May 25.

            Princess Lana said, "But my father banned the mining of dilithium crystals on MegaLand because it was too dangerous!"

            "Well," said Kid Icarus, "Ludwig obviously doesn't give a hoot-icus about your father's regulations!"

            Wilykat said, "Like I said, he is probably making a new ship!"  His intuition was telling him this was true.  He felt so crushed that his own sister did not believe him.

            "This time," said Kevin, "I agree.  Generally, one can't fit a dilithium-powered warp drive system into an old ship."

            "Ha!" Wilykat snapped at Wilykit.

            Curiously, Mario asked, "How do dilithium crystals work in propelling a space vessel?"

            Dr. Wright explained, "Well, the dilithium crystals don't do it alone.  They are blasted by streams of plasma-matter and anti-matter simultaneously.  The reactions caused can propel a ship at extremely high speeds.  And, the further the crystals are compressed, the more efficiently the energy is produced.  There are other factors involved, but the dilithium crystals, the matter, and the anti-matter are the most important."

            "Hey!" said Steelheart after checking something.  "Blast it!  Ludwig's found a way to cloak Metroid!"

            "What!" exclaimed both Thunder Kittens simultaneously.

            "I'll try to locate the Doomships," said Kevin.  He pressed some buttons on the panel in front of him.  He shook his head.  "They're all cloaked somewhere.  I can't find them."

            "Ludwig must've used them to cloak Metroid in one huge cloaking envelope," said Wilykit.  Almost everyone else nodded in silent agreement.

            Simon Belmont got out his mirror.  "Well, Simon, you must be at least ten times more handsome now than you were yesterday."

            Kevin said, "Vain and simple Simon met a pie-man and got all of the custard pies tossed in his face!  And then he grew a zillion pimples!"  This tended to amuse almost everyone. . . except, of course, for Simon.

            "Very funny, Captain N!" said Simon, putting his mirror away.

            "What're we going to do?" Kevin asked Steelheart.

            Steelheart said, "I don't know.  We should. . ."

            MegaMan interrupted, "There is a faint disturbance two million kilometres north of here!"

            "Can you get it on the screen?" asked Steelheart.

            "Just barely," said MegaMan.  He pressed a button.  The background shown on the screen was black, spotted with dots.  "I can't iden-. . ."

            "Metroid!" interrupted Wilykit, staring at the viewscreen.  "And there are seven ships around it!"  She cleared her throat.  "Sorry, MegaMan.  Excuse me."

            Steelheart asked, "How do you know that?"

            "I can visually make out an outline of a rather faint disturbance," said Wilykit.

            "You know that I was about to make an identification," Wilykat said ruefully.

            "Sorry."

            "The Palace Defence System has lasers," said Princess Lana.  "They can be fired from the two outermost floating pods on either side.  They can be controlled by Kevin's panel."  Kevin readied the laser system.

            "If they decloak," ordered Steelheart, "blast them the second they become visible.  You mightn't have another chance."  Kevin nodded.

            "Can't we just fire at them now?" demanded Simon.

            "Relax!" said Kevin.  "I'd be shooting in the dark if I shot at them while they were cloaked!"

            Wilykit said, "Metroid appears to be taking on a more definite pattern.  Now!  It appears that they are beginning to decloak!"

            "Hang on," said Wilykat calmly and raising his hand.  "They may just be establishing our intentions.  I recognise this as a trick they used earlier."

            Wilykit said, "I didn't expect that out of you, brother.  Very good."

            MegaMan said, "Confirmed; they are beginning to decloak!"  On the screen, the effects of light rays being bent appeared.  Metroid appeared to melt into view.

            "Once they've decloaked, blast them!" said Steelheart.  "We can't afford to let them catch us off-guard."

            Kevin's finger gently rubbed the trigger key.  "Hang on!" said Wilykit, just before he pressed down on the button.  "The light-bending effect seems to be slowing.  Ah. . . it's beginning to reverse!  They're recloaking!"  Metroid melted completely out of view.

            "I detect no signals from them," said MegaMan.  The Kittens looked at each other.

            "Well," said Wilykat, "it appears that I was right.  But they may decloak again and, the next time, thoroughly!"

            "You know," said Darkwing, "it's a good thing there aren't any dog-like humanoids around here, you smart-mouthed little kitten, or. . ."

            "Please be quiet, Wingie!" snapped Steelheart.  "And do it before Will, here, sinks his heel-talons into you!"  Steelwill appeared to be slightly amused, though his mind was aware of the anger being vibrated from his sister.  Apparently, she did not thoroughly enjoy working with 'Wingie.'

            Darkwing gulped.  "All right, Commander.  If you. . ."

            "Metroid's decloaking again!" said both Thunder Kittens after leaping out of their seats.  "NOW!!"  Kevin got ready to fire.  Exactly half a second after the Kittens had said this, Metroid's reappearance became visible to the others.  It began to melt into view.  Just as the light rays ceased to bend around Metroid, Kevin's finger mashed the fire-button.  Four strong lasers, two from the left and two from the right, joined on Metroid and blasted it back a good kilometre.

            "Thanks!" said Kevin gratefully.  "I needed that head-start!"  A diamond-shaped pattern of phaser-fire appeared around Metroid.  "What in the. . ."  He had no time to finish.  As he had begun, the pattern was hurled at the Palace.  He stopped off when the Palace quaked.  Everyone had to grab the table to stay in their seats.

            "Noting residual effects in the form of lithium nuclei!" MegaMan almost yelled.

            Kevin said, "That would come from phaser-fire!"  He looked at Metroid.  "What the devil have they been up to?"  The screen faded black.  When it re-lit, MotherBrain and Ludwig were shown, projected in front of Metroid.

            "Well, well!" said Ludwig in his disgustingly suave manner.  "Look what we have here:  hawks, cats, humans, and ducks.  Lovely species mix:  two mammal-teams and two bird-teams."

            "Save the damned species- and class-chat!" exploded Steelheart in quite uncharacteristic anger.

            "Well!" said MotherBrain.  She and Ludwig looked at each other.  The Steeltwins and Cheetara could feel the waves of telepathy moving between the two evil-doers.  "Do we detect the slightest hint of anger in your voice, Commander?"  The two evil-doers looked back to the N-Team members.

            "More than just the slightest blasted hint!" exclaimed Steelheart, springing up.  "The mere fact that I even ventured upon using even mild profanity should have told you. . ."

            "Cool it!" said Steelwill.  Steelheart was more affected by this than by MotherBrain's response.  She calmly sat down.

            "Now," said Ludwig, "what did you do-gooders think of our little demonstration?"

            "To be blunt," answered Kevin, "we did not like it."

            MotherBrain asked, "Was it effective?"

            "In what way?" asked Wilykat.  To him, this mere demonstration confirmed his suspicions.  Why else would they fire upon the ruling area of one-third of the galaxy?

            " 'In what way?' the Thunder Kitten asks!" laughed MotherBrain, directing the statement to her diabolical stepson.

            Lion-O exclaimed, "Yes, that's what he asked!  How was it supposed to be effective?  Answer his question."

            Ludwig said, "There was only one way:  what kind of superiority we just showed."

            "Superiority, my foot!" said Kevin.  "In my book, true superiority is nothing if you don't have intelligence, consideration, and morality.  I'll confirm that you have one-third of that, but I think you have none of the remaining two-thirds."

            "Well," said Ludwig, "that's a quite charming thought.  Consideration and morality."  His mouth curled upward into a sarcastic smile.  Kevin knew immediately what the evil snake was thinking.  "What a lousy ruler you'd make. . . just like those four already-lousy-rulers, King Spike Koopa, Queen Toadstool, Princess Lana, and Princess Zelda!"

            "I don't think they're lousy," said Kevin.  If he could, he would destroy Ludwig for his nasty comments, which were meant in all sincerity.

            Ludwig said, "That is only natural for a Mr. Nice-Guy!"  His mouth became a line.  "Do-gooding rulers never think big.  They just think about keeping the insignificant little people satisfied while they, themselves, don't worry about the big things, like expanding their borders and conquer other kingdoms to add to their empires!"  His angry voice grew in volume and intensity of anger.  "The worst thing is an absolute ruler who doesn't care enough about the power with which he or she has been endowed to use it properly!  They play goody-two-shoes and rule like the lousy, zillionth-class government your world calls a democracy!  Their priorities are so damned misplaced that. . ."

            "Okay, Ludwig, my wicked stepson!" interrupted MotherBrain.  "I'm sure that these knuckle-headed do-gooders get your point, and I, for one, quite agree with you."

            "Well, I do not!" said Lana.  "A kingdom isn't anything without people to support it!"

            MotherBrain said, "I say hell to the idea of little people!  If they get along fine, that's all right.  If they have hell every day, that's also fine in my book.  As long as they got their water-tax, their food-tax, their income-tax, their power-tax, and their air-tax in on time, we wouldn't complain."

            "Air-tax?" Steelheart demanded while jumping out of her seat again.  "How the devil can you tax people on the air they breathe?"

            "Simple!" said Ludwig.  "We don't bother measuring oxygen depletion.  I do it a simpler way.  Either they pay it, or everyone in their part of the kingdom gets killed by a viral toxin.  Quite effective, really."

            Lion-O, also out of his seat, demanded, "You'd make others pay for an individual's mistake?"

            "Well, well," remarked Ludwig.  "Another nicey-nice ruler.  That makes six so far who either are or would be nice rulers."  He looked at his evil stepmother.  "What is this cosmos coming to?"

            MotherBrain sighed and shook her face.  "I guess it'll be up to us to change it."

            Ludwig nodded.  "Yeah."  He looked at the do-gooders.  "Or the known five-sixths of the galaxy, anyway.  That darn Q never lets us into the unknown sixth."

            "Q?" asked Steelheart, suddenly curious.  She remembered what Ludwig had told her while she was his prisoner in Hawkhaven itself not long ago.  "What Q?"

            Instead of answering the question, Ludwig turned to someone behind him.  "You'd better do it now, Mega Volt.  They're beginning to ask those questions."

            Over the communication circuits, Mega Volt's voice said, "Yes, sir, Prince."  Kid Icarus's panel began to beep.

            "Uh, oh!" said Kid Icarus.  "Kevin, a warp has opened in a cell!"  Kevin's jaw dropped.

            "Whose?" he asked.

            Kid Icarus checked.  He gasped.  "Liquidator's!"

            "My first officer," added Ludwig.  "And valuable assistant. . . beaten by a little brat with a finger always on his cement capsules!"

            "You watch what you call him, Mr. Crazy-Hair!" Wilykit angrily ejaculated.  "By the way, it was a pudding capsule!"

            "Typical," said Ludwig.  "One minute, you yell at him; the next, you're insulted by insults directed to him.  You can't make up your minds about how to act toward each other. . ."  He shook his head.  ". . .like the other sister-brother twin pair on your blasted team."

            "Hey!" said Steelwill.  "Now, we aren't that bad!"

            "Oh?" asked Ludwig.  "Maybe I should refresh your memory about a certain incident that occurred when the two of you were. . ."

            "YOU SHOULDN'T IF YOU WANT YOUR HEAD TO STAY WHERE IT IS ON YOUR BODY!!!" Steelheart snapped.

            "If my records are correct," said Ludwig, as though Steelheart had not interrupted, "the young lady was the one to originate that argument."  His eyes rolled down, obviously to a computer screen.  "Says here that she. . ."

            "Keep your damned eyes off our childhood records, you evil, little rat!" exclaimed Steelwill.  "They are none of your business!  You shouldn't even have access to them!"

            "Thanks a lot for revealing the time era to most of the N-Team, little bro!" Steelheart said evenly.  She had summoned all the patience her will could muster; she was in complete control for the moment, but she knew not how long she could keep it.  She would have to adjourn the meeting now before she lashed out at anyone.  She turned to Ludwig.  "And as for you, I suggest that you and your diabolically evil comrades beat it before I get particularly annoyed."

            Ludwig turned something off.  "Okay," he said.  "We did come unwelcome, and we chatted too long.  Good-bye, do-gooders."  The screen once again faded black.  Instantly, it showed a brain-symbol with the words, 'The Kingdom of the Evil Koopas,' which were above the words, 'The Brain-Team.'

            "The Doomships' cloaking devices are re-engaging," said MegaMan and the Thunder Kittens.  MegaMan tossed a curious glance at the Kittens.  With that, Metroid faded from view.  Apparently, Metroid had begun to fade from the Kittens' better sight before it faded from the others' sight.

            "How good is their vision?" Kevin asked Tygra.

            Tygra said, "I wouldn't know, by your standards."

            Steelheart, unable to control her anger for much longer, stood up and, leaning on the back of her chair, said, "This meeting is adjourned."  After all, how could she keep her concentration centred on a meeting?  Ludwig referred to one of the most idiotic things she and her twin brother had already done in their lives.

            Almost everyone got up and wisely left the room.  Only Kevin and Steelwill remained.  "Commander Steelheart," said Kevin, "what. . ."

            "I do not want to talk about it!" Steelheart said angrily and firmly.  "It's stupid; I'm mad as can be about Ludwig bringing it up.  I don't want the opportunity to lash out at anyone.  Please go before I lose control."

            "Okay," said Kevin, understanding.  "See you later."  He left as quickly as he could walk without running.

            Steelwill said, "We resolved that argument many years ago, sis.  Ludwig's only trying to get on our nerves."  Steelheart looked at him with anger-filled eyes.

            "William James Heart," said Steelheart, "just like I told Kevin, I do not want to talk about it. . . especially not with you!"

            Steelwill gulped.  She must have had much anger.  She used his full name.  "Got it," he said.  "Anything else?"

            "Nothing," she said.  "Just don't talk about it."  Steelwill nodded.

            "Okay," he said.  "See you."  Steelheart nodded, then turned her head as though she would be looking down at the table if she had her eyes open.

            "See you later."  Steelwill went to leave.

            "Steelwill," called Steelheart the instant before her brother left.

            Oh, God.  I've stayed an instant too long.  Steelwill was at the door when she called him.  "Yes?" he asked, turning to his sister.

            Steelheart opened her eyes and turned her head toward him.  "I'm sorry about getting angry.  It's just that I don't like talking about that incident."  She sighed.  "I just don't see how Ludwig finds joy in talking about such stinky details."

            "Talking about tuna-stinky," asked Steelwill, "or paper-mill-stinky?"

            "You get the idea," said Steelheart.  "Look.  At the time. . ."

            "I thought you said you didn't want to talk about it!"

            "I don't."

            "Then don't!  As far as I am concerned, it's forgiven!  I don't want to change that.  I'm gone."  He left. . . and he left her still regretting whatever it was they had done.

            * * *

            In their room, the Thunder Kittens were attempting to access a file on their computer.  "Blast!" said Wilykat.  "This requires class-B-access-codes."

            Wilykit sighed and said, "That would mean the leaders of all the subdivisions of the Extended N-Team and their first officers.  Maybe either Quicksilver, Lion-O, Tygra, Mario, King Spike, Kevin, Link, Perry Mason, Hamilton Burger, Darkwing, or GizmoDuck will give us clearance."

            "Well, we can scratch that plan, then," said Wilykat.  "You and your bright idea might get us into trouble!"  Wilykit frowned angrily.

            "If you'll pardon the expression, there's more than one way to skin a cat."

            "Ew.  If you'll pardon another expression, curiosity killed the cat!"

            "You know cats have nine lives."

            "There are six leaders and six first officers.  That adds up to twelve, which is three more than nine."

            "You know, for a male, you're a scaredy-cat!"  Wilykat was instantly incensed.

            "For a male?  Now you're stereotyping!  I'm telling Tygra!  If there's anything he won't stand, it's thoughtless stereotyping!"

            "I'm sorry!"

            "You've already made your statement.  I won't let you retract it."

            As Wilykat exited, Wilykit shouted, "Wilykat!"  He ignored her.  The door closed.  "Oh, blast you, Wilykit!  Hang on!"  A smile curled on her lips.  "Will he be mad!"  She tapped her communicator and committed the worst mistake ever in her life.  "N-Team Transporter, transport Wilykat to my co-ordinates."  She tapped her communicator again.  Wilykat materialised in her room.

            "What?" demanded Wilykat.  "WHAT DID YOU DO?!?"

            Giggling, Wilykit said, "I ordered the transporter to transport you here!"  Wilykat was severely enraged.  He was about to commit the worst mistake ever in his life.

            "Well, tell it to transport my hand away before it hits you!!!"

            "What?"  Her answer came in a second when his right hand strongly slapped her left cheek.  "Hey!"  To go even further, his right hand grabbed her communicator.  "That's mine!"

            Wilykat all but shouted, "You just lost one of your nine lives and your communicator, my sister!  And see who made you say good-bye to them!"  Angrily, he exited.  Just after he left and the door closed, she looked in the mirror.  The spot her brother slapped was already a little red.  She began to cry.

            "Wilykit, you idiot!" she said, sinking her sad face into her hands.  "Why did you have to do that?  One of your stupid ideas got you hurt by your own brother!"  She went to her bed, knelt in front of it, and put her face down on it.  "This was my fault!  I should have thought before I acted.  I know Tygra will be angry at Wilykat for doing this to me, but it won't do anything for me. . . for my brother's having given me exactly what I deserved."

            * * *

            In Tygra's room, Wilykat told him what happened.  "You slapped her?" said Tygra, anger creeping into his voice.  "You slapped your own twin sister?  How in the world could you do such an unspeakable thing?"

            "I felt extreme anger when I did it," said Wilykat.  He lied, "My hand didn't listen to me."

            "Oh, I bet it listened to you all right!" said Tygra, getting up out of his chair.  He took Wilykat's right hand, forced it open, and found a communicator.  "And I bet this is your sister's."

            "Yes," said Wilykat.  "I took it so she couldn't transport me back again."

            "Well, that action is justified," said Tygra, re-closing Wilykat's hand, "but the action of your hitting her is not."  Wilykat was beginning to grow a little impatient with Tygra.

            "Oh, yeah?" said Wilykat.  "Well, I thought it was!  First, she yells at me twice.  Then, she gets this absurd and ludicrous idea that we were going to investigate what Ludwig was inferring about that the Steeltwins did.  Then, for the most outrageous part of all, she makes a stereotypical remark about your and my gender.  And, finally, she has the sheer audacity to transport me back when I go to tell you about that remark.  I'm sorry, but, at the moment, it was the only thing I felt like doing!"

            "Still," said Tygra, "slapping your sister, whether or not she's younger than you, or slapping anyone else you love is never justified.  We're going to see her to see how this upset her."

            Wilykat angrily crossed his arms and snapped, "She's resilient enough to. . ."

            Furious, Tygra shouted, "And you'd better make an apology to her, Wilykat, or I'm going to see to it that you have some more chores around here!"

            "That doesn't faze me," said Wilykat.  "If you're going to make a threat, make it something else.  I don't mind extra work."

            Tygra took a moment to calm down.  "Okay, Wilykat.  We are going to your room.  You are going to make an apology to her, or I shall dream up some form of non-physical punishment.  And she had better accept the apology in order for me to set aside the punishment.  Do you understand?"  Wilykat looked down and closed his eyes.

            "Okay," he muttered.

            "Good," said Tygra.  "Then, let us go see her, shall we?"  After nodding, Wilykat led the way to his and his sister's bedroom.

            * * *

            In their bedroom, Wilykit had composed herself a little.  She was no longer crying, but the effects of what had just happened were still shown. . . most notably by the physical punishment inflicted by her brother and her expression.  She was sitting by her bed, with her head being supported by her right hand and her right elbow against the side of her bed.  Her left arm was drooped over her legs.  Her expression revealed that she was very unhappy.  She almost jumped when the door signal beeped.  She sprang up to an erect, standing position just after hearing it, but not with her usual liveliness.  "Come in," she said.  When the door opened, she saw Wilykat and Tygra, but she only seemed to notice Wilykat.  "Oh," she said, crossing her arms.  "You."

            Wilykat sighed and came in.  The door closed when Tygra, behind him, had entered.  Wilykat went toward her but stopped halfway between her and the door.  The guilt had finally caught up with him.  "Wilykit, I'm sorry."

            Wilykit made an expression like, 'Really!'  "Why?" she asked.  "Because Tygra told you to?"

            Wilykat found this roadblock hard to get by.  Saying either yes or no would be lying.  "Yes and no," he answered.

            "Yes and no?" Wilykit echoed.  She went over to him.  "You can't say that.  It's either yes or no."

            "Not this time," said Wilykat.  "Tygra made me realise that I feel so awful."

            "Well, even if you are doing it of your own will, you don't need to.  I shouldn't have done what I did.  I deserved what I got."

            "No, no," said Wilykat.  This time, his voice was even stronger, and he backed it up by putting his hands gently on her arms.  "I'm sorry I hit you."

            "You don't have to be," said Wilykit.  "You demonstrated what my dumb courage could do to me,. . ."  She gulped and sighed.  ". . .and I. . ."  She sighed again.  "I can't say it."

            "You don't need to," said Wilykat, beginning to smile faintly.  "I know.  I shouldn't have even thought of hitting you, of injuring you in any way."  He lost his smile and sighed.  "You just made me so angry that. . . that. . ."  Tears began to form in his eyes.  They began to come down.  "I don't care that you tell me I don't have to be sorry.  I am!  I won't do it again!  I swear, I'll never hit you again as long as I live!"  As he brought his hand up to his face to try to rub out the tears, Tygra secretly exited.  Wilykit put her arms around her brother at chest-height.

            "There, there," she said, rubbing his back.  "You don't have to cry.  Now I can say it.  Thanks."

            Wilykat's arms went down, and pointed to the floor.  " 'Thanks?' "  He was puzzled.  Why would he be thanked for hurting someone he cared for deeply. . . especially by that someone?

            "Yes!" said Wilykit.  "Thanks for knocking some sense into me.  But, even though I deserved it, you're forgiven."  She sighed.  "I'm still going to get it from Tygra."  She released her brother.  "Oh!  You took something?"  She held out her hand expectantly.

            "Yes," said Wilykat.  He got her communicator out of his pocket.  "Here."  He placed it in her hand.  She put it on at its appointed position.  "I had to go and bruise that pretty little face."

            "It can easily be fixed," said Wilykit.  "Right now, I'd better go see Tygra."  Before she left, Wilykat grabbed her arm and made her stop.

            "Wait!" said Wilykat.  "I forgive you for what you did to me."

            "You don't need to.  You gave me what I had coming to me when you slapped me."  Wilykat shook his head.

            "No, I didn't, because it was physical violence.  You forgave me, so let me forgive you."  He pulled her closer to him so he could hug her, and he did so.  Beginning to cry from the strain of this, he said, "I beg you!  Please!"

            "I don't see why you'd forgive me," said Wilykit, "but thanks."  Then, Wilykat let her go.  "But Tygra's still going to punish me."

            "No, he won't."

            "Why not?"

            "Because, if he does that, he'll have to punish me, too.  And he's not going to punish both of us."

            Wilykit smiled.  "And what gives you that idea?  You're no psychic."

            "I still have instinct.  Here."  He opened the drawer and removed a 'standard-issue' medical tricorder.  "Since I gave your face that awful spot, I'll fix it."  He activated it and ran it parallel to where the bruise he inflicted on Wilykit was.  The healer reconnected the blood vessels in Wilykit's face so that the vessels he burst when he slapped her spilt no more blood.  It also removed the disgusting bruise from her beautiful face.  "There!  You look much better."  He put the tricorder back in the drawer and shut the drawer.  "Let's go see Tygra, shall we?"

            "Okay."

            "Ladies first!"  Wilykit, obviously amused, preceded him to Tygra's room.

            * * *

            Tygra was going over holo-room specifications on his computer when his room signal beeped.  "Come in," he said, actually welcoming an interruption.  When the door opened, the Thunder Kittens came in.  "Ah!  I see you two've, ah. . . made up.  Right?"

            "Yes," said Wilykit.  "Are you going to punish me for what I did?"

            "Not unless Wilykat wants me to."

            "No!" exclaimed Wilykat, quite surprised.  "I forgave her.  Why should she be punished?"

            Wilykit said, "You may calm down."

            "Sorry."

            Tygra said, "Now!  What's this I hear about trying to access certain files?"

            Wilykit was half-shocked.  Her brother had told him!  "Yes, that's so," she said, not wishing to lie.

            "For what reason?"

            "Well, I. . ."

            "It isn't your business, you know."

            "You don't have to lecture me on what is and what isn't my business, Tygra.  I. . ."  She turned to Wilykat and became as angry as a blue star was hot.  "Did you tell him, brother?"

            Wilykat begged, "Go easy on me!  He asked me why I got that angry at you!  I couldn't deny that that was a reason!"

            "You know, I've been awfully darned angry before, but this time tops it!"

            Nervously, Wilykat said, "Wilykit, I think this is the same story as we just went through, except it's reversed!"

            Automatically affected, Wilykit said, "You know I'd never physically harm you!  I don't resort to such crude methods."  She considered the situation and sighed.  "Blast.  You're basically right, though."  She put her left hand on his right shoulder.  "Sorry."  Wilykat breathed a sigh of thanks.

            "Thanks.  But something inside me wishes you'd have scratched my arm or something."

            Knowing that whatever made him wish that was wrong, she took his right arm with her left hand and said, "Mind if we find out whether that is true or not?"  Her right hand formed into a fist.  Then, her index finger, with a claw-like fingernail on the end, popped out.  "I should warn you that this fingernail is sharp like a claw."  Wilykat gulped nervously, but he kept silence.  Wilykit sighed.  "Sorry," she said regretfully.  Very slowly, she moved her finger to Wilykat's arm.  His eyes stayed on the pointed weapon on the end of her finger.

            Just before Wilykit's fingernail reached his arm, his arm tried uselessly to pull out of Wilykit's grip, and he screamed, "No!  Don't!"  Wilykit smiled as she put her right hand at her side and released Wilykat's arm, which had stopped trying to pull from Wilykit's grip after Wilykat's plea.

            "Painless proof."

            "Would you have done it if I hadn't spoken up?"

            "No.  Blood is not a pretty sight."

            "Thanks."

            "Besides, I said that I'd never physically harm you, right?  Even producing a little fountain on your arm would have broken that word."

            "Fountain.  What a way with words."

            Tygra could not resist being amused.  "In case you're interested," said Tygra, "I put in the access codes you needed."

            "What?" asked Wilykit, puzzled.

            "Well," said Tygra, "do you want to take a look at those files or not?"

            Wilykit said, "Yes, but I didn't think. . ."

            "Of course," continued Tygra, his finger ominously close to the off-switch of the computer, "if you don't want to see them. . ."

            "I do!" she said.  Tygra got out of his chair so Wilykit could sit in it.  "Thanks," she said to Tygra.

            Tygra said, "Don't mention it."  Wilykat knelt next to Wilykit so that he could see the screen.  Wilykit opened the file, and she, her brother, and Tygra read it.

            * * *

            Later, the Kittens, satisfied, returned to their room.  "Well," said Wilykat, "that was something!"

            Wilykit agreed, "Yeah.  Steelheart did that?  She wouldn't hurt a fly if it weren't bothering her.  But fighting physically with her own twin-brother. . . I would hate myself if I ever did such an awful thing!"

            "Well, don't."

            "Never.  Never, never, ne-. . .-ver!  The mere thought is so. . . so. . . I can't even put it into words.  I couldn't imagine doing such a thing."  Wilykat, on Wilykit's right, put his left arm around Wilykit and cupped his hand on the joint where Wilykit's left arm joined her body.

            "Don't worry about it.  Just flush it out, but remember not to. . ."  He paused.  ". . .not to physically fight with me."

            "Like I said, I will never harm you. . . not intentionally."  Wilykat's right hand extended to go onto Wilykit's left shoulder.

            "I know."  He sighed.  "What are we going to do?"

            "What do you mean?"

            "You and I are the only ones of our race left.  Our race is as good as. . ."  Wilykit pulled out of his hug.

            "Don't say 'dead,' Wilykat!" she said.

            "Don't be so offended!"

            "Well, I am.  As long as there are two of us left, our race is still alive."

            "Yes, but there's no hope to increase it in number.  We are too closely related to each other.  And the only other Thunderians that are alive are too much older than we.  That means. . ."

            "Shut up!  I don't want to even think about it!" she said.  She ran out the door, which automatically opened and let her out.

            " 'Kit!"  The door closed before Wilykat got to it.  "Oh, my gosh; what have I done now?"

            * * *

            The cloaking device of Metroid had been repaired, so, under Ludwig's orders, the evil Prince Larry (Bowser)Koopa had taken off in his Doomship, the sister-ship of Ludwig's, and had gone to third-Earth.  When he arrived, he entered a synchronous orbit above Castle Plundarr.  In the ship, Larry was on the bridge in the command chair.  His father's faithful sidekick, Mouser, was piloting the ship.  Mouser, with his German accent (he pronounced W's as if they were V's; when S began a word and was followed by T or P, he pronounced it as if it were Sh), said, "We're right on target, Prince Larry.  Until we break orbit or change speed, we'll stay precisely one hundred thousand kilometres above Castle Plundarr."

            "Excellent," said Larry.  "Koopa-Troopa, engage the cloaking device."  Koopa-Troopa, at a panel behind Larry, nodded and pressed a button.  On the outside, the Doomship melted out of view.  On the inside, the same melting effect showed, but it reversed and showed what was outside the cloak perfectly.  "Very good.  Now, I need someone to torture."  Koopa-Troopa became nervous.  "Troopa!"  Koopa-Troopa instantly snapped to attention.  "Find me a Thunder Cat."  Koopa-Troopa made a sigh of thanks.  He activated the sensors.  Larry added, "One away from Cat's Lair or the Tower of Omens. . . and alone!"  Koopa-Troopa nodded.

            * * *

            Back in Tygra's room, Wilykat was making his confession to Tygra and Lion-O.  "I didn't mean to make her run from me like that, honestly!" said Wilykat.  "Sorry."

            Tygra said, "Well, there's always one way to find her."  He tapped his communicator.  "Transporter, location on Wilykit?"

            Almost instantly, a pleasant female voice announced, "Wilykit:  presently located in the Forest of Silence."  He tapped off his communicator.

            "The Forest of Silence," echoed Tygra.  "As much sound there as there is visible light in the Forests of Darkness on New Thundera."  He thought for a moment, then tapped his communicator on again.  This time, he said, "Tygra to Cheetara."

            "Cheetara here," replied Cheetara after a moment.

            "Cheetara, would you mind joining me in my room for a moment?"

            "On my way, Tygra."  Just as soon as the communicator beeped, he almost thought he had made a mistake.  He remembered the way he felt with her years ago, before. . . no.  That was in the past, and their feelings changed.  Still. . . his reverie ended just as soon as the door chime sounded.

            "Come in," Tygra said.  The door opened, and Cheetara came in.  "Hello, Cheetara."

            Cheetara nodded and said, "Hello, Tygra, everyone."

            Tygra asked, "Cheetara, what emotions are you sensing?"  Cheetara looked at him strangely.

            "Only my own," she said.  "I cut off my empathic abilities when Ludwig and MotherBrain came to the Palace of Power.  A strong telepathic bond is present between them.  I barely had the strength to raise my protection against that bond of theirs before it got too far; it's too strong and too threatening for me to keep my protection down."

            "We need to know if there is a threat present," said Tygra firmly.  Cheetara understood.

            "Okay," said Cheetara.  Slowly and carefully, she lowered the emotional shields preventing the thoughts of other people from entering her mind.  What struck her was almost like a lightning bolt, but she managed to remain standing.  "I feel. . . evil.  Intense evil.  Very close.  Bent specifically on Thunder Cats."

            "Can you stream out the precise thoughts?"  Tygra knew direct telepathic focus could be near-fatal to a telepath with Cheetara's limitations, but he had no choice.  Cheetara nodded.  She reached out to put her hand against the wall for support.  Slowly, she tried to read the thoughts accompanied by the emotions.  She almost collapsed, but Tygra supported her.

            "It's. . . it's Larry (Bowser)Koopa," said Cheetara.  "He's . . . looking for lone Thunde-. . . Thunder Cats to attack, rather trying to attack a group."  Suddenly she gasped very loudly.  "The evil!!"

            "Okay!" said Tygra.  "That's all we need.  Raise those mental shields before the thoughts destroy you!"  Cheetara managed to lift the telepathic and then the empathic shields before the impact of it killed her.  When she finished, she sighed with relief.  "Sorry we had to do that, Cheetara."  He led her to his seat and gently guided her down into it.

            "That was sharp and intense," said Cheetara.  "I've never felt anything like it before."  She suddenly realised something and snapped alert.  "Lone Thunder Cats!  Are. . ."  She did not have to finish.  The expression in Tygra's face confirmed what she was about to ask.  "Oh, Jaga!  Who is alone?"

            "Wilykit," said Tygra, getting angry.  His powerful logic was losing control of his powerful emotions.  "Her bright little brother had to upset her."

            "Hey!" said Wilykat.  "I didn't mean it!"

            Angrily, Tygra half-yelled, "Then, get out there, and save her!  She is your sister!"

            Lion-O said, "Calm down, Tygra.  There is no need for yelling."  He turned to Wilykat.  "Do you feel like it?"

            "Yeah," said Wilykat.  "Besides, I am at fault to begin with."  He went to his room, where he retrieved his Space-Board (the blue-rimmed one).  Outside, he pointed it to the Forest of Silence, got on, and went toward his sister.

            * * *

            Up in the Doomship, Larry eagerly awaited Koopa-Troopa's report.  "Wilykit is alone in the Forest of Silence, Your Evilness," said Koopa-Troopa.  Larry smiled a wickedly disgusting smile.

            "Ah!" he said.  "Locate her specific co-ordinates so I can meet her face-to-face."  The thought on his mind was much more than diabolical punishment.  Oh, no.  Much, much, much worse.  A thing that he and only he would even consider the slightest possible thought of doing.  He actually wanted her rather than anyone else.

            "Got it!" said Koopa-Troopa.

            Getting out of his command chair, Larry tapped a comm-panel and said, "Liquidator, you may come up here and take the conn."

            Over the comm-circuits, Liquidator's watery voice replied, "Right, Prince Larry."  Larry severed the communication.

            "Open a warp to where the young lady is," said Larry.  "In the Forest of Silence, she cannot call for help!"  Koopa-Troopa pressed a series of buttons.  As a warp opened, the door from another room on the ship opened, and Liquidator entered.  Larry pointed to the command chair, into which Liquidator promptly sat after saluting.  Larry might not be a superior officer on the team, but he was the captain of the ship.  Larry then went to the warp and found himself in the Forest of Silence.  "A pretty forest," said he.  "The silence of it is so darned oppressive!  I can hardly hear the sound of my own voice."  A twisted smile appeared on his lips.  "But this has a double effect!  She won't notice me until it's too late!  Hee, hee!  I'll teach her what she should have learned by when she was chronologically a teenager, but I don't know if she'll like the lesson.  That's why she can call for help as long as possible without anyone responding to her desperate calls!  Hee, hee!"  It might have just been a figment of his imagination, but he swore he could hear some weeping.  He looked from behind a tree and saw Wilykit.  "Aw, how tragic.  The little girl is crying.  Soon, she'll have something to cry about!"  He drew his evil sceptre and blasted a sleep-powder at Wilykit.  She did not notice it, so it blasted her, and she went to sleep.  "This will be easy!  Hee, hee!"  Suddenly, his sceptre began flashing.  He held it up to his mouth.  "Larry here.  What's wrong?"  He instantly put it up to his ear.

            Liquidator's voice said, "Larry, Wilykat is approaching you!"  Larry was surprised.  He moved the sceptre back to his mouth.

            "Where is he?"  Back to the ear with the sceptre.

            "He's ten metres away, south of you!  He's using one of their infernal Space-Boards."  Back to the mouth with the sceptre.

            "Well, blast it, why didn't you tell me earlier?"  Back to the ear.

            "Because we only just noticed him."  Back to the mouth.

            "Keep me posted."  He put the sceptre away.  A gas enveloped him.  "Yaah!  What in the. . ."  He could not finish.  The gas put him out in an instant.  It was Wilykat.  He landed near his sister and checked her.

            Oh, good; that creep hasn't done anything serious to her, Wilykat thought aloud.  He pulled her closer to him, took his communicator off its appointed position, activated it, and said, "N-Team Transporter, transport two to the Cat's Lair entrance hall."  The two and Wilykat's Space-Board were beamed to Cat's Lair's entrance hall.  There, Cheetara, Lion-O, and Tygra were waiting.

            Tygra asked, "You should have gone to the Palace of Power's hospital."

            Wilykat said, "Well, obviously, Larry only blasted her with some kind of knock-out spell."

            "What did you do?"

            "As I approached, I blasted Larry with a sleep-gas-capsule.  Then, I got 'Kit and beamed her and myself here."  He put the communicator back at its appointed position on his clothes.

            Tygra became almost indignant and asked, "And what happens to you if your luck ever runs out?"

            "Tygra, what. . ."

            "She might have gotten hurt or even killed!"

            Lion-O said, "Tygra, calm down!  Don't be so hard on him."  Wilykat was already kneeling next to Wilykit on her left side, trying to awaken her.

            Rubbing her arms and shaking her a little, Wilykat softly called, "Wilykit?  Wake up."  No response.

            "If Larry did knock her out, it may take more than that to wake her," said Lion-O.  He took the Sword of Omens, regarded it, and put it into Wilykit's right hand.  He closed Wilykit's hand, and the Eye of Thundera shone.  Wilykit's eyes opened, and the iris of each eye glowed.  In a moment, her eyes no longer glowed; the condition was the same with the Eye of Thundera.

            "Whoa!" said Wilykit, sitting up.  "What happened?"  She gave the Sword back to Lion-O.

            "Larry Koopa happened," said Wilykat.  "He. . ."

            "Then, that was what I felt!" said Wilykit.  "I felt a spell hit me."

            "Well, thanks to me, you are here, not in his. . ."

            "You are the one who made me upset in the first place, Wilykat!"

            Putting some warm compassion into his voice, Wilykat calmly said, "Why don't we resolve this matter like civilised people?"  This seemed to cool Wilykit off.  In fact, it cheered her up a little.

            "Okay," she said.  Wilykat got on his feet and gently lifted Wilykit to hers.  "Where?"

            Wilykat thought.  "Actually, I don't know," he said.  The adults decided to withdraw unobtrusively to the control room.  "Maybe someplace quiet and peaceful, someplace where we won't be disturbed."

            "Wilykat," said Wilykit, "no place fits those parameters."  Wilykat continued to think.

            He sighed.  "You're right.  But, at the moment, we're alone.  I'm sorry I. . ."

            "No, don't be sorry.  It's my fault.  I lost my self-control because you referred directly to something that upsets me greatly.  Get this straight:  I do not want to talk about it.  Got it?"

            "Got it."

            "Now, does that book have any maps in it?"

            "Sure does.  It even shows the area our race had.  It is an area taking up half of the western hemisphere.  Its geographical location overlaps the Jungles of Darkness, the Mountains of the Moon, the Canyon of Youth, and the Caverns of Cold."  At the news, Wilykit gasped.  She would have fainted, but she was a Thunderian.

            "All four of those areas!" exclaimed Wilykit.  "My goodness!  No one else's race's geographical location overlaps all of them!  Maybe two at the most, but not all four!  We're going to find MegaMan."  Wilykat nodded.  Wilykit tapped her communicator.  "N-Team Transporter, location on MegaMan?"

            Instantly, the same computer voice replied, "MegaMan:  presently in Dr. Wright's lab on the Republic of MegaLand."  The Kittens looked at each other.  They nodded.

            After tapping her communicator once more, Wilykit said, "Transport two to Dr. Wright's lab."  The transporter beam picked them up and deposited them in Dr. Wright's laboratory, where he was performing a routine annual check-up on MegaMan's systems.

            "Hello, Thunder Kittens," said Dr. Wright.  "What brings you to MegaLand?"

            Wilykit said, "We were hoping to acquire MegaMan's services for something."

            "Such as?"

            "Environmental gas analysis."

            "Well, you don't exactly need his services.  The computers at Hawkhaven can produce an extremely accurate gas analysis of a portion of a planet's atmosphere."

            "Hm."

            "Besides, I am running a check-up on him.  If you went to Hawkhaven, you might have your answer in a few minutes, but, if you waited for me to finish with MegaMan, it might be several hours."

            "Okay.  Thank you."

            "You're welcome."

            She tapped her communicator.  "Transport two to the Command Centre of Hawkhaven."  The transporter beam got them and took them to the Hawkhaven Command Centre.

            * * *

            Command Centre, Hawkhaven.

            On duty in the Command Centre, Bluegrass said, "Well, well!  Hello, Thunder Kits!  What brings you two here?"

            "We were hoping," said Wilykat, "to do an environmental gas analysis of a region on New Thundera."

            "Well, you done come to the right place!  I think Moonstriker's coming, and he can help you.  I've got my hands tied up with watching the opposite team in case they try to pull a foul play."

            "Trying to get an in-fielder on this one, probably," remarked Wilykit.  "Hoping to get him so he can't catch the ball as soon as we bat it."

            "Don't use baseball terminology with the Steeltwins, now," said Bluegrass.  "They use football terminology."  Wilykit nodded in comprehension.  The elevator opened, and Moonstriker came out.

            Wilykit said, "Hey, Moonstriker."

            "Hello, Thunder Kittens," said Moonstriker.  "What do the two of you want?"

            "Well," said Wilykit, "we want to do an environmental gas analysis on an area of New Thundera."

            "Okay," said Moonstriker.  "Come over to this computer, and we'll see what we can do."  That moment, the door from Steelheart's office opened, and Steelwill, fuming, came out.  "Uh, what is it, Lt. Steelwill?"

            "That blasted Brain-Team!" exclaimed Steelwill.  "Do you know what kind of move it would be to attack the opposite team while they were in a huddle?"

            "Illegal in football, I believe," said Wilykat.

            "Right.  Well, the Brain-Team did something worse, of course, and they snatched a linebacker."

            "Plain English?" asked Bluegrass.

            Steelwill turned to him and said, "In your terminology, my dear Bluegrass, they done got Tygra!"  The Thunder Kittens gasped.

            "TYGRA?!?" exclaimed Wilykit.  "What happened?"

            "Larry and Liquidator attacked Lion-O, Tygra, and Cheetara while they were in the control room of Cat's Lair.  They snatched Tygra and left Lion-O and Cheetara a little worse-for-wear, but all right, considering the circumstances.  I tell you, I'd love to blitz their damned, evil quarterback for good!"  The Kittens turned to Moonstriker.

            "Remember that analysis we asked for?" asked Wilykat.  Moonstriker nodded.  "The area is the north-western hemisphere."

            "Okay," said Moonstriker.  "I'll get to it."

            Wilykit said, "Thank you.  We'll be. . ."

            ". . .going nowhere!" said Steelwill.

            "What!" demanded the Thunder Kittens.

            Steelwill said, "It is my unpleasant responsibility to inform you that Lion-O does not want you going to wherever the Brain-Team has Tygra and trying to free Tygra."

            Wilykat demanded, "Was that a direct order from him?"

            "No," said Steelwill, "but. . ."

            "Then we're going to save our father!" said Wilykit firmly.  She tapped her communicator.  "Transporter, location of Tygra?"

            The computer voice said, "Tygra:  now on Prince Larry (Bowser)Koopa's Doomship, which is going to Metroid."

            Steelwill desperately said, "Look, if they overpowered him, Lion-O, and Cheetara, you two don't stand a chance!"

            "There's no guarantee of that, Steelwill!" said Wilykit.  "And, since you are of another division and are not a first officer, you cannot give us orders."  She tapped her communicator and got next to Wilykat.  "Transport two to Tygra's present co-ordinates."  The Thunder Kittens were picked up by the transporter beam.

            * * *

            On Larry's Doomship, Tygra was tied against the wall.  "Never!" he cried.  "I'll never help you, Larry Koopa!"

            "Brave words, kitty!" said Larry.  "But do you really think you can resist my hypnotic abilities?"

            Tygra said, "If no one else, the Thunder Kittens will rescue me.  They'll stop you from. . ."

            "The Thunder Twerps," interrupted Larry, "will stop me from doing nothing!"  �Ils sont trop stupides de faire correctement n'importe quoi!  {Él sawⁿh tró stü-péd duh fehr kaw-rrehkt-mahⁿh nehⁿh-pórt kwah!}  [French]  (They are too stupid to do anything right)!�

            "Excuse me?" asked Tygra.  At that moment, the Thunder Kittens beamed in.

            "If you translate that sentence," said Wilykit, "we will be very, very unhappy."

            Wilykat added, "And you will not like it if we are very, very unhappy.  So, don't make us very, very unhappy."

            Wilykit said, "Now, let Tygra go, or we'll make you sorry you didn't!"

            "Not a chance, pip-squeaks!" said Larry.

            Wilykat said, "What were you going to do to my sister, you reptile?"

            Larry said, "I was going to teach her something important that she hadn't learned yet.  But you interrupted that important lesson!"  A warp out of which Ludwig emerges opened.  "What an honour, Thy. . ."

            "Shut up!" said Ludwig.  " 'Something important' my foot!  That's just a damned excuse for your stupid. . . oh, you idiot!"

            "What is this important thing, and why was it so important that Larry had to put my sister to sleep?" asked Wilykat.

            "There's a simple explanation, Wilykat," said Ludwig flatly and honestly.  "It's not anything important.  You two are too young to even know about such things, and I prefer that you not learn about the stuff that my idiotic brother does to females.  I abhor it.  However, since he is an adult,. . ."  He released Tygra.  ". . .I shall tell Tygra."  Ludwig went over to Tygra.  Whispering into Tygra's ear in a volume so low that not even the Thunder Kittens could overhear him, Ludwig said, "That brother of mine commits the most horrible crimes, those which possibly strip some of his victims of their virginity."

            In the same volume, Tygra asked, "You mean he forces his victims to have sexual intercourse with him, whether they want to or not?"

            "Right," said Ludwig.  "He commits the crime I despise the most.  It's so utterly awful that. . . oh, I even hate to talk about it.  I suggest that Wilykit stay with someone constantly so that Larry is not a threat to her morality."

            Tygra asked, "Why does he commit such crimes?"

            "Heaven forbid that I should know the answer!  He just says that it has something to do with certain sensations or something or other.  I don't understand.  He has this attraction to human females or females of humanoid species matching humans extremely closely.  Anyway, you should be going back home."

            "You're releasing me?"

            "Even though it won't make up for what Larry tried to do to Wilykit, consider your release as an 'I'm sorry.'  I knew that little rat would escalate to this, but I didn't know it would be so soon."

            "Okay."  He got up and went over to the Thunder Kittens.

            "See you later, Thunder Cats," said Ludwig.  Wilykit tapped her communicator.

            "Transport three to the control room of Cat's Lair," Wilykit said.  The transporter beam took the three away.

            Ludwig turned angrily on Larry, whose face had a sheepish smile.  "You idiot!" said Ludwig.  "If it weren't for that blasted external organ below your waistline,. . ."

            Larry said, "I just call it a. . ."

            "That's the improper name, and you know it!  Even its proper name sounds obscene.  Keep it out of any female's reproductive tract from now on!  Mouser, I'm assigning you to make sure that this stinking brother of mine doesn't let that organ of his get out of control."

            "Right, sir," said Mouser.  "It'll stay where it belongs!"

            "I knew I could count on you," said Ludwig.  He turned to Larry.  "Get this ship back to Metroid immediately.  And don't stop to get too friendly with anyone on the way!"  He opened a warp and went through it to the control room on Metroid.

            * * *

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

            Back at Cat's Lair, Tygra explained everything to Lion-O and Cheetara.  The Thunder Kittens had returned to Hawkhaven.  ". . .so," said Tygra, "we'd better be on the lookout for that little creep."  Cheetara shook her head.

            "Awful," said Cheetara.  "How could anyone be so low?"

            Lion-O said, "Well, Larry (Bowser)Koopa obviously thinks nothing of it."

            Tygra said, "It seems that the only sibling older than he is thinks that it is horrible."

            "Do you think we should tell the Wilytwins about this?" asked Lion-O.

            "No," said Tygra.  "Unless necessary, I want them to remain completely innocent to this knowledge, at least until they're a bit older."

            Lion-O asked, "But why should they be kept in the dark about this?  It seems unfair."

            "It's easier that way, Lion-O.  They can look out for one another.  And, if one believes that the other is being physically violated, that one won't let the violator get away with it."

            * * *

            Command Centre, Hawkhaven, Limbo.

            At Hawkhaven, Moonstriker finished the scan the Kittens had asked him to make.  "Okay, let's see," said Moonstriker.  "Twenty-five percent oxygen, seventy-three percent nitrogen, one percent carbon dioxide, one percent composed of minute amounts of hydrogen and helium and other gases that would have no adverse effect on anyone."  The Thunder Kittens looked at each other with triumphant smiles.

            "Thank you very much, Moonstriker," said Wilykat.

            "You're welcome," said Moonstriker.  The Thunder Kittens nodded to him and went off to a side.

            Wilykit said, "We're in luck!"

            "Yes," said Wilykat.  "Think the other Thunder Cats would mind helping us?"

            "Not really."  In fake surprise, she asked, "Oh, do you mean you're snapping out of that scaredy-cat state of yours?"

            "Watch it, Wilykit."

            "You usually tried to back off from my decisions, claiming them to be too dangerous and claiming that the others would get angry."

            "I just do not want to get into trouble, Wilykit!"

            "Oh?  What about when Steelheart asked us to go to Metroid?  You seemed pretty scared to go then."

            "I think that it's too dangerous for us there and that we could have been killed."

            "Well, we could be killed on Thundera in trying to find artefacts of our race.  You didn't even mention that."

            "Oh, right.  You know your problem?  It's. . ."

            "No, your problem is that you worry too much!  You're always worrying that we might get hurt.  You're always worrying that we might get in trouble.  Well, I, for one, am tired of it!"

            "Oh, yeah?  Well you, young lady, are always too eager to do something that will get us into trouble.  You are always wanting to do something that may get us killed.  I am tired of that!"

            "Oh, give me a break.  You love getting into trouble as much as I.  Your mind's just making you say that nonsense you're saying."

            "It isn't nonsense!  It's sensible!"

            "What's so blasted sensible about being a worry-wart?  I hate it!  And the worst part is that you only started being that way when Steelheart told us to check out Metroid."

            "The creatures there are too dangerous for us to handle alone.  I would think that you would know that."

            "You have developed a fear for getting into a dangerous situation.  You were a lot more fun to be around when you didn't have that problem."

            "We got into trouble because of my curiosity, and don't say that you didn't get us into trouble because of yours!"

            "Both clauses are true.  You aren't as curious now as you used to be.  I think you have become a. . ."

            "Sheesh, Wilykit!  I just don't like to get in trouble!  I'm just trying to become a little cautious so our curiosity won't kill us!  You know what it did to the cat who had too much of it!"

            "Not so loud.  We'll attract attention."

            Back to being quiet, Wilykat said, "Okay.  Why should it matter about our curiosity, anyway?"

            "I think that, ever since you became so cautious, it's been a little less exciting than when you were more curious.  I just don't feel right when you act like you don't want to find out about something and I do."  She sighed.  "I am supposed to be the sensible one."  Wilykat put his arm around her shoulder.

            "I'm sorry," he said.  "I just don't want either of us to get hurt or killed.  Let's just go to the Lair and see if the others will help us, okay?"

            "Okay," said Wilykit.  Wilykat tapped his communicator.

            Wilykat ordered, "N-Team Transporter, transport two to Cat's Lair."  The transporter beam picked them up.