!  There are only seven of our race here now. . . these two children are two of them, and they are the only ones less than five years old.  If they are here when they are five years old, they, too, will die.  I don't have long to live.  I hate to say this, but I am doomed to die.  If you adopt these two children, our race will not die.  That's why I'll put them in another part of Thundera. . . that way one will find them without danger of being affected by Rataro's poison.  As I have said, when one who is more than five years old is exposed to the poison one time, one will die.  It's as simple as that.  I give you this big book as a guide to our race.  It is written in English; I didn't have the time to write this letter in English, since it is not my language.  Adopt or have someone adopt these two children, please.  If you want to adopt them, I would like that you be at least fifteen and not be married at the time that you adopt them.  I must finish now.  The female kitten, who is a second older than the male kitten, is named Wilykit.  The male kitten's name is Wilykat.  To the second, he is precisely one month of age at 11.50 on the day this letter was written.  Whoever adopts them, these children will be his or hers.  Know that these are the only children who are of our part of Thundera and who are under five years old.  Whoever you are, I thank you very much.  I believe that I may die at any minute, but I hope that is not true for my twin-children.  Remember that I am doing this because I love them very much and because I don't want them to die.  Thank you very much.

            "Best regards,

            "The mother of the Wilytwins."

            Steelheart checked the monitor and re-read through the letter.  She nodded, as it was nearly perfectly translated into English.  "That did it," she said triumphantly.  Just then, something inside her started hurting.  She held a button on the computer and ordered, "Save under the Wilytwins' files as translation of 5 December 1775, letter from ancient Greek to English.  Then, print."  Out of a slot on her desk came a sheet of paper with the very same message on it.

            "File saved and printed," the computer informed her.

            She examined it.  "Excellent."  She folded it, put it in the envelope, and put the original letter back in the envelope.

            Stargazer remarked, "It seems only proper that she leave the authentic copy in there."

            "Well!" said Steelheart with fake surprise.  "You didn't use the D-word in describing the authentic copy!"

            "You know I don't always do that, Steelheart," said Stargazer.

            "Just giving you a hard time."  Wilykat went over to where the book was.

            "Thank you, Steelheart," said Wilykat.

            Steelheart said, "Don't mention it."  Wilykat put the letter back in the book and took the book.

            "If you'll excuse us."

            "Certainly."  Wilykat went over to Wilykit and tapped his communicator.

            "N-Team Transporter," ordered Wilykat, "transport two to the Cat's Lair's entry hall."  The two were transported there.  Stargazer noticed that Steelheart was suppressing something.

            Steelheart softly asked, "Stargazer, would you mind leaving now?"  Stargazer understood perfectly.

            "No, of course not," he said.  He got up, saluted her, and left to the Command Centre.  Steelheart then tapped open a comm-line.

            "Steelwill," she asked, "would you mind coming into my office?"

            Steelwill's voice replied, "Certainly not.  I'll be right there!"  A minute or two later, the door opened, and Steelwill came in.  "You wanted to see me, Steelheart?"

            "Yes," said Steelheart.  "Off the record.  Sit, please."  Steelwill went to the chair across from her and sat down.  "The Thunder Kittens came in here with a letter that they needed translated into English."  On the computer, she scrolled the screen to the beginning of the letter.  "This is it.  Read it."  She handed the laptop terminal to him.

            Steelwill situated it in front of him on the desk and read the entry.  As he read it, his expression changed.  Once, he even whispered to himself, "My God!"  When he had finished reading it, he handed it back to Steelheart.  "What an awful fate for a race," said Steelwill.

            "A few years before an awful fate for an entire species," noted Steelheart.

            "If I ever get my hands on that Rataro," said Steelwill, "I'll wring his fat neck!"

            Steelheart said, "No, you won't.  The justice system will."  Suddenly, she began to cry softly.  Steelwill went over to her, lifted her up, and hugged her.

            "Steelheart," said Steelwill, "are you. . ."

            "I'm fine," Steelheart managed to say.  "It's just what happened. . . it's so utterly awful!  Two deliberate genocides!  I can't imagine anyone with the warped mind to do such a horrible thing!"  She sniffled.  Then, she put her arms around her brother.

            "From what the Thunder Cats said about Rataro," said Steelwill, "that rat would likely have the despicable mind capable of such a crime."  Someone knocked on the door.  The Steeltwins released each other, and Steelheart sat down in her seat.  Steelwill moved to the side of the desk.

            "Come in," said Steelheart.  Tygra came in.  "Ah, good evening, Tygra."

            "Hello," said Tygra.  "Am I interrupting anything?"

            "No," replied the Steeltwins.

            Steelheart indicated the seat and said, "Have a seat, Tygra."  Tygra did.  "What brings you all the way out here to Hawkhaven?"

            Tygra said, "I gave a book to the Thunder Kittens.  In it was a letter written in a language identical to your ancient Greek."

            "Ah, yes," said Steelheart.  "The young ones came to me about translating it."

            "Did you?"

            "Did I?  Yes, I did.  I saw no reason not to do so."

            "I was afraid of that."

            "Why should I not have done it?"

            Tygra sighed.  "Well, I thought that the letter might have too much of an impact on them. . . what with the destruction of their whole race."

            Steelheart said, "Do you have a right to keep that knowledge from them?"

            "No.  I just don't like to see them upset."  He turned to look at her.  "May I see what's on that computer?"  Steelheart nodded and handed the computer to him.  He read its contents.  "How did you do this?"

            "I translated Greek to English as I read," said Steelheart, "and the computer wrote what I said."

            "Pretty nifty device!" remarked Tygra.  His expression suddenly changed.  "I have something that I must say and that I want recorded.  Do you think. . .?"  He stopped.

            "I saved that as a Wilytwins' file, printed that, and gave the copy to the Thunder Kittens," said Steelheart.  "I guess it will be all right."  Tygra gave her the computer.  She held a button.  "Close file."

            The computer asked, "Are you sure that you want to close this document?"

            "Yes," said Steelheart.  The screen went blank.  "Would you like to begin?"  Tygra nodded.  Steelheart pressed a button and said, "Begin recording."  She released the button.  Tygra said:

            "24 May 1993

            "I believe this letter to be appropriate.  A couple of hundred years ago, on the day of 6 December 1775, I was playing a game with my younger brother, Bengali, when I discovered the Wilytwins, Wilykat and Wilykit, near where my race's part of Thundera bordered on another part of Thundera.  I read the letter that was with them, written the day before.  Though it was written in Greek, I had no trouble reading it.  I refused to translate it to Bengali; he didn't know Greek, and I didn't want him upset.  I had become sixteen years old the week before and had reached my race's 'Age of Legal Maturity,' and I felt some difficulty in making my decision to adopt the two.  But that I did, and I raised the two as if they were of my blood.  About five years after I adopted them, Rataro came in his Rat*Star and attempted to bombard our part of Thundera.  From the letter that was with the Wilytwins, I knew that the poison in the bombs would finish us once and for all.  So, my father, Bengali, and I, at that time the greatest warriors of our race, decided to keep Rataro from getting near enough to bomb us.  Just in time, we managed to drive him away.  Two years later, one of my best friends from another race, Cheetara, told me that she had just driven off the Rat*Star when it attempted to bombard her area of Thundera.  After that, Rataro's attacks ceased.  A couple of years later, I suggested to the Wilytwins that they become Thunder Cats.  After some thinking, they agreed, and they went over my score on the endurance tests required to enter.  Three years later was when Thundera exploded.  Those who escaped on the flagship were Cheetara, Panthro, Jaga, Lion-O, the Wilytwins, - who soon became known as the Thunder Kittens - and I.  We spent most of the two-hundred-year-long voyage in suspension.  Two hundred six years later, I am recording this message for historical purposes.  I can never regret adopting the Wilytwins, even if they are annoying at times.  I would do anything - anything - to make sure that they continue to live.

            "Tygra"

            Steelheart checked the screen.  She nodded.  "Got it!" she said.  "I hope you mean that part about 'anything,' as this is a written record."

            Tygra said, "I do.  Don't you dare delete it."

            "Even if it came to the extent of the necessity of killing someone who was in the midst of threatening their very lives?"

            "Yes.  Even if that were so.  Of course, I hope it doesn't come to that.  I have never killed anyone."

            "As an officer of the law, I have occasionally killed criminals.  It isn't easy at all.  I never really want to, but I only do it when absolutely necessary.  I don't even like to talk about it."

            "Neither do I.  Could you save and print that message?"

            "Yes."  Steelheart prepared to press a button, but she had a question in her mind.  "As what do you wish to save this?"

            "Ah, let me see. . . save it as 'Tygra's Finding and Adoption of the Wilytwins - 24 May 1993.'  Seems like a logical name."  Steelheart nodded, pressed the button, told the computer to save it as an archive file of Tygra with the name 'Tygra's Finding and Adoption of the Wilytwins,' and released the button.  After a moment, the computer told her that the file had been saved as such.

            "Now," said Steelheart, holding the button again, "print."  With that, a standard A4-sized� sheet of paper emerged from a slot on her desk.  On it was the message.  [� - 21 centimetres by 29.7 centimetres, or 8.27 inches by 11.69 inches.]

            "That was quick!" said Tygra.  He took the sheet and read it.  "And it's very neat.  Thank you."

            "You're welcome," said Steelheart.  She held down the button on the computer yet again.  "Computer, close file."  With that, the message disappeared from the screen.  Steelheart put the computer away.  Tygra got up.

            "See you two later," said Tygra.  "And thanks again."

            Steelwill said, "See you later, Tygra."  Tygra left.

            * * *

            Thunder Kittens' Room, Cat's Lair, third-Earth.

            The Thunder Kittens arrived at their room in Cat's Lair.  "Well," said Wilykat, "it sure is . . . appalling."

            "Appalling?" exclaimed Wilykit.  "That word doesn't even begin to describe it!  It's awful!  It's terrible!  It's. . . it's. . ."  She began to cry.  "It's indescribable!  All but two of an entire race destroyed by that wicked rat!  And not just any race. . . ours!  It's so cruel.  Our whole culture, every member of our race except the two of us was just obliterated in only fifty years, when it took several centuries to get built up.  I can't stand it!"  Her face went into her hands.  Wilykat put his right hand on her left shoulder.

            "There, there," he said soothingly.  "Don't ruin your pretty little face by staining it with tears.  That hurts me."  She moved her hands away from her face.  Wilykat hugged her.  She returned it.  In a moment, their grips loosened enough for them to look in each other's eyes.  "Wilykit, this all hurts me as much as it hurts you.  I may even be extremely annoying at times, but that doesn't change the fact that I love you and would never intentionally hurt you.  This really hurts me."

            "Why don't you show it?" asked Wilykit.  "Is it because of some stupid pride?  You won't be reduced any by showing your emotions.  If you want to keep it a secret, you can trust me to keep it."  Wilykat smiled.  Then, he began to cry.

            "-Sniff!-  Thank you, 'Kit.  Hiding this hurt."  In a moment, they released each other.  Wilykat tried to wipe the tears out of his eyes.  "Lion-O's going to wonder why our faces are stained."  Wilykit smiled.

            "Well," said Wilykit, trying to create humour, "we could tell him that we visited Steelheart while she was fixing some onions."

            "Then," said Wilykat, "she would tell him that we were lying like dogs.  It would get us in trouble.  And you know how we like it when we're in trouble."

            "We could get a wet cloth and wipe our faces, you know," said Wilykit.

            Wilykat said, "Good idea, except that we have no clean cloths in our bathroom.  They're all waiting to be cleaned.  How about we try telling him the truth?"

            "It'll work for me."

            "That is, if he notices that our faces were stained."

            "Yeah."  She got to thinking.  "I wonder if there are any artefacts of our race's part of Thundera left."

            "Maybe, but you know about the poison."

            "Yeah.  But Thundera was destroyed.  The poison might have gotten dissipated into deep space."

            "Or the gravity of the fragments kept the poison."

            "That is possible.  How about gas masks?"

            "They might filter out the poison."  Wilykit nodded.

            "But I'd hate to wear them along with the infrared-seeing Cat's Eyes or the Spring-Heels or even the Cat Suits."

            "MegaMan could go in there and evaluate the air."  Wilykit smiled.

            "Now, that is a good idea, Wilykat!"  Wilykat checked the chronometer in his left bracelet.

            "Uh, oh!  We'd better hurry, or we're going to be late for our watching-shift!"  They left their room and walked to the control room.  "What about the book?" asked he.

            Wilykit asked, "The book?"  She saw that he still had the book.  "Oh, swell!  Nice job, brother!"

            "Well, excuse me!  I didn't have a chance to put it down!"  They entered the control room, where Lion-O was waiting.

            "Well," said Lion-O, "you know how to be right on time.  You two are a half-second early."

            "Thanks," said Wilykit sarcastically.

            Lion-O laughed and said, "I'll leave this place in your capable hands, Thunder Kittens."  The Kittens nodded.  "I'll see you two later, then.  Good night."

            "See you later," said Wilykat.  "Good night."  With that, Lion-O left.  Wilykit went over and sat in the chair in front of the main computer.  Wilykat took the chair from another computer, moved it next to Wilykit, and sat down in it.

            "Let's see," said Wilykit.  "Thundrillium supply levels at proper rate. . . security systems on-line. . . green alert.  Everything's a-okay here!  But let's check everywhere else now."  She typed in a command.  The monitor showed an overview of the known five-sixths of the galaxy.  "I'm going to find Metroid."  A blip showed in VideoLand.  "The brain-world is in VideoLand, eh?  And in its proper place, too!  Unusual, for MB.  Well, let's see where the Flagship of the Koopa Fleet is at present."  She typed in another command, and a blip showed in the position of Darkwing's Earth.  "Well, right at DW's earth!  What's it doing there?  Cloaked, or uncloaked?"  She typed in yet another command, and the letter C appeared above the blip.  "Cloaked!"

            "Then," said Wilykat, "let's tell that stupid duck!"  Something beeped.  The blip on the screen disappeared, as did the C.  "Oh, boy!  They've faded from the 'view' of our sensors!  We'd better call him, 'Kit!"

            "All right," said Wilykit.  She tapped open a comm-line.  "This is Cat's Lair to Darkwing Tower.  Come in."  A few seconds passed.  No response.  "Darkwing Tower, come in."  Still no response.  "Drat it.  Why doesn't he keep that place manned?  Call him on your communicator, 'Kat."  Wilykat nodded.

            Wilykat tapped his communicator.  "DW, come in!"

            The communicator beeped.  Darkwing's irritated voice said, "What do you want, Thunder Kitten?  I'm trying to get some sleep as Drake Mallard!"

            Wilykat asked, "Do you think that you have time to sleep with Ludwig von(Bowser)Koopa's Flagship, cloaked, sitting above your planet?"

            "If it was above the planet," said Darkwing, "my sensors would've. . ."

            "Not if it were cloaked, you silly goose!" Wilykat almost shouted.  "And it is cloaked!  It just showed for a moment on our sensors!"

            "What!" exclaimed Darkwing.  "Uh, oh!  Why didn't you say so?"

            "I did, Darkwing, but you didn't listen!"  The communicator beeped.  "That ought to get the ding-bat that spouteth nonsense in the night all riled up!"  Wilykit smiled.

            "You amuse me," she said.

            "That nitwit even used the past indicative in the if-clause when the past subjunctive was required," said Wilykat.  "But did I?  No!  I. . ."

            "Okay," said Wilykit, getting slightly annoyed.  "Let's not go off on that subject."

            Wilykat gulped and said, "Sorry."  She caught me off-guard.  Is she going to yell at me again?  Wilykit gave him a warm, reassuring smile.  He attempted to return it.  Wilykit put her left hand on his right shoulder.

            "Why don't you find something interesting to read about in that book?" she asked sweetly.

            "Sure!" Wilykat exclaimed enthusiastically.  Before he opened the book, Wilykit removed her hand from his shoulder.  He instantly noticed that something was wrong.  "Think something's wrong here?"

            Wilykit looked.  Smiling, she said, "You might try turning the book around."

            "Just what I was thinking," said Wilykat.  He turned the book around.  He began to read.

            * * *

            Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Darkwing's Earth.

            Meanwhile, on DW's earth, Larry was having Koopa Army infantry soldiers load materials from the Swiss Alps onto the Flagship of the Koopa Fleet via a warp.  He wished the Koopa Army had lieutenants and sergeants to take care of moving the army so he would not have to do this himself.

            "More quickly, you slow slobs!" said Larry.  "We've not forever!"  Another warp opened.  Ludwig emerged from this one.  "Hi, bro!"

            Ludwig said, "Hello, Larry.  I expected half of this mess to have already been loaded!"

            "It's still here, thanks to these slow idiots!" said Larry.  "They're dragging like the opening of Gustav Mahler {gús-tahf mah-lehr}'s First Symphony in D Major!"  He raised his voice some.  "Of course, if some idiotic infantrymen don't want their heads to roll, they'll pick up the cursèd pace!"  This encouraged the Koopa soldiers to move more quickly.  "Yup, yup, yup!  You just have to know what gets to 'em!"

            "Thanks to the male Thunder Brat," said Ludwig angrily, "my first officer is in the Palace of Power's jail!"

            "I take it," said Larry, "that you aren't too pleased about it."

            Ludwig said, "How remarkably perceptive of you, my dear brother.  At least you and I don't argue like the Thunder Kittens."  In a few minutes, all the materials were loaded onto the Doomship.  "How fares the cloaking device?"

            "Pretty well," said Larry.  "I had to make an adjustment when we opened that warp, but it's working right."  Blue smoke appeared just as the last of the soldiers loaded the last of the materials.  "Uh, oh!"

            Out of the smoke came Darkwing's voice.  "I am the terror that flaps in the night!  I am the cloaking device that fails when you need it the most."  The smoke faded.  Darkwing Duck and Launchpad McQuack, his sidekick, were there.  "I am Darkwing Duck!"

            "Well, well!" said Ludwig.  "If it is not Doltwaddle Dingbat and Lunchpail McJerk!  How'd you find us?"

            "It seems," said Darkwing, "that the Thunder Kittens found your Flagship above here for a moment on their sensors.  Interrupted my damn sleep, the twerps!"  Ludwig angrily looked at Larry.

            "Fudge!" snapped Larry.

            "Well, it's not you I'm mad at, brother.  Blast those overvigilant Thunder Twerps!" said Ludwig.  "They're seriously beginning to annoy me!  Our business here is done, anyway!  Let's beat it, Larry!"  They entered the warp.  As soon as they were through it, it closed.

            * * *

            On the cloaked Doomship, Ludwig and Larry arrived on the bridge.  "Get us out of here, Larry!" said Ludwig.  Larry went to the steering wheel and steered the Doomship toward VideoLand.  "Blast this cursèd cloaking device!  I ought to blast those two Thunder Twerps to oblivion!"

            "Please cool down, my evil bro!" said Larry.  "We got the remainder of the needed materials loaded before Darkwing and Launchpad showed up!"

            * * *

            Darkwing Tower, Saint Canard, USA, Darkwing's Earth.

            Back in Darkwing Tower, Darkwing arrived just as the Thunder Kittens contacted him again.  "No, I didn't get them!" exclaimed Darkwing.  "They scrammed before I could lay a feather on them!"

            "Don't act so darned offended!" said Wilykit.  "What were they after?"

            Darkwing said, "How should I know?  I found them in the Swiss Alps."

            Wilykat asked, "What could they have been after?"

            "Maybe they wanted to get some snow to make exploding snowcones!" said Launchpad.

            "No, LP!" said Darkwing.  "Let's see. . . maybe titanium."

            "Titanium?" said Wilykit.  "That stuff is powerful when used in alloys, and Ludwig can alter it to make it an even stronger metal!"

            "Yes," agreed Darkwing.  "But what could they make?  Half of the mountains appeared to have been completely stripped."

            "How much could have been there?" asked Wilykat.

            "Let's see. . . gosh, I don't know!  Much more than could fill Metroid.  And that is the size of Western Europe in surface area."

            "They must have made several clandestine trips," said Wilykit.  "What would they make with so much titanium?"

            "I don't know," said Darkwing.  "You'll have to call someone else.  I don't have that kind of technical knowledge, 'Kit."

            Wilykit said, "Okay.  Cat's Lair out."  The Lair and the Kittens disappeared from the viewscreen.  In their place is the Cat's Eye symbol above the words, 'End of Transmission.'

            "Well, that's that," said Darkwing.  "Let's go back home and catch some more Zs, LP."

            * * *

            Control Room, Cat's Lair, third-Earth.

            At the Lair, the Kittens talked.  "Whom should we call this time?" asked Wilykat.  Wilykit thought.

            She said, "Maybe we should call the Silver Hawks.  They know a lot about this kind of stuff."  Wilykat nodded.  Just before Wilykit opened a comm-line, though, he motioned her to stop.  "What?"

            "A ship," said Wilykat.  "They're building a starship!"

            "A starship?" said Wilykit.  "They already have a fleet commanded by seven Doomships and Metroid.  What more could they need?"

            "A ship substantially superior to all eight of those vessels put together," said Wilykat.

            "Really, Wilykat," admonished Wilykit.  "Why go to the waste of getting a huge amount of titanium from the Swiss Alps when they could combine the seven Doomships instead?  No.  It sounds crazy to me."

            Wilykat said, "Maybe they want to construct a ship bigger, faster, and deadlier than can be produced by combining the seven."  Wilykit shook her head.

            "Nope.  I just don't believe it," she said, re-checking the monitor.  "They have more than they should have right now.  And that would mean just something bigger to attempt to cloak."  Wilykat digested what she said.

            "I see," he said, hurt.  "You don't think that I'm right."

            Wilykit said, "In a word, no."

            Dejectedly, Wilykat said, "Thanks."

            "It just sounds so incredible that I can't believe it.  That doesn't mean that I think it's totally, completely, 100% impossible.  I'm just saying that I strongly doubt its possibility.  And it is not anything personal!"

            "Like I said, thanks!"  He looked at the book, which was in his lap.  "I'll just shut up my fat, stupid mouth and start going through this book again."  Wilykit smiled.

            "I like the second part of that plan," she said.  "Go ahead."  Wilykat began flipping through the book again.  Facetiously, she asked, "Have you noticed how well we get along all the time?"  Wilykat looked her in the eyes.

            "What do you mean?" he asked.

            Wilykit said, "One moment, we're tender and caring toward one another.  Another moment, we act like we might want to behead one another.  Why are we like that?"  She put her left hand on his right shoulder.  "Why can't it be more constant?  Why can't we just be tender and caring toward each other all the time?  I hate arguing with you."  Wilykat nodded in agreement.

            "Well," he said, "I think that nature didn't intend for it to be that way.  She just wants sisters and brothers to be in constant argument."

            "Well, I don't like her desire, then!" said Wilykit.

            Wilykat said, "I think our difference in gender is always going to provoke arguments, whether we like it or not, 'Kit."  He placed a warm, quick, brotherly kiss on her left cheek.  "But that won't change the fact that we love each other too much to be divided by anything."  Wilykit smiled.

            "You're right," she said.  She glanced at the screen; then, she turned back to her brother.  "Since you did this for me, I want to return it."  She kissed her brother in the same manner as he kissed her but on the right cheek.  Then she turned back to the monitor.  Smiling, Wilykat continued to go through the book.