LUNATAC MAYHEM: Chapter Four

 

                Alluro was walking through the halls of Skytomb. Someone, Psikaris, had set up extensive security fields around certain areas of the ship, thus preventing anyone, including the Lunar Droids, from getting at her. He held in his hands the schematics of the Skycruiser. The door to his room hissed open and closed behind him. On the wall opposite him, in bold red letters, were the words "I wouldn't look behind you." Naturally he did and was startled as what had appeared to be shadows parted for Shade. "What are you doing here?" Alluro stammered.

 

                "I have come for you. I am the reaper of souls and frankly I think your head would look nice on my belt," Shade replied.

 

                Alluro backpedalled and reached for his psyche club as he noticed Psychro's head on Shade's hip. A sticky net hit him and pinned him to the floor. "And now, if you'll be so kind as to not move, this will be over in a minute," she grinned, moving closer with Knave's icepick in her hands.

 

                A rifle blast caught her in the back. Shade turned and saw Psikaris standing in the doorway, weapon raised. "Here, I believe this belongs to you," Shade said, tossing Psychro's head to his sister. "I'll be back for you later. Bet on it," she said to Alluro.

 

* * *

 

                Lion‑O set down the Sword of Omens. "Nothing. Something is still jamming the signal. Come on, Bengali, we'll split up and cover more ground," he said as the entered the Thunderstrike. The two side pods detached and went in different directions.

 

* * *

 

                Wily Kit knew her legs were broken as Shade began building a fire. "I really think I need to apologize to you. I'd intended to save you for last destroying you just as your brother destroyed Knave. Now it looks like things will be speeded up. Psychro was a satisfying meal, but I do need more food. Be a good little girl and cook quickly, I'm getting quite hungry," Shade said, slipping a long pole between Wily Kit's hands and legs.

 

* * *

 

                "Hang in there, Wily Kit," a ghostly voice said.

 

                "Wily Kat! You got me in this mess!" Wily Kit spat.

 

                "Don't worry. Bengali's nearby. He's bound to see the fire. Trust me," Wily Kat said.

 

                "That's just great. The one person Knave hated most was Bengali."

 

                "Not so loud. Shade might hear you."

 

* * *

 

                "Poor dear," Nightshade thought. "Maybe it's for the better that she dies. She's talking to herself. What kind of lunatic does that? Probably means I wouldn't have gotten much sport out of her."

 

* * *

 

                "You can't go after her alone, Psikaris.  It's too dangerous."

 

                The ice/psi hybrid whirled on Alluro.  "She killed Psychro.  She nearly killed you.  She's probably going to kill a lot more people," Psikaris said flatly.

 

                Alluro's psyche club was out in seconds.  "If I have to thrall you, I will."  The hypnotist never got a chance to cast the psyche crystal.  A rifle blast knocked him into the wall before he fell to the floor.

 

                Psikaris knelt by the fallen psychic.  "Shade has no vendetta against me.  I am in the least danger, and you, the most."  Even so, she knew it could be a suicide mission.  With that in mind, Psikaris leaned over and kissed Alluro on the cheek.  "Good-bye, my love," she murmured.  "Remember me."

 

* * *

 

                A blast of cold simultainiously put out the fire, as well as sealing Wily Kit in a block of ice.  Shade snarled, then looked up, surprised.  "Chilla?"

 

                The ice Lunatac scowled down at the Darkling.  "You said you would protect me.  Is this how you do it?"

 

                "Knave must be avenged, his enemies destroyed," Shade replied, glaring back, then noticing a few slight discrepencies in the ice woman's bio-signature.  "Psikaris," she hissed, drawing the icepick.  "Come to join your twin?"

 

                "I thought I'd let you rejoin Knave."

 

                Shade laughed at that, and fired one of her sticky black nets at pseudo-Chilla.  Tried to, anyway.  The mechanism exploded, coating most of Shade's body in the tarry substance.

 

                Psikaris regained her natural form.  "You think it difficult for me to plug your jets?" she asked as Shade used the stuff from her white glove to dissolve the netting.

 

                "You die now, ice witch."

                "I don't think so, Shade.  Or is it Nightshade now?"  Psikaris stood her ground as the Darkling advanced.  "Let's see what you really look like."

 

                The icepick dropped to the ground as a wave of agony washed over Shade.  She didn't scream as she doubled over.  Screaming wouldn't do it justice.  Shade's body twisted and changed, her form becoming things more bizarre and more grotesque, and making her wonder if the changes were happening on the inside as well.  After several minutes, the pain stopped, and both Lunatacs slumped to the ground drained by their separate ordeals.

 

                The Darkling was the first to recover.  "A valient effort, but you... Aaaigh!"  Shade clutched her eyes in pain.  When it stopped, she was blind.  "You can't keep this up forever, Psikaris."

 

                Anyone else would have laughed maniacally.  "I didn't shapechange you.  I merely destroyed your eyes."

 

                Shade let out a scream of fury and lunged where she thought the hybrid woman to be.  She was knocked back by something large and furry.  "Wily Kit!" it called.  So her new assailant was Bengali.  "Hold on, I'll save you."

 

                As fortune would have it, Shade's questing hand regained the icepick.  By the sounds of it, Bengali was quite wrapped up in trying to save the kitten.  His loss.  She stuggled to her feet and inched her way along the wall to the Thundercat.

 

                "No!"  Shade heard Psikaris' shout an instant before the pain hit.  Everything twisted... and it was over.

 

                Bengali used a bolt from his hammer to free Wily Kit, then turned his attention on the hybrid Lunatac.  Psikaris tried to get up, but failed.  "Please.  Help me to the Skycruiser."

 

* * *

 

                Tycho walked slowly to where he believed the fight to have taken place. Beside him was Red Eye, the one who had convinced him to lead the way. His Lunar Blade glowed a faint red as it cast its light on the hard rock. "It's over here. I can see the signs of a fight," he said moving forward rapidly. Red Eye pushed past and entered the small cave. When Tycho caught up, he saw a large hole bored into Shade's forehead as she lay in her father's arms. "Is she alive?" Tycho asked.

 

                Red Eye placed a massive hand over the hole and shook his head. "Shade isn't, but Nightshade is," he replied.

 

* * *

 

                Panthro lay still in Skytomb's dungeons. He felt strange, almost filled with bitter anger and hatred. His eyes fell on his companions. "It's time we got out of here," he said.

 

                "That sounds like a good idea, but how?" Hachiman asked.

 

                "Leave everything to me," he replied. New found strength poured through his muscles as he stepped up to the door. Slowly the hinges bent and popped loose from the wall. Laying aside the door Panthro led the way out.

 

* * *

 

                "Maybe you'd like to explain some things," Luna said as the Lunatacs from both sides gathered at Red Eye's insistence inside Cat's Lair. Absent were Wily Kit and Psikaris, due to their injuries, Alluro and Pumyra, tending the wounded, and Panthro who had claimed that there were other matters he had to attend to.

 

                "I'd better start at the beginning. On the Moon of Darkness there are a multitude of creatures living in the jungles. Usually they leave the Lunatacs alone, content to prey on others, but there is one that isn't. We simply call it a wraith. In its natural form it is a hideous creature seemingly composed of mist. On the night Shade was conceived, one of these wraiths bored a hole into her head and took control. The only way to kill a wraith requires killing the host and destroying it when it flees the corpse. We were seconds away from killing Shade when we realized that it wasn't the wraith in command of the body, as is the norm, but that somehow Shade's spirit was strong enough to bind it tightly to her will. When Psikaris killed Shade, she couldn't have known that the wraith would escape. There's almost no doubt that it has possessed someone else by now. The only drawback is you can't tell someone is under the influence until you notice their attitude change," Red Eye said.

 

                "In other words, one of Wily Kit, Bengali, or Psikaris is possessed by this wraith?" Lion‑O asked.

 

                "Not necessarily, though likely. The wraith can travel for up to five days without a host. Nightshade may have made it almost anywhere on Third Earth. She may even have taken over a common animal. Her purpose, though, will be revenge. Sooner or later, you can bet she will come for all those responsible for her destruction," Red Eye said, watching Bengali shift uncomfortably.

 

                "And I'm willing to bet that the one person we can assume is not Nightshade is Red-Eye," said Luna.  "The rest of us wouldn't have known about the wraiths, so why would she give herself away.  The rest of you, though..."

 

                "And you, Luna," said Mystan with a tight smile.  "It could be you."

 

                "It could be anyone," sighed Tygra.  "If only there were some way to tell.  Cheetara, could your sixth sense pick up on this creature?"

 

                "It couldn't if she were the one."

                "Shut up, Mystan."

 

* * *

 

                "How are they?" Panthro asked.

 

                "Surviving. They'll pull through. They're asleep right now. Alluro's in the next room performing some more tests," Pumyra said.

 

                "You look tired, Pumyra. Why don't you go rest? I'll keep watch."

 

                "Thanks, Panthro. You're a real friend."

 

                You don't know the half of it, Panthro thought, watching Pumyra leave.

 

                Alluro chose that moment to walk in.  Seeing a Thundercat, he sighed.  "Wily Kit's legs were broken, but Pumyra set them.  She also has a few burns, fire- and freezer-based, but she'll be fine.  Now get out of...  Where's Pumyra?"

 

                "She looked tired."

 

                "No rest for the wicked," Alluro muttered, heading back to the other room.  He stopped when the door opened again.  "Chilla.  Ah, good to see you.  You understand burns better than I, so could you..."

 

                "In a minute.  Oh, he's here, too," she said, noticing Panthro.  "Look, this whole Nightshade situation is worse than we thought..."  Chilla then proceeded to outline what Red-Eye said.  "He didn't say how to destroy a wraith, though."

 

                "Maybe you stick it in a bottle until it dies.  Ugh, that's unpleasant.  Poor Shade."  Then, back to business, "Now, about your help..."

 

                Mildly annoyed at the intrusion, Panthro watched the two Lunatacs disappear into the next room.  Chilla complicated things.  She might try to stop him.  Unable to carry out his plan, now bored, Panthro contented himself by listening in on the Lunatacs.

 

                "... should be fine.  Change the bindings twice a day, else the salve hardens and might cause more damage when you try to take the bandages off," Chilla was saying.  There was a short pause, and she continued, "She doesn't look hurt.  Why is she here?"

 

                "She overexerted herself," replied Alluro, mildly exasperated.  "I thought it best to keep an eye on her."  Another pause.  "You're jealous."

 

                "I am not jealous."

 

                "Then stop acting it."  Pause.  "Really, Chilla, stop fighting me.  What's wrong?"  Another pause, then hesitantly, "You don't love me, do you?"

 

                "No, I don't, that's true.  But..."  Chilla took a deep breath.  "My whole life has collapsed.  I've lost all stability.  Knave's gone, I can't count on you always being there for me... even that damned Psychro is dead.  I've got nothing left..."

 

                You're wrong, giggled a silent voice in another room.  You've got me.

 

* * *

 

                Panthro looked about, confused. He appeared to be in some kind of void. Amorphous shapes floated about here and there. He moved gingerly to one and felt a rush of memories.

 

* * *

 

                "Is the Thundertank ready, Panthro?" Lion‑O asked.

 

                "Isn't it always? Come on, let's go teach those Mutants a lesson," Panthro replied.

 

                "Yes. They'll soon regret having attacked those poor Berbils," Lion‑O said.

 

* * *

 

                Panthro pulled away from the blob. The fact that touching one brought back memories disturbed him deeply, but it still gave him no clue as to where he was. "You've awakened at last," a voice hissed.

 

                "Who are you? Where are you?" Panthro shouted.

 

                "So many questions. Most intriguing. We are inside your mind, but you are not in control. I am, for I am Nightshade!" the voice replied.

 

                "Nightshade? Give me back my mind!"

 

                "Not until my task here is done. You see, I chose you because taking over one of the others would be too easy. My revenge on them would not have been perfect. From here I can destroy each one of them: Alluro, Bengali, Wily Kit and especially Psikaris. All of them will fall at your feet and you will be held responsible. How delicious. For now all you can do is watch," Nightshade replied. A window into the real world appeared before Panthro, allowing him to see into the infirmary of Cat's Lair.

 

* * *

 

                Alluro and Chilla walked into the main room of the infirmary and saw Panthro sitting in a chair. "Wily Kit just woke up. I assume that it would be better for you to talk to her rather than me," Alluro said.

 

                Panthro nodded and approached Wily Kit's bed. "You okay?" he asked, watching to see if the Lunatacs were paying attention. They weren't.

 

                "I'm a little shaken, but otherwise I'm fine," she replied.

 

                "That's understandable. You lost your brother and were attacked by Shade. Being shaken is expected."

 

                "What happened to her?"

 

                "She's dead. Don't worry. There's nothing to fear from Shade."

 

* * *

 

                "Wily Kit! Look out!" Wily Kat's ghostly image warned. His sister's head jerked toward him. "That's not really Panthro. You surely must have overheard Chilla. He's being controlled by that wraith!"

 

* * *

 

                Nightshade saw Wily Kit breathe in as if about to scream. "Damn it. She must be able to sense me," she thought, clamping a hand over Kit's mouth. Nightshade grabbed Panthro's nunchakus and sprayed the cub with knock out gas. She would be out for several hours, which meant that the cat would have to be dealt with tonight.  No problem.  Nightshade didn't care if Wily Kit was last any more.  Wily Kit's brother may have killed Knave, but Psikaris killed her.

 

* * *

 

                "So Nightshade's not dead.  I failed."  Psikaris had awakened, not much worse for wear, having just been filled in on her location and the current situation by Alluro and Chilla.  "This is a nightmare."

 

                "We're fairly certain Nightshade has taken up residence in a new host," said Chilla.  "Most likely either a Lunatac or Thundercat.  Everyone is a suspect."

 

                "You wouldn't be, would you?" Psikaris asked Chilla.  "I mean, Nightshade's quest is based on keeping you safe."

 

                Alluro shook his head.  "We've no way of knowing.  I'm sorry, but possessing Chilla might be how Nightshade means to defend her.  Only Nightshade knows who Nightshade is."

 

                "If you were possessed," Psikaris started slowly, "would you yourself know?"

                "I think so," replied Chilla.  "I don't know.  I intend on getting more information out of Red-Eye."

 

                The door opened, and Tygra entered.  "Word from on high... well, on high and on Amok... says that the new policy is that no one is to be alone.  It's groups of three, so I guess you lot are set."

 

                "Hmm, clever," muttered Chilla.  "Only one Nightshade, so she'll always be outnumbered...  Wait.  How extensive is this?"

 

                "I think you're allowed to be alone in the bathroom," Tygra replied, shaking his head.

 

                "What about sleeping?" asked Alluro.  Then with a smirk at Chilla and Psikaris, "I suppose I'm set."  Both Lunatac women harrumphed and ignored him.

 

                "Is Cat's Lair really the best place to be?" asked Psikaris.  "I mean, the Skycruiser is in much better condition.  The security system at least is in good order."

 

                "Yes, and you bypassed it to hijack the ship," Alluro reminded her.  "If Nightshade is in you or myself, or someone like Panthro or Tygra, they could use the ship against us."

 

                "So we just have to do things the old-fashioned way," finished Chilla.  "I'm going to go talk to Red-Eye.  Anyone want to be my escort, or do you think I'll be safe?"

 

                "I need to go tell the new policy to a few more people," said Tygra, "And Panthro and Wily Kit are just in the next room.  I'll walk you partway."

 

                "So chivalrous, these Thundercats," Chilla said dryly, then followed the tiger out.

 

* * *

 

                "Tygra, we need to talk," Panthro said.

 

                "Chilla and I were on our way to find others, I suppose it couldn't hurt to have you along. What is it?" Tygra asked.

 

                "I've been doing some thinking. From what I've heard Nightshade is more or less mist, correct?" Panthro asked.

 

                "That's what Red Eye said, yes," Tygra said.

 

                "Well, if you invented some sort of device that made it seem like the body was dead we could parade everyone through a room with a powerful fan. Surely Nightshade would believe the person to be dead and leave. When she does, you turn on the fan and suck her into a separate room," Panthro said. Tygra stroked his chin thoughtfully.

                "Interesting idea. It might just work. We'll have to avoid telling anyone else this just in case. We wouldn't want to tip off Nightshade, would we?" Tygra said.

 

                "We'll head up to your workroom after this and start right away," Panthro said.

 

                "Great! I suppose that I'm stuck with you two after all. We have to stay in teams of three and you've already blabbed your plans to me," Chilla grumbled.

 

* * *

 

                Tug Mug, Red Eye, Pumyra and Bengali were in one of the guest rooms playing poker. Bengali was holding his newly won gravity carbine while Pumyra was debating whether to wager her belt for the next match. Red Eye and Bengali were doing quite well. "You know, Pumeera. Eef you'd rather, you could bet the rest of your clothes," Tug Mug snickered.

 

                Bengali shot the Lunatac a scathing glance. "Keep your mind out of the gutter or you'll soon wish you had," he growled.

 

                "I'd like to see you try!" Tug Mug replied.

 

                "There you are. We've been looking all over for you. We need to speak to Red Eye," Chilla said.

 

                "That's okay. We'll take this outside," Bengali said as he and Tug Mug left the room. Pumyra shook her head and followed.

 

                "We need to know more about Nightshade. Like what happens to the person when they're possessed," Chilla said.

 

                "Well. No one is 100% certain, but from what Shade says, there's something of a control centre in the brain, and only one person at a time can be at those controls. When a wraith enters the victim, it forces that person out. In time, if they don't regain control, they will become lost in the brain and die," Red Eye said.

 

                "How does one regain control?" Tygra asked.

 

* * *

 

                Panthro growled as the window before him disappeared. "Sorry, cat, I can't have you knowing these things," Nightshade said.

 

* * *

 

                "To my knowledge Shade was the only one who held off a wraith. Most of the doctors suspect that it was due to the undeveloped brain, thus allowing Shade to adapt more rapidly. The only way to get a wraith out is to kill the host. Any time the wraith leaves of its own free will, the host dies. Essentially, having one of these things in you guarantees your death," Red Eye replied.

 

                Carefully Nightshade flipped open Panthro's nunchakus and allowed his sleeping gas to infiltrate the room. All four occupants coughed and fell to the ground, but only one didn't stay that way.

 

* * *

 

                In another room, Ghost was being reminded why she wasn't terribly fond of Lunatacs.  Tycho had taken over as the unofficial Lunatac leader, given that Luna practically had a nervous breakdown, and Mystan had got himself quite thoroughly drunk.  Unfortunately, the snow tigress seemed stuck with Tycho and Mystan.  "Now, if it was Amok," Mystan was saying, sprawled on a couch and trying to look dignified, "If it wasss Amok, we'd all be screwed.  So's not Amok."

 

                "Will you shut up with your theories, Mystan?" Tycho snapped.  "I'm starting to hope she's you, just so I can kill you and shut you up."

 

                Mystan laughed at him.  "S'maybe you're her, eh?  Kill me off, that's one less Lunie to worry about.  'Course, it might be me."  He took another pull from his bottle.  "But's not Amok."

 

                Tycho looked ready to whack the psychic.  Ghost sighed, and declared herself the Official Sensible Person.  "Leave him alone, Tycho.  As long as he's drunk he's not causing any harm..."

 

                "Madam," Mystan said haughtily, "I mayyy be drunk, but you are stripy.  And in the morning, I shall be sober.  A'least until I can get drunk again."

 

                The snow tigress ignored him.  "Maybe we can start a board game or something.  Checkers?  Chess?"

 

                Any other suggestions she could have made were cut off by a burst of laughter from the couch.  Picking himself up off the floor, Mystan smoothed his hair back and declared, "Three-way chess, madam, doesn't intr'st me in the slightest.  I do not swing that way."

 

                Tycho glared at him, then looked back to Ghost.  "Old joke.  Chess would be fine."

 

 

Continued

 

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