Darkwing Duck's Restaurant, Saint Canard, Darkwing Duck's Earth.

Back at the table, Wilykit opened the laptop, activated it, and retrieved the course on Metroidian Portuguese, the dialect of Portuguese spoken throughout VideoLand.  She and Wilykat studied the pronunciation for some period of time.  They then pronounced - and pronounced correctly - words that the terminal's screen showed.  Because of the sensitive voice circuit, the laptop could tell them whether what they said was correct or incorrect.  As it so happened, they were correct with each word.  They then got into introductions.  It was tending to become rather boring for them.  "Look, 'Kat, do you have any more exciting ideas on how to learn this?  I'd be happy to consider them."

            "No, I don't have any."

            Wilykit sat back in her chair.  "So, 'Kat, what were you thinking about in the holodeck?"

            Wilykat crossed his arms.  "I don't want to talk about that, Miss Nosy!" he stated firmly.  He was perturbed by this.

            Wilykit calmly repeated, "What were you thinking about in the holodeck?"

            "I said I don't want to talk about it!"  His anger showed, but Wilykit was not affected.  He caved in.  "Oh, all right, already!  Sheesh!  I'll answer you."  He drew in a deep breath to get calm.  "All right.  I don't mean to be so impatient, Wilykit.  I just feel violated that someone's asking about this."

            "I think I understand," said Wilykit.  "Explain what you were thinking about however you can."

            "Okay.  Seeing you in that lake with Wesley - and seeing that great affection - evoked a memory.  I can say now that I'm sorry to have ever forgotten that it had existed."  He sighed.  "The 1785th Year of Jaga.  What do you remember from that year?"  Wilykit thought.

            "Let me see," she said.  "That was the year we started learning Ancient Thunderian.  We were 9 years old when the year began.  Was our fifth consecutive school year at the Tygral Port extension of the Thunderian Academy."  She shook her head.  "That's not exactly what you mean."

            "No," said Wilykat.  "I'm sure you can recall."  Wilykit continued thinking.

            "I'm uncertain as to what you mean," she said finally.  "I don't know what to look for."  She could tell that Wilykat was about to cry.  He did not show it physically, but his thoughts revealed it.  She softly inquired, "Can you give me any hints?"

            "Wilykit, I can't believe it.  Can you not remember what happened?  I would be surprised if you can't."

            "What specifically?" she asked.  He looked down.  She sighed.  Then, she smiled.  "I should have known.  I'm so bloody dense.  I felt you while I was kissing Wesley.  You were slightly jealous.  That's not the point, I know.  You were thinking about Tygrana, weren't you?"

            "Yes," said Wilykat, not lifting his head to look at his sister.  "I'd rather not talk about it."

            "I know.  You're like most of the rest of us Thunder Cats. . . too proud to admit to anything that may prove you weak in some manner.  You need not fear me, brother.  I am the last person in this universe who would ever try to hurt you."

            "Okay.  I. . . I suddenly felt very emotionally - oh, how can I put it - not all right.  I felt like I was going to fall into some dream or something.  I just. . . I just. . ."

            Wilykit's voice was soft and low.  "Wilykat, how much do you love Tygrana?"  Something struck Wilykat on the inside like a lightning bolt.  Present tense?  He was suddenly completely unfitting pieces of the same jigsaw puzzle on the inside.

            "How much do I love her?" asked Wilykat.  "Do?  As in now?"  He could not think clearly.  It was revealed when he next spoke to Wilykit.  "Oh, I love her, Wilykit.  I have loved her since the day you and I met her.  Wilykit, I definitely do love her.  If only that blasted potassium cyanide virus had not invaded her,. . . oh, my Jaga."

            "There's nothing anyone could have done, Wilykat.  The preventative vaccine was discovered months after she. . . well, you know."  This did not seem to be helping her poor brother any.  He was torn up on the inside, managing barely to keep it from showing much on the outside.  "I'm very sorry, Wilykat."

            "Don't be," said Wilykat.  "Don't you dare be sorry, Wilykit."  He put his hand on hers.  "I'm just. . . It's just that I feel very. . . very vulnerable right now.  You've brought up a topic I don't want to talk about.  Please, don't take it personally."  He sat back in his chair and sighed.  "I love her, Wilykit.  I really do.  I wish I could have saved her, but there was no way.  I was too young to be able to, and there was no cure for the KCN disease.  There is no cure for it now, heck."  He looked toward the ceiling.  "When she needed me, I was unable to help her.  Why, oh why?"

            "Oh, my God," whispered Wilykit to herself.  "She was your Amora Eternamente."

            "Excuse me?" inquired Wilykat curiously.

            "I expressed my opinion that Tygrana was your Amora Eternamente."  Wilykat's eyes widened.

            "Is that possible?" he asked.  "Oh, God.  Oh, no.  Oh. . . What the heck am I saying?  I don't under-. . ."  He cut himself off.  He crossed his arms.  A great sadness in his eyes, he stared up as though looking into Heaven.  He quietly asked, "Oh, how could this have happened?  I wish we could have avoided it."

            "Wilykat, you couldn't," said Wilykit.  "There's no way you could have."

            "I know that, damn it!  That doesn't mean that I can't wish that I could have, does it?"  Wilykit decided to let this occurrence of bad language go.  He was quite agitated.

            "You're right, bro.  Let's go."  She shut off the laptop and closed it.  The two stood up.  Wilykat tapped his communicator.

            "N-Team Transporter," he said, "transport us to. . ."  He was suddenly blasted by a bolt of electricity - "Yaaah!" - and slammed into a wall!  "Oof!"

            "Wilykat!" exclaimed Wilykit.  A pair of snap-teeth snapped onto her arm.  "Yow!"

            "Take that, Thunder Twerps!" exclaimed Quacker Jack.  "Ha, ha, ha!"

            "Yeah!" said Mega Volt.  "Maybe next time, you'll know better than to mess with us!  Ha, ha, ha!"  Two Romulans, each drawing a disruptor, came up to Mega Volt and Quacker Jack.  "Oh, two Rommies. . . and with disruptors, nonetheless.  Eat volts, Romulans!"  He fried the two Romulans.  "Ha, ha, ha!  When you deal with Mega Volt, you've stuck your finger in the wrong electric socket!  Ha, ha, ha!"

            "Uh, oh, Mega Volt!" said Quacker Jack.  "Here come Thunder Cats!"  Lion-O, Cheetara, and Panthro were those coming, nonetheless.

            "Ooh, such camaraderie," said Mega Volt.  "Coming to beat up us poor, hapless villains who have whomped up the two best Thunder Cats."  �Bueno, �jódeles todos!  {Bwáy-nó, çó-tháy-láys tó-thos!}  [Spanish]  (Well, f*** them all!)�  Quacker Jack gasped as Mega Volt fried the three Thunder Cats.

            "Yaah!" screamed Lion-O.  He dropped the Sword of Omens, which he had been carrying.

            "Such language!" said Quacker Jack.  "Very appropriate, though."  He was lifted up into the air.  "What on God's green earth. . .?"  He was thrown - "Yaaah!" - into Mega Volt.  "Oof!"  Both of them got shocked.

            "Yaaaaaah!" screamed the two.

            "God damn you, Tygra!" screamed Mega Volt.

            "Shut up with the cursing, all ready!" said Quacker Jack.  "Thunderians take it as a severe insult!"

            "That we do," said Tygra's voice.  Mega Volt was lifted so that Quacker Jack fell on the floor.  Mega Volt 'flew' into a wall.  Quacker Jack got up.

            "So, you think your invisibility's so great, don't you, you big pussycat?" asked Quacker Jack.  "Try outdoing my heat-sensitive stun-gun, kitty!"  He got out what appeared to be a toy pistol.  When he pulled the trigger, however, a ray shot out and bent so that it hit Tygra.

            "Aah!" exclaimed Tygra.  When he fell to the floor, his whip fell off, and he became visible.

            "You big pussycats aren't so ferocious," said Quacker Jack.  "Not when we poor, defenceless villains carry super-Thundrainium!"  Torreth, Tomalak, and Sela all had their disruptors aimed at him.

            "Relinquish your super-Thundrainium," ordered Torreth.

            "Why should I?  Do I get the door-prize?"

            "No," said Steelheart.  "You get eighty years to life."

            "Wrong answer, silver-twit!" said Quacker Jack.  "Yo, Liquie!"  A puddle came out from under a table.  It formed into Liquidator, who came over to Quacker Jack.

            "Well, well!  What have we here?" asked Liquidator.  "A bunch of stuper-heroes!  Ha, ha, ha!"

            "You will regret that thar comment, y'ornery varmint!" said Bluegrass.  He tilted his hat.  He aimed his Laser Guitar's head at Liquidator.  "T'ain't been nice knowin' you, Liquie!"  He played.  Liquidator opened a hole in his own body, and the laser from Bluegrass's guitar went right through the aperture.

            "Nice trick," said Liquidator.  "Wait'll you see mine!  Ha, ha, ha!"  He formed himself into Melodia and her Sound Smasher.  When he spoke, it was in her voice:  "See you later, Cowpoke!"  Liquidator blasted Bluegrass with laser music from the made-up Sound Smasher.

            * * *

            Batman and Zan found Robin and Jayna at the table farthest from where the fight was occurring.  "What do we make of this Liquidator?" asked Batman.

            "Well, he definitely is trouble," said Robin.  "He is sort of like Clayface."

            "Exactly," said Batman.

            Zan said, "Jayna, let's fix that watery creep."

            "Are you sure?" asked Jayna.  "I mean, if he can control water,. . ."

            "So can I, in the right form!" said Zan.  He brought up his left fist expectantly.  "Well?"

            "Okay," said Jayna.  She held up her right fist, parallel to Zan's left and near it.

            "Wondertwin powers," they both declared, "activate!"  They brought their fists together at the last word, and the two glowed with transformation power.

            "Molecular form of master of all fluids!" ordered Zan.  He transformed into a purple mass of water with his form that collapsed into a puddle.  "Stay here, Jayna!  I'll take care of Liquidator."  He went toward Liquidator slowly and quietly.

            " 'Stay here, Jayna,' " repeated Jayna.  "Not in this lifetime, big bro!"  Robin fought objecting to her response.  The three saw that Quacker Jack, Mega Volt, and Liquidator had knocked out all N-Team members except Steelheart and Captain N.  The villains had knocked all of the Romulans and Enterprise officers present except Riker, Dr. Crusher, Troi, and Torreth out as well.  "All but six are out."

            * * *

            Steelheart grabbed Quacker Jack by the ruffles and smashed him into Mega Volt.  The two were knocked out.  "Very impressive," said Liquidator, "but you don't get the grand prize, Silver Hawk!"  He transformed into the transformed Mon*Star.  "I'm going to light up your life!" said Liquidator in Mon*Star's voice.  He blasted Steelheart with a quick Light*Star.  After this, he turned back into his own form.  The Light*Star remained on Steelheart.  "You're a star now, birdbrain!  Ha, ha, ha!"

            "Very. . . -grunt!-  Very funny, Liquie!" said Steelheart, whose attempts to break out of Liquidator's Light*Star were futile.  Liquidator turned to the other five.

            "You'll soon be singing, 'The Jailhouse Rock,' Liquidator," promised Kevin.  He drew his Zapper and set it to 'Fix Liquidator.'

            "Your Zapper can't hurt the number-one first officer, Captain Nit-wit!" said Liquidator.

            Kevin countered, "We'll see about that, Liquidator!"  He pulled the trigger of the Zapper.  The ray blasted Liquidator, although he did open a hole in his body wherethrough the Zapper's ray would have gone.  In a moment, the liquidy adversary collapsed into a puddle on the floor.  "This setting temporarily takes away his power to determine his form.  He is just a liquid.  For now, at least," explained Kevin to Riker, Troi, Dr. Crusher, and Torreth.  "He will regain his powers shortly."  He changed the Zapper's setting to 'Normal' and blasted Steelheart free of Liquidator's Light*Star.

            "Whew.  Thank you," said Steelheart.  A warp opened, and out came MotherBrain.  "I knew that you had to be behind this, Duchess of Wrinkles!"

            "That's not my name, Silver Squawk!  AND YOU ERRED WHEN YOU ASSOCIATED ME WITH WRINKLES!!!" screamed MotherBrain in her Southern accent.  She grabbed at Steelheart with her tentacles but continually missed.  To remedy this problem, she got an enormous horseshoe magnet out of her tank.  Steelheart was unprepared, and the strong magnet drew her toward MotherBrain.  "Come to Big MamaBrain, li'l birdie!  Hee, hee, hee!"

            "-Grunt!-  Very funny, MotherBrain!"

            "I find you rather attractive," joked MotherBrain.  "You must get plenty of iron in your diet!  Ha, ha, ha!"

            Kevin knew his Zapper was useless against the MotherBrain of Metroid herself.  However, he did set it to neutralise the magnet and did blast the magnet.  Steelheart was released from the magnetic attraction.  "You're not so attractive, you ugly, old MotherFool!" he snapped.

            "WHY, YOU!!!"  MotherBrain grabbed Kevin and tossed him into Steelheart with the purpose of knocking them both out.  She succeeded.  "That will learn you not to insult me!"

            Zan arrived.  He hid behind a table and watched the evildoers' actions.  "Well, here I go," whispered he to himself.  "Make it good, Zan."  He slid over to MotherBrain.

            "That N-Team wasn't so great," said MotherBrain.  Quacker Jack, Mega Volt, and Liquidator had revived and were listening.  "Was it?"

            "No," said Mega Volt.  "Those Thunder Cats and Romulans are easy when one has romulum and super-Thundrainium!  Hee, hee, hee!"

            "So!" called Jayna's approaching voice.  The four turned to see her coming with Batman and Robin right behind her.  "I hate it when villains cheat!"

            "Just what we need," said Quacker Jack.  "More superheroes.  I hate superheroes."

            "Element 119 and compound Tu₂He, containing elements 117 and 2," remarked Jayna.  She got an idea.  A really devious plan and her acting skills would throw the villains for a loop.  She gasped.  "If the elements were combined, Exorians, Thunderians, and Romulans could all be affected!"  She had not lied; she used the magic word could, a word of possibility.  Anything was possible.  MotherBrain smiled.

            "Well, thanks!" said she.  She took the romulum from Quacker Jack and super-Thundrainium from Mega Volt and carefully brought the two substances together.  In a second and a bright reaction, as well as a loud 'pop,' diromulum super-Thundrainide was formed.  "What?"

            "Idiot!" laughed Jayna.  "Don't believe everything that you're told!"

            "You lied!" said MotherBrain, surprised.

            "I did not," said Jayna.  "I said could, and anything is possible.  By the way, that stuff only has adverse effects on Metroids."

            "I hate you already, Jayna," said MotherBrain, throwing the diromulum super-Thundrainide on the floor.  Liquidator suddenly jumped on Mega Volt and short-circuited him!  "What!"

            "What the hell made you do that?" demanded Mega Volt of Liquidator.

            "I. . . I know not," Liquidator said.  He saw a puddle come from behind MotherBrain.  "Uh, what's going on?"  The puddle turned into an equivalent of Zan's shape.  "WHAT?!?"

            "Zan!" exclaimed MotherBrain.  "You did that?"

            "I did," replied Zan.  "In this form, I have more than Waterhead's abilities!"

            "Why, you!" exclaimed Liquidator.  Before he could do anything, his body collapsed.  "Yaah!"

            "What said I?" said Zan confidently.

            "Don't get too confident," MotherBrain stated.  A gun emerged from a compartment on her tank.  "I hope you like pudding!  Ha, ha, ha!"  The gun blasted Zan with pudding mix.

            "Yuck!" exclaimed Zan, thoroughly disgusted.  "Ew!  This stuff. . . oh, it's more than yuck!"  Jayna tasted him.

            "Mm!  Strawberry!" she said.  "My favourite."

            "You'd better activate our powers, sis, or I will be unhappy," warned Zan.

            "All right."  She touched him.  "Wondertwin powers, activate!"  They did.

            "Back to normal," said Zan.  He was transformed back to normal, at which time he beat the pudding mix off himself.  "Yuck, yuck, quadruple-yuck!  Ugh!"  Clearly, he was extremely disgusted.

            "Well, you don't have to be so disgusted about it," said Jayna.

            "Get 'em, Liquie!" said Quacker Jack.  Liquidator was just regaining his senses.

            "Ooh. . . I'll. . . I'll try, QJ," said Liquidator.  Suddenly, a cement pellet flew into his body and released cement into him!  "Yaah!  Not cement again!"

            "Yes cement again!" said Wilykat.

            "How dare you cheat," said Wilykit.  "We would never think of such a thing."

            "Y'aren't villains, either," said MotherBrain.  "I bet you can't conjugate 'sein {zahyn} [German] (to be),' Thunder Twit!"  Wilykit was growling.

            "If I can, you have to leave," said Wilykit.  "Do you understand?"

            "I understand," said MotherBrain.  "Present perfect indicative, since you're so bold."

            "All right, MotherBrain.  Ich bin gewesen, du bist oder Sie sind gewesen, er oder sie oder es ist gewesen, wir sind gewesen, ihr seid oder Sie sind gewesen, sie sind gewesen {Ihsh bihn geh-váy-zehn, dú bihst ó-dehr zé sihnt geh-váy-zehn, ehr ó-dehr zé ó-dehr eh sihst geh-váy-zehn, vér sihnt geh-váy-zehn, ér zahy tó-dehr zé zihnt geh-váy-zehn, zé zihnt geh-váy-zehn} [German] (I have been, you [singular familiar] have or you [formal] have been, he or she or it has been, we have been, you [plural familiar] have or you [formal] have been, they have been)."

            MotherBrain's jaw dropped to the bottom of her jar.  "How'd you know that?" asked the evil brain, impressed.

            "I believe you should be out of here," said Wilykit.  "Or must I first conjugate 'haben {hah-behn} [German] (to have)'?"  MotherBrain, Mega Volt, Quacker Jack, and Liquidator warped away.

            "How did you know that?" Wilykat asked in a by-the-way fashion.  Wilykit smiled.  "Oh. . . Wesley knows it."  He smiled, too.  "Pretty darned clever, Wilykit."

            "It wasn't I who thought of tricking MotherBrain into combining the super-Thundrainium with the romulum," said Wilykit.  "You know who it was, don't you?"

            "Yes!" said Wilykat slightly impatiently.  "So?"

            "Don't get impatient," said Wilykit.  "Please come with me."  Wilykat followed her to another area of the room.  "Don't you pay attention to others' emotions?"

            "Why should I?"

            "Well, maybe you shouldn't, I guess.  Everyone both deserves and needs secrets and privacy."  She lowered her volume and got a little smile.  "However, one of the Wondertwins finds you. . ."  She shrugged while looking away for a moment.  She then turned back to him with a thoughtful look on her face.  ". . .rather attractive."  She turned away.  "No, that's not what I want to say.  She. . . I can't decipher the feelings completely.  However, I do know that she has fallen in love with you."

            Unable to believe it, Wilykat shook his head.  "No," he said.  "She can't have."

            Wilykit turned back to him.  "She has, bro."

            "What about me?  I haven't fallen in love with her!  What in the world do I owe her?"  Wilykit put her right hand on his left shoulder.

            "She's an Exorian, Wilykat.  Although you may not be in love with her, she is in love with you.  That's unusual for us Thunderians to comprehend because of our belief in Amore Eternamente, but. . ."

            "There's also the possibility," interrupted Wilykat, "that I'm getting another chance.  After all, my relationship with Tygrana left my virginal status unchanged."  He fought back the tears that he felt forming.  "Damn it, Wilykit!  What's wrong with me?"

            "I don't know," said Wilykit.  "Just watch your mouth from now on, and I'll ignore this occurrence of the D-word."

            "Oops.  Excuse me.  Wilykit, I am not in love with Jayna."  His heart softened.  "At least, I don't think I am."

            "Well, she is in love with you.  She's a bit afraid to admit it.  Added to the fact that she's somewhat shy, Robin has a real crush on her.  She likes him a lot as a friend, but that's all.  She had a crush on him, but, as soon as she saw you, she fell in love with you.  She's afraid of what Robin may do if he finds out that she went from having a crush on him to falling in love with you, bro.  But he would never hurt her or anyone else who has done nothing evil.  He would be satisfied just by having her as a friend."  Wilykat looked toward Jayna casually and sighed slightly.  He was not really so sure that he was not in love with Jayna.

            "I don't know what I ought to do, 'Kit.  She is rather pretty, but there have to be other criteria."

            "She's intelligent," said Wilykit.  "I mean, she could be almost as intelligent as more-than-average Thunderians."  She then added, "However, normally, her strength, as with all other Exorians, is less than that of humans.  She can transform into about any vertebrate animal after having touched her brother and ordering that their powers activate, however, and then she can be quite strong as that other creature."

            "Hm," said Wilykat.  "Very interesting.  I'm still really afraid of doing it, 'Kit.  I mean, I don't want to walk on anyone's feelings."

            "Hm.  Well, think about it while we get everyone up."  Almost everyone had been knocked out by MotherBrain, Mega Volt, Quacker Jack, and Liquidator.  By 0.15, however, everyone present was awake.  Also, they were back at their former seats and had given the congratulations due to the Thunder Kittens and the Wondertwins.  The Kittens readied themselves for departure once more.  Lap-top in hand, Wilykit asked, "You're sure you don't want to talk with Jayna?"

            "Yes," said Wilykat.  "I don't think I'm quite ready for it."  In a moment, they saw Zan was coming toward them.  For some reason, Wilykat suddenly became very tense.  He knew not why.

            "Good evening, Thunder Kittens," greeted Zan.  "How's it going?"

            "Fine, Zan," said Wilykit.  "And with you?"

            "I'm fine," replied Zan.  "Wilykat,. . . well, you both must understand something.  A few years ago, the Cardassians were driven from Exor's solar system, but Exorians became very suspicious of all races.  Do you understand?"

            "Yes," said Wilykat.

            "Good," said Zan.  "Jayna's a bit reluctant to talk about this, Wilykat.  She doesn't want to hurt Robin's feelings, but she believes to be in love with you."

            "He knows," said Wilykit.  "Wilykat does, I mean.  He and I are telepathic, and we don't know how to block others' thoughts from our minds."

            Wilykat said, "I just ignore them."

            "I see," said Zan.  "What're you going to do, Wilykat?"

            "I don't know yet," said Wilykat.  "I wish that I did.  A minute ago, I felt certain not to be in love with her.  Now, I must admit that I'm no longer so sure."  He took his chair out from under the table and all but collapsed into it.  "I really wish I were more certain about it."  Wilykit went over to his right side and patted his right hand with her left hand affectionately.

            "Wilykat," said Wilykit, "if you want my advice, talk to Jayna."

            "If it's any consolation, she's just as undecided about talking to you as you are to her," said Zan.  Wilykat shrugged.

            "What's wrong, li'l bro?" asked Wilykit.  "You look like you've just had all your energy sucked out of you."  Wilykat angrily met her eyes.

            "I've told you a million times not to call me that!" said he angrily.

            "No; only a few," responded Wilykit

            Wilykat was brimming with some newfound courage.  "Zan, you don't think she'd mind coming over here, do you?"

            "Not at all," said Zan.  "Want me to get her?"

            "Yes, please."

            * * *

            "That's okay," said Robin in an understanding manner.  "I don't mind that you're in love with him, Jayna.  Just so long as he doesn't hurt you."

            "Thank you, my friend," said Jayna.  "I just hate hurting anyone's feelings."

            "I'm okay."

            "Jayna," said Zan, arriving, "Wilykat wants to talk to you.  I think that it took all his courage to tell me that."

            "Well, then," said Jayna.  "I guess I ought to go over there."

            "Go on, Jayna," Robin said.  "Don't be scared."

            "I'm just nervous," she said.  She took a moment to collect her thoughts.  "Okay.  Zan, you wouldn't mind coming with me, would you?"

            "No, but let's be quick about it, okay?" said Zan.  "Batman wants me back in a couple of minutes."  He joined his right hand with her right and gently lifted her out of the chair.  She offered no resistance.  "Ready?"

            "Yes," said Jayna.  "See you later, Robin."

            "See you later, Jayna," said Robin.  Zan led Jayna toward the Thunder Kittens' table.  "Poor young lady.  She'd be a lot better if she weren't so shy."