Knave strode down the halls of Skytomb, hardly able to believe that soon he and Chilla would be back on Plundarr. His half sister was waiting for him in the Ice-Hypno Flyer, how he hated that name, to take him to the black pyramid where he would meet his destiny. Mumm-Ra, the powerful sorcerer that dwelled within the aforementioned pyramid, had granted Knave magical powers on the condition that he use them to destroy Vampi-Ra. He’d even gone so far as to arrange for the Ice Lunatak/Cheetah hybrid to encounter two other vampires and slay them in preparation.

On his way out he saw the face of the one man who, for once, could not rain on his parade. "Knave, so glad to see you. I hear you’re going out to win us a trip home," Alluro said.

Knave knew the information was false. Only he and Chilla were actually heading home. "That’s right Alluro. For the pride of my people I am slaying the evil Vampi-Ra," he said, rolling his eyes.

"This is wonderful. Either way I win," Alluro said, continuing as he saw Knave’s confused look. "If you win, I get to go back to the moons of Plundarr. If you lose, Chilla loses her protector. She fell for me once, she can’t deny the magnetism we had," Alluro said.

"You forget one thing," Knave said, an evil smile creeping onto his face, "Who’s to say that you’ll live long enough. Maybe I will kill you before I go to battle her."

Alluro waited for the Ice Lunatak to pass him by before launching his crystal ball. It hovered above Knave’s head as the hypnotist’s voice said, "You will not harm Alluro, he is your friend, you will cooperate. You cannot resist me."

"Can’t I?" Knave asked, reaching up and grabbing the crystal. "Here, I believe this is yours," he added, tossing the Lunatak his crystal.

"That’s not my only weapon," Alluro said, producing a flame thrower. The flames licked across Knave’s chest, damaging his shirt, no more.

"That was my favorite shirt. Now I’ll be forced to get angry," Knave said. Blowing his ice breath in such a way that it created a sphere around Alluro. Knave moved behind it and began pushing it outside where Chilla waited.

"He insisted on seeing us off. He’s got a flame thrower in there with him, he’ll get out soon enough," Knave said. Chilla nodded and fired up the engines. Soon Skytomb was no more than a faint speck on the horizon.

Chilla landed the Ice-Hypno Flyer just outside the main entrance. "You wait here. I’ll come for you when the battle is over," Knave said.

"Now is not the time to be protective. It’s my trip home we’re fighting for. I have as much right to battle Vampi-Ra as you do, if not more," Chilla replied. Knave never could say no to his sister if she wanted something, so he relented and allowed her to follow him into the pyramid.

Mumm-Ra lay in his sarcophagus and suppressed a smile. This was too easy. Knave was foolish enough to believe that once Vampi-Ra was dead that he would be transported home with his sister. They’d be lucky if he let them go with their heads attached to their shoulders. Fortunately, Vampi-Ra would be in no condition to complain to the Evil Spirits if his plan worked.

For her part the evil vampire servant looked over at where her five mutant allies remained hidden. Knave may have been able to defeat her, but the addition of cannon fodder made his chances that much slimmer.

"Here Vampi-Ra, where are you?" Knave called out.

"Ancient Spirits of Evil, heed my call and grant me the power to become Vampi-Ra, the ever living!" came the reply from a figure dressed in black from head to toe. Thunder boomed and strange beams of energy emitted from the eyes of the four idols standing guard around the pool. With this strange new power Vampi-Ra grew in stature and glared at Knave through hideous red eyes.

"You have come seeking to destroy me. I think you will find that task a little harder than you expected," Vampi-Ra said, "Mutants, attack!"

Knave hadn’t expected this development. The mutants were a cowardly bunch, given more to hiding under tables than fighting like this. Still, he could imagine how he must look. One lone man holding an icepick against the five of them. Jackalman came first and was dealt a blow to the jaw from Knave’s fist. As he stumbled by Knave slashed across with his weapon and severed his calf muscle.

Slythe and Peregrine were next as the reptile charged forward on foot and the bird soared through the air. Knave controlled his breathing and trapped Slythe completely. On Peregrine, his chest was coated in the stuff. Peregrine toppled to the ground and crashed a few inches away from the cauldron.

Knave jumped aside as one of Monkian’s cannonballs rocketed by him. "Lightning strike my foe!" Knave shouted to the heavens. A great bolt came down through the hole in the ceiling and knocked Monkian across the ground.

"Come on Vultureman, have you lost your nerve? You looked so brave standing beside your companions. Only three of your companions aren’t standing anymore, are they? And one of them can’t do anything but stand still," Knave said, grinning widely at the mutant.

"It’s not my courage I’d be worried about. It’s yours. Especially after you face my new and improved Super Power Potion!" Vultureman said, downing the contents of a glass jar. Instantly the bird-man grew a foot or two, muscles began to grow about his body, and he gained a new confident look.

"You may be right. One man may not be enough, nor one woman, so how about we increase the odds a little, in our favor," Knave said, creating two duplicates each of himself and Chilla. These duplicates were part illusion, and part real, formed out of the rock at their feet. With a simple mental command Knave was able to instruct these creatures to attack Vultureman, and they did so with little efficiency. They caused minor bruises all around the bird’s arms and legs.

Chilla watched her brother in action. He had become more powerful, and in some ways he scared her. She could sense what was coming next, could see his body tense as he prepared to annihilate Vultureman with his lethal cold breath. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Let me, you take care of Vampi-Ra," she said. Knave turned his piercing blue eyes on her and nodded slowly.

Knave raised his icepick and pointed it at Vampi-Ra, who until this point had been standing in the shadows watching the fight. When she saw Knave’s icepick, she beckoned him closer with one long finger.

Chilla built up the energy. She knew that if she failed, all chances of returning home were gone. She had to freeze Vultureman. There was no other option. The wave of cold spread through her body, starting at the feet and working its way to her hands for one massive blast. The four simulacrum and Vultureman were all caught by the blow. She stumbled somewhat, unprepared for how draining such a mighty attack could be. But her brother needed her, she had to join in the fight.

Knave sped past the statue of Vultureman, knowing that one touch would turn him into so much dust, his icepick aimed at Vampi-Ra’s heart, if she had one. "Vampire. You have messed with Clan Iespyk for the last time," he shouted. The evil agent of the Ancient Spirits didn’t move, she continued to wait for Knave to close the gap between them. Although he wondered why she was doing this, he had no time to spare for such thoughts. He didn’t realize his mistake until he ran into the wall and felt Vampi-Ra’s hands on his shoulders.

"It makes perfect sense now, doesn’t it. You’re not the only one skilled with illusions, why would you be. Our powers come from the same place, just as we both own different powers through our heritage and upbringing. These fangs, for example, will make you a vampire yourself, in but a moment," Vampi-Ra hissed into his ear.

His icepick lay on the ground, where it had fallen when he’d hit the wall. There was no chance to grab it. He couldn’t out fight her. "I’m dead," Knave thought, even as he felt her breath, warm on his neck.

"Not so fast, my dear," Chilla hissed, pulling Vampi-Ra away.

"Ah, perfect. A hostage. Maybe I should compare the taste of pure Ice Lunatak to half-breed blood," she replied, backhanding Chilla.

"Don’t you ever harm her again!" Knave said, throwing himself at Vampi-Ra.

The two rolled across the ground, fists and claws raking each other. In the middle of the fight Knave was aware that the stitchings that held the skin to his face, due to a recent injury, had come loose and that it was now dangling loosely.

"I must say, that is an improvement," Vampi-Ra said with a smile. Chilla merely gasped and turned away in revulsion.

Knave paused, waiting the brief moment it would take for his killing ice to charge itself. Soon the hated Vampi-Ra would be no more. It was somewhat ironic that she stood next to where Vultureman stood in much the same condition, caught swinging at a Chilla duplicate. "Prepare to breathe your last, if your kind does breathe," Knave said softly.

Even as Knave breathed his lethal cold breath, Vampi-Ra grabbed Chilla and thrust her between herself and the cold, knowing that the half-breed would be unable to stop it in time. "Oh dear, you’ll have to be more careful in the future. Maybe I’ll just shatter her right now," Vampi-Ra said smoothly.

It felt odd to Chilla, her body having become ice. She wondered why she wasn’t dead yet, by all rights, she should be. Maybe it was because she was still in one piece, or maybe it had something to do with her Ice Lunatak heritage. If it was the former then Vultureman too might be alive. If it was the latter then she owed her parents many thanks.

Vampi-Ra was about to hit the statue when a powerful bolt of lightning struck her in the chest. It knocked her backwards so that she lay next to Peregrine, breathing harshly. She quickly removed the ice from around his chest and urged him onwards.

Now it was Peregrine’s turn to lock hands with Knave in a test of strength. Neither one had any problems with cheating in a fight, although Knave’s cheetah half pleaded with him not to. Peregrine jabbed his beak into Knave’s chest even as the Lunatak spat non-lethal ice onto him, covering him completely.

Knave stumbled and watched as Vampi-Ra moved closer. Mentally he kept track of where Chilla was, so that she remained unharmed in the combat. If he could reach his icepick, he might be able to heal her when all was said and done.

"Stop right there Vampi-Ra. We cannot allow you to harm anyone with Thunderian blood," came a voice from the entrance of the pyramid.

"The Thundercats. No, this isn’t possible!" Vampi-Ra hissed.

"It is indeed possible. Now surrender so we can take Knave out of here and reform him to our side," Lion-O said.

"Go jump off of Cat’s Lair," Knave spat.

"Why would I do a thing like that? That’s quite dangerous, you know," Lion-O replied.

"We’ll continue this fight later," Vampi-Ra said, "for now we should battle together to defeat the Thundercats."

"I couldn’t agree more," Knave said, finally getting a chance to retrieve his weapon.

The Thundercats moved closer as Vampi-Ra prepared to loose a powerful spell. Behind her Knave readied his icepick and rammed it through the vampire’s chest, its killing power spreading throughout her body.

It was a totally new experience for Vampi-Ra. Her body was being torn apart as though struck by the infernal sun. A sense of betrayal hit her. There was no way for her to escape this time, just die.

"Great Jaga, Lion-O. Did you see that?" Tygra asked.

"Yes I did Tygra. Knave is such an evil man, there’s no way he could become a Thundercat," Lion-O replied.

"I don’t think we could beat him. He’s just too good," Panthro added.

"Yes. Luckily for us, we’re just illusions, we don’t actually have to fight," Tygra said, as the Thundercats vanished.

Knave aimed his icepick at Chilla and concentrated, allowing the healing magic from the icepick to draw on his other magical powers, to heal his half-sister. She staggered and collapsed in his arms, weakened greatly by the ordeal.

"All right Mumm-Ra. I’ve fulfilled my end of the bargain, now send us home," Knave said loudly.

"Foolish Lunatak. Did you really think that Mumm-Ra the ever living could be trusted into sending you home? You are very wrong," the demon priest replied.

"What? You surely realize what folly it is to refuse me. I’ve taken on the Mutants and Vampi-Ra, defeating them all in one day. I can defeat you too," Knave replied.

"That may be true, were it not for one thing. I created you, and I can destroy you. For daring to threaten me, I withdraw my powers from you!" Mumm-Ra said.

Knave had never had his skull split open, but it felt like that was what was happening. Mumm-Ra’s power tore huge chunks of information from his head, almost as though the brain itself were being torn apart. He had to use his healing energy one more time, before it was too late.

From where Monkian lay on the floor he felt his strength returning, he rose, stretched and watched as Vultureman thawed out, Peregrine and Slythe shattered their ice prisons, Jackalman’s legs mended and, scariest of all Mumm-Ra seemed to be regaining some of the flesh he had owned in life. The evil sorcerer cried out in pain, forcibly removing the last of the magical information from Knave’s brain.

Chilla caught her half-brother and dragged him quickly outside to the waiting Ice-Hypno Flyer. Behind her, in a state of confusion, the mutants began to flee in terror, rushing by her without offering any assistance.

Mumm-Ra roared in pain and agony. The experience of having flesh beginning to adhere to his bones had been excruciating. He tore it off in contempt and threw it to the ground atop Vampi-Ra’s ashes. Then he tossed the pile into the cauldron. That would teach the Ancients to try and replace him.

Far away, in another time, another place, watching Mumm-Ra through their own cauldron, the four Ancient Spirits stood. "Now, if only he could put forth that kind of commitment to destroying the Thundercats," one said.

"Maybe we should tell him that they’re our new servants," a second said.

"Or maybe we should get involved, do it ourselves," a third said.

As bad luck would have it, Alluro was the only Lunatak available for medical duty. He’d examined Chilla, much too thoroughly for her tastes, before moving onto Knave. The pure bred Ice Lunatak had left the two alone, that she might rest.

When Knave woke up, he found himself looking up into Alluro’s face. "I thought you’d be home by now," Alluro snickered.

"I did prove you wrong though. I did succeed, and I’m still alive," Knave replied weakly.

"True, but it seems that now I have the upper hand. Just as you threatened to kill me, I could equally arrange for you to have an accident. An extra dose of medicine perhaps," Alluro said.

"You won’t, for Chilla’s sake," Knave replied.

"No, you’re probably right. I guess I’m overly sentimental that way," Alluro said.

"Oh goody," Knave said.

"There’s some bad news though. All those wonderful magical powers you had, they’re gone. Mumm-Ra must have been very meticulous. I doubt you’ll even remember how to perform the simplest of tricks," Alluro said.

"Chilla tell you all this, or is it just your expert opinion?" Knave asked.

"A bit of both. There’s a lot of brain damage. The rest isn’t hard to guess," Alluro said.

Knave lay back, trying to remember his glory days, when he was still nigh invincible.

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