Memoirs of a RAFian

[Cloak]

New chapter.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN:
Rendezvous

"Hey, what is that?" GH asked, pulling out his own phone, almost as if to check. "It's not mine."

"I didn't take it," Leatherhead said immediately. Both adults cast looks at the six-year-old in a humansuit. Leatherhead was apparently unaware that he said anything indicating a guilty conscience. Cloak's Earthsight caught the lie uttered, although, technically, it wasn't a lie.

"This appears to be the controller to Kluge's mass-produced moodulators," Cloak said, deciding to let it slide.

However, GH wasn't willing to let it slide, and said, uncharacteristicall y stern and firm, "Leatherhead Sirois, we'll talk about taking things that aren't yours, and doing so without permission, later."

Leatherhead looked as if he wanted to protest, that he hadn't technically taken it without permission. But GH had used his full name -- that was equivalent to human parents using the middle name to scold a child. He knew better than push his luck. Leatherhead might be a bit impetuous, but he was still a good kid, after all. Leatherhead was wise enough to know if he argued with his adoptive daddy right now, it would just make matters worse.

"The question remains, however," Cloak mused, ignoring GH's parenting obligation, focused on the controller and its implications. "Did any of the moodulators survive Kluge's destruction of them?"

"How d'you know he destroyed them?" GH asked, prudently.

"I imagine that he didn't like people breaking into his workspace and demanding he hand over his creations, his devices." Cloak said, though realizing that this was all speculative assumptions. "I imagine that he wouldn't want to deal with anyone like those three Knights. I imagine he didn't enjoy being shook down for his inventions."

"But we don't know for sure," GH pointed out.

"Actually, we do." Cloak contradicted, looking at the screen of the moodulator controller.

***

"Look, Leroy," Irma said. "I'm sorry that I've been so hard on you, when we were --"

"It's okay," Leroy said. "I see it now. I was a bumbling idiot. I never thought anything through."

"I wasn't faultless, though," Irma said. She seemed a lot calmer now, a lot less angry. It was almost as if the moodulators remapped her brain -- or just allowed her more vulnerable side to reconcile her rampant anger. "I just felt so angry. All the time. Just wanting . . . "

"It's okay," Leroy said, displaying more maturity than he had ever had before this incident with the moodulators had opened his eyes. Since they had helped him open his mind. "You don't have to say anything that you don't want to."

Irma looked at him, and brushed her hair behind her right ear as they walked away. She remembered being . . . uh, really focused on him a few hours ago. She still found it embarrassing, but more that it was public and not so much that it was with Leroy. She saw him in a completely new light now.

They held hands as they walked down the street with their suitcases.

[Cloak]

New chapter.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN:
Dangerous Implications, Dangerous Applications

"What do you mean?" GH asked.

"There's an indicator on the screen," Cloak pointed out. "Apparently, there's a signal or something that this controller can sense whether one is destroyed. All the moodulators have been destroyed. But one."

"But where could that one be?" GH asked.

"There appears to be some sort of GPS function on this," Cloak said.

"There is?" Leatherhead said. Then, after a beat, he asked, "What's a GPS?"

"Global positioning satellite," Cloak answered without looking up.

"Oh," Leatherhead said, despite still not understanding. He wanted to ask what that was, but was afraid of pushing his luck.

"Huh. Interesting," Cloak muttered.

Despite himself, Leatherhead asked, "What is?"

"It seems that the moodulator -- if I'm reading this map right -- is somewhere inside this very forum." the Realm Walker stated, matter-of-fact.

"Really? How?"

"It must have clung to one of us as we left Kluge's lab," Cloak speculated. "Anyway, it doesn't matter how, it just matters that its here somewhere."

"What's a moodulator do?" Leatherhead asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"It manipulates the emotions of who it attaches to," Cloak said. "If our information is right, anyway."

"Could it remap the brain to feel differently, though, Cloak?" GH said, as if he had just thought of it.

"I do not know," Cloak said. "All I know that moodulators only work on humans, as Kluge had evidently mapped all emotional effects on a human brain. Why the Knights wanted them, I don't know -- although, from those three Knights' rhetoric clearly meant that they thought it was mind control."

"We should feel lucky that they were so misinformed," GH said, seriously. "Can you imagine if they knew what these moodulators were potentially capable of? It would be child's play to remap people's emotions to hating anyone not like themselves -- the moodulators could be a prejudice manufacturing device. It could turn so many people over to the Knights' side . . ."

"Assuming that it even could remap the human brain in such a way," Cloak said.

Naturally, six-year-old Leatherhead was lost at this conversation, having no idea what they were talking about. Despite looking like a human child at the moment, he wasn't. The moodulators wouldn't have any effect on him, but he didn't seem to understand it -- or, subconsciously, not want to know.

"But, still, the implications . . ." GH said, eyes wide with the possible threat inexplicably averted by sheer chance.

"The Knights would have gone from pathetic jokes to legitimate threats," Cloak agreed. "But still, no technology is without its inherent flaws. Perfection is an impossibility, after all. Not to mention, highly subjective."

[Cloak]

New chapter.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN:
Locating the Final Moodulator

"I think he called them 'moodulators'," Blue said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "They were designed to manipulate human emotions."

"I can verify that," Shin said, heavily. "I assume my . . . uh, episodes happened when it was active."

"Would make sense," Blue commented benignly.

"It felt as if all of my other emotions were being suppressed completely to the exclusion of whatever the selected one was -- courage, fear, anger, greed, hope, love, compassion. I was able to resist some of them, but --"

"Meaning that these would be incredibly dangerous in the wrong hands," Blue said, eyeing the moodulator in his hand. His eyes narrowed at it. "Can you imagine what people like the Knights or -- God forbid -- Malice got their hands on it?"

"Who's Malice?" Shin asked.

Blue exhaled slowly, and Shin wondered if he had something wrong, if he had overstepped his bounds somehow.

"You'll probably meet her soon enough," Blue said.

Shin bit back further follow-up questions, but Blue sighed, as he capitulated.

"Malice is a Realm Walker," Blue said.

"Like Cloak?"

"Same species, yes," Blue said, "but the two aren't remotely alike. Malice is like an eight-hundred-year-old octogenarian."

"Wow."

"Bear in mind, Shin, that Cloak is two hundred and seventy," Blue said.

"He is?"

"Realm Walkers age one year for every ten of ours," Blue said, "or, at least, that's how Cloak explains it. But we're getting off track. This thing can be immensely dangerous."

"Understandably so," Shin agreed, as they left their training area so they could find a proper way to destroy it without a trace. "It could turn any crowd into a riotous mob. Turn a peaceful man violence-prone."

"The implications could be far more dire than that, young one," said a voice to their left.

"Cloak?" Blue asked, as he came up with GH and Leatherhead, in his humansuit (i.e. his play suit).

"Is that the last moodulator?" Cloak said, apparently in a hurry to get to the point.

"One of them," Blue said, holding it up as if he was about to play a card in a Yu-Gi-Oh! card.

"Its the last one, apparently according to this controller," Cloak said, showing what looked like your basic smartphone. "The last one to be destroyed."

[Cloak]

New chapter.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:
Finality

"May I see that moodulator, Blue?" Cloak said, holding out an expectant hand. Blue complied, dropping the device as if it was a grotesque tick into Cloak's gloved palm.

"What are you going to to do with it?" Shin asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Ensure that it cannot be used for ill," Cloak said, raising it to his hood.

"You're not going to put it on, are you?!" Shin said, immediately concerned.

Cloak chuckled, which perplexed Shin. Cloak said, "These moodulators affect human emotions. I am not human. It cannot affect me as Realm Walker emotions haven't been mapped like Kluge did with human brains."

"Then why --" Shin began.

"Just some certainty and finality to destroy the last moodulator." Cloak said. "Realm Walkers wear these cloaks for a functional reason, and not just a fashionable one, Shinobi."

"I -- I don't understand," the boy said, scratching his head.

"Cloak, my friend, I think we need to dispense with the lofty explanations and demonstrate the dangers of a cloakless Realm Walker," Blue said, genially.

"You could have just said that a demonstration was in order," GH said, "what is with people and being so wordy today?"

"Don't make me give you the Techadon treatment, GH," Cloak teased, with a mock warning tone.

GH glared at him, and his voice briefly seemed to go up an octave at the memory, "That was a low blow, Cloak."

GH didn't appreciate the Realm Walker's chuckling at his response.

"I still don't understand," Shin said, bringing them back on track.

Cloak stuck the moodulator beneath his hood, leaving only one of the clamp brackets outside his corona because that's the part he held. After a few moments, he brought out, and only that singular clamp bracket remained. Shin's eye widened at this.

"Yes, Realm Walkers, you see, have a rather hazardous corona that is blocked by the cloak," Cloak said.

"How d'you eat?" Shin asked after a moment.

***

Meanwhile, back at Dr. Kluge's laboratory, he was currently cleaning it up. He tsk tsk'd about the mess he had to make to destroy and dispose of the moodulators. He considered them failed experiments. Failed in the way that they were really far more trouble than they were worth.

He would just have to come up with another experiment that wouldn't draw so much attention. Maybe put that minor in quantum physics he had to use. Surely that would keep him away from these insane intruders -- he didn't want any of that again.

Perhaps that one project he put on the back burner so many years ago. Not only that it might work, he might actually make bank off it . . . it might be worth the effort.

[Cloak]

New chapter.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:
What's the Use of Feeling Blue?

Cloak knelt in a room, before a monument of his late aunt, Wheeza. He sighed as he pulled down his hood and teared up. Behind him, the door opens as . . . his mother entered.

"Please tell me you're joking." she said

Cloak rankled, apparently unnoticed by his ursine mother.

"You only just left, and you're already back?"

"Go away," Cloak snarled.

"I'm here to bring you back to reality, son."

"I'm fine. Just leave me alone." Cloak growled.

Then she began to scold him, but he tuned it out. Eventually, he had to snap, "Why can't you just let me grieve?!"

"You can't keep coming here forever!"

"If I've the inclination, yes, I can!" Cloak said, he still hadn't turned around.

His mother paced around behind him, and sang:

"Why would you want to be here?
What do you ever see here
That doesn't make you feel worse than you do?
And tell me, what's the use of feeling blue?"

"Go away."

"Oh, tell me, what's the use of feeling blue?
An army has a use. They can go and fight a war.
The media has a use. They can tell you what it's for.
A Mercy terrifies. A Master terraforms.
Where's their Elements Master when they need him, son?
You've got to be a leader, son!"

"Go away," was Cloak's only response.

"Yes, of course, we still love her,
And we're always thinking of her.
But, now, there's nothing we can do, so tell me!
How can you stand to be here with it all?
Drowning in all this regret?
Wouldn't you rather forget her? Ohh!
Won't it be grand to get rid of it all?
Let's make a plan of attack! Start looking forward and stop looking back!"

"I'm not going to say it again," Cloak warned.

"Oh, yes, of course, we still love her,
And we're always thinking of her.
Don't you know I miss her, too?
But tell me. What's the use of feeling?
What's the use of feeling?
What's the use of feeling?"

When she turned around, Cloak was gone, tired of her interference, but she thought she had won. Of course, it was at this point that Cloak awoke.


SOURCE SONG: https://youtube.com/watch?v=dtA-juh3rf4

[Cloak]

New chapter.

CHAPTER NINETEEN:
A Searching Sniper

Blaze was dispatched to a jungle area where the most recent fiend was found, wrecking havoc. Blaze was not a fan of this jungle. It pressed in so tightly around him, almost in a claustrophobic sort of way. There was not nearly enough room for him to extend his wings to their full wingspan, which led him to feel the whole place was confining. It didn't help that the native species felt a rather disobliging inclination to be busy just now when he needed to get through this heavy foliage.

"Why me?" he moaned as he pressed onward.

He pressed on, until the point that he had to use his sword to slash some of the thicker vegetation. Imagine his elation when he saw the open sky. He saw some odd brackets, as if someone with a whip or a whip-like appendage or flagellum of some sort could use them to swing onward. He didn't need to such a thing -- he had wings, and, by gum, he was gonna use them.

He shot from the spot on which he stood, and elated on being in the air. Feeling the wind in his face, the buoyant lift on his wings that kept him aloft. Was there ever such a feeling of freedom? He floated above what appeared to be an abandoned military base that was nearly entirely reclaimed by the jungle.

Wait, no. That emblem. This was another discarded Cadmus base. Those guys had bases EVERYWHERE, it seemed.

Blaze burst through several unmaintained blast doors, not even landing or slowing down, showcasing his aerial agility and his pyrokinetic accuracy. And, yes, he was showboating a little. It was in no time when he came upon the fiend in a heavily forested area with a canopy "ceiling" and bushes everywhere.

The bicephalic fiend had camouflage pattern swathed over it. Its right cranium was like a sniper's camouflage helmet, with a black mouth plate and two human-like eyes (blue sclera and pale brown irises). Its left head had a human like face and tawny hair, and its eyes had pale brown sclera and blue irises. Both necks were white, with green collars. Its wide, broad torso was colored in camouflage, with a scope inside it, and its comedically large, dark red shoulders. Connected to these shoulders were white and their forearms were in camouflage. Its right hand was a long bazooka. Its left wrist and knees were a pale green. It had a deep purple ring around its waist. Its thighs were white and its shins were colored in camouflage. Its pontoon-like feet were scarlet with silver soles. Its left hand was black.

""You are one UGLY mother--" Blaze said, before he could stop himself. But, to the RAFian's confusion, the fiend jumped away and hit. It didn't yet occur to him that this fiend was, in effect and aesthetically, a sniper.

He figured it out rather quickly, though, when it began to take tracking potshots at him. He managed to slash through them and block them with his sword. He decided to get proactive, and he slashed his way through the bushes until he found the fiend. Then he punched it upward, and ignited his blade. Then he went to town slashing the fiend, as if he was performing a Final Smash.

It was done, and Blaze simply flew away.

***

Demos called it a "sachisapien". He designed it as a sniper, and refused to expound upon this.

***

Malice watched dispassionately. She hadn't come up with any good schemes in a while. She found this depressing.

[Cloak]

New chapter.

BOOK CLXV:
BOUND TOGETHER
CHAPTER ONE:
Astro Nut

Parker was dispatched to the local planetarium. He wasn't exactly enthused about going after another fiend. He wondered how many more they had left to take care of. Demos really had too much time to create all these things -- he had clearly abused his laboratory privileges.

His reluctance to do this wouldn't make it go any faster, so he pressed onward into the planetarium. And, from the moment he stepped into the planetarium, he knew something was up.

It looked as if he stepped onto a techno-organic alien world, one that was overly saccharine and kid-friendly. Parker, suffice it to say, wasn't a fan.

"Tyr, screen out the holograms," Parker said. After a few minutes, Parker snarled, "Don't you sass me, just do it."

Suddenly, through his helmet, he saw the planetarium as it really was. Granted, if he removed his helmet, he would see the hologram yet again, as it was the helmet filtering out the hologram. He trotted through the planetarium, until he ran into another hologram, different from the previous one. It was an indoor, three-dimensional maze of cartoonish structures and button puzzles.

"Tyr, stop being a petulant child," Parker barked. "I distinctly said to filter out all of the holograms."

Once again, the hologram faded as Parker ignored Tyr's complaints. The two were like an old married couple at this point. Then he continued along, until he ran into yet another hologram. This one of a sinking building and he would have to climb upwards to escape, if he was to follow along with the premise of the hologram.

"Tyr . . ." Parker said, now getting annoyed.

The hologram vanished, and Parker continued along. He was nearing the heart of the facility, and the fiend would be lurking there, he knew. But then another hologram started up, a new maze. But it vanished before Parker could say a word.

With that, Parker made it to the central part of the facility, and he was right. The fiend was here, floating in the upper left corner of the room. The fiend had a red screen with pale purplish-black dots which passed for eyes. Its cranium was silver with a barometer like structure as a crest. It had an all-metal collar around its sunken with white highlight. It had spherical golden shoulders, and thick, silver arms. Its spherical hands were white with four thick silver fingers and one thick thumb on each one. It had a white backpack and a black regulator-type on the center of its chest. It had a white waist, and spherical white lower body, evidently able to manipulate its own personal gravity, as well as two spherical orbs orbiting around it.

It noticed him, and seemed terrified of having to fight him. Parker almost felt bad, until he reminded himself that this fiend had already severely injured a planetary worker, while the others managed to escape. And the fiend provoked the attack by attacking Parker first.

It basically caused its orbiting orbs to bounce of the walls and attack Parker, who just took out his gun and began to snipe at the fiend. Some shots went into the orbs, but most hit home. After about seven shots, the fiend was disposed off. Dissolving into ashes, as all of the fiends before now did.

Parker then left.

***

Demos called it an "astrosapien", and that he designed it as a mascot of sorts for a planetarium (which was unsolicited). He wouldn't go more into the subject.

***

Malice found it irritatingly frustrating at her perception of the fiend's cowardice, and just how easy and uneventful that battle was.

[Cloak]

Sorry that I'm not posting as regularly as I used to, it's mostly me being tired from work and developing another series (seperate from Memoirs and RAFians) that I actually like how its shaping up.

New chapter.

CHAPTER TWO:
Set Yourself Free

Cloak was back in the prison that was his mother's house. He sang to himself:

"Locked inside a shack.
Kept behind a wall.
Sheltered from a realm I've barely known.
That’s the way she treats me.
And what’s worst of all --
Who's to blame? Just me and me alone."

Then the scene cinematically fades to a blank background as Wheeza comes up, and places her hand on her shoulder. This was big since Realm Walkers weren't big on the contact comfort thing that humans and other Dwellers are all too familiar with.

Wheeza sang:

"There's much more inside of you than anyone can see ,
And now the choice is yours.
Life waits beyond the doors.
So, step on through, the time has come,
And only you can set yourself free!
No one else can tell you what to do
Or who to be!
No one gets to say if you will stay or go.
So, use the gifts you're given.
Make the world your own.
Look inside your heart and find the key,
And set yourself free!"

He had left with her. It is important to note that at this point, it was obvious that this was a dream, and Cloak was even semi-lucid. He was lucid enough to know that none of this was really real, and Wheeza was just some oneirokinetic construct, but it was like a memory. A cherished memory.

"Bound up by your worries .
Trapped by your mistakes.
Forced to play a role you never chose.
Why not test your limits?
You've got what it takes!
Let it out and follow where it goes!
No more letting someone else define you to a tee.
You know that you are strong.
You've known it all along.
So seize the day, let down your hair.
You’ll find a way to set yourself free!"

Cloak wanted so badly for this to be more than just a memory. That Wheeza had come back for him, like Sage, like Aniyu . . . but she couldn't. He knew it, deep down. But that didn't mean he couldn't wish with all his heart for it to be so.

"Now it's up to you and what you'll do,
And who you'll be.
You get to decide how far and wide you go.
So, look to the horizon,
Open up your wings!
Fly away to find your destiny
And set yourself free"

And with the ending note, she vanished into nothingness, leaving Cloak crying out, "No! Please! Don't leave me again! Wheeza! Don't . . . leave me."

It was at this point that Cloak awoke, and he immediately flung his legs over his bed. He haunched over and buried his faces in his hands.

"Why?" he bawled. He was alone and unseen in his windowless thread. So he didn't feel any compunction to "man up". "Why is this so hard?"


SOURCE SONG: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Xdk4ETEvBCM

[Cloak]

New chapter.

CHAPTER THREE:
A Sticky Solution

Dr. Emanuel Kluge had found his new project. He was working on an adhesive that he could make bank off of. He was designing it on a quantum level, trying to make the ultimate adhesive -- better than superglue. Ultra glue! Perhaps calling it "Ultra Goo"? Nah, that's stupid. "Ultra glue" will serve as the proper nomenclature.

He had only expected to make it on the molecular level, which would have been significantly easier than the end result. But this was beyond that. This adhesive would not let go. And it would be very dangerous to get on one's skin or clothing.

There was no dissolving agent he discovered, though he did suspect of a possible one. But he had yet to make this solution or test it.

***

Meanwhile, in the Bannedlands, Queen was talking to AlothAssassin with her grandiose plans. Aloth wasn't really interested, but Queen took no notice of this. She only did when Aloth posed a question of who would get top billing. Correctly interpreting her silence, he asked if his name would even get any billing whatsoever.

"Yes, my name -- space bar, space bar, space bar -- your name."

Aloth was less than pleased with such an answer. He was even less than pleased when she started to sing:

"I'm number one,
You're number two.
We're Banned at large,
But I'm at larger than you.
I'm number one,
You're number two.
I believe in equality
As long as you get less than me!
I'm one --"

Aloth tonelessly spoke-sang:

"You're one --"

"You're number two!"

"I'm number two."

Queen started the next verse, singing directly to Aloth:

"You may think that you're smarter,
But I'm smarter than you!
I'm number one!
You're number two!
You're lucky to be number two,
Not number three!
I can see by the look in your eye that
You want to get the bigger piece of the pie
One day, you'll get your chance.
But in the meantime, you've got to dance monkey dance!"

Aloth snarled, "I hate dancing."

"Do it!

"Dance, monkey, dance!"

Ha ha!"

Aloth spoke-sung bitterly:

"I'm number two.
She's number one.
I can't believe I'm working for this comedian.
I'm number two.
She's number one."

"I'm number one!"

"You know life's gone to the dogs
When your boss is an ideologue.
I can see it's just a matter of time before she's gone
And I'm at the front of the line.
It won't be long 'til I get my chance.
But, in the meantime, I've got to dance, monkey, dance."

"Dance, monkey, dance!
Now, watch me!
I'm number one!"

"She's number one."

"You're number two!"

"I'm number two."

"That's it, kid. There you go.
Now step aside, this ain't your show!
I'm one!"

"I'm one."

"I'm number one!"

"Yes, we know!"

"I'm number one!
That's how it's done!"

Aloth was still less than impressed.

"Aloth," Queen said, in what she clearly thought was a commanding, impressive way, "go get the thing!"


SOURCE SONG: https://youtube.com/watch?v=e4m27BipdvQ

[Cloak]

New chapter.

CHAPTER FOUR:
A Parting of Ways

"Yeah, yeah," Aloth said, "when I'm good and ready."

"DO AS I SAY, YOU WORTHLESS PIPSQUEAK!!" Queen roared.

"Ya know something?" Aloth countered, rounding on Queen. "You're nothing without me."

"WHAT?!"

"Who comes up with all the good ideas? Me!" Aloth shouted. "Who does all the work? Me!"

"If it weren't for ME, you'd be out on your own, starving and alone!"

Suddenly, as Aloth was getting fed up, music started up.

"That's it! I've had it!
I hate to be dramatic,
But it's time for me to fly the coop.
Terrific! Fine!
I'm drawin' the line
Before I wind up in a Grammy's* soup!
I was a fool to let you run the show.
I'm cuttin' ya loose, pal!
Look out below!
Arrividerci! C'est la vie!
Hope all goes well!
I'm lookin' out for me!"

With that, Aloth stormed outside and strode away from the Banned headquarters as the troll army looked on stupidly.

"Okay! I'm little,
Been playin' second fiddle,
And I don't get any respect.
I turn the other cheek,
But this busted beak
Is the only thanks that I get!
I never found a friend that I can trust.
They promise caviar,
And leave me eatin' dust!
That's some reward for loyalty.
From here on in,
I'm lookin' out for me!
Oh, I don't need nobody else.
I'll never fail,
I'll cover my own tail.
I can take care of myself!"

Queen, always the control freak, was outraged that Aloth got out from under thumb, and began to follow him.

"You know, it just don't pay
To give a hoot.
I'm givin' all my heart
What do I get?
The boot!
I'm through with that,
I'm walkin' free!
From here on in,
I'm lookin' out for me!"

"Not unless I say you can!" Queen roared. "Whether you want to admit it, Number Two, you need me!"


SOURCE SONG: https://youtube.com/watch?v=DxgHLsF2hio

* A "TFS At the Table" reference.

[Cloak]

New chapter.

CHAPTER FIVE:
Who Needs You?

"Watch me, Queen," Aloth said.

Queen grabbed his upper arm tightly, to which Aloth smacked her. Her shock was the only thing that allowed Aloth to pull free of her grip.

"How dare you strike me, Aloth," she said.

"Who needs you?" Aloth said angrily.

"And who needs you?" Queen countered angrily.

Aloth pointed an accusing finger at Queen.

"I need you like a hole in the head."

Queen responded with pointing a finger as if she were Phoenix Wright.

"And I need you like a bug in the bed."

Aloth countered:

"You constantly bite the hand that feeds you!"

Both sang:

"Who needs you? Not me!!"

Aloth sang:

"I need you like a punch in the gut!"

Queen sang:

"Oh, yeah? And I need you like a kick in the butt!
You truly disgrace the race that breeds you!"

Both sang:

"Who needs you? Not me!!"

Queen sang:

"Who needs you?
You're ugly as sin.
Just a scraggly bag of skin!"

Aloth countered again:

"And who needs you?
You're thin-skinned and a bore,
Draggin' your trolls 'round the floor!"

"Oh, I need you like a boulder on my toes!"

"And I need you like a sock on my nose!
I'm shocked and appalled by your behavior."

"Don't try bein' nice
'Cause that won't save ya!"

Together they sang:

"I'm better off without you I can see.
So, who needs you? Not me!!"

Aloth sang:

"I need you like a cold in July![/]"

Queen countered:

"And I need you like a punch in the eye!"

"Of all the dumb beasts
Not one precedes you!"

Together, they sang:

"Who needs you? Not me!!"

Queen sang:

"I need you like I need a disease!

Aloth countered:

"Oh-ho, and I need you like the sun needs to freeze! . . . Again.
For quickness of mind,
A rock outspeeds you!"

They sang together:

"Who needs you? Not me!!"

Queen sang:

"Who needs you?
You cross-eyed crazy critter.
You twitter and squawk
And you're knock-kneed when you walk!"

Aloth countered:

"And who needs you?
Ya flat-foot, four-foot quitter!
You're bitter and you're mad
'Cause you're as ugly that cad!!"

"Oh, I need you like I need some more teeth!"

"I lift a rock and find you underneath!
I'm deeply upset by your demeanor!"

"I know that I'm mean
But you're de meaner!"

They then sang in unison:

"No more unlikely pair could ever be!"

Queen sang:

"The word is incompatibility!"

Aloth countered:

"Not only that,
We don't get on, you see!"

Together, they sang:

"So, who needs you,
Except the race that breeds you?
Who needs you?"

Queen:

"Not me!!"

Aloth:

"Not me!!"

"Not me!!"

"Not me!!"

Together, they concluded:

"Not me!"

With that, they go their separate ways, with Queen now becoming the sole Banned in the Bannedlands.


SOURCE SONG: https://youtube.com/watch?v=TxigJoKRv1Q

[Cloak]

Sorry that this book's story is progressing so slowly. Hopefully, because what I have in mind, it will pay off.

New chapter.

CHAPTER SIX:
Aloth and Queen Alone

Aloth had been fuming and grousing for a long time after what he felt and hoped to be the final confrontation with Queen. She was really too full of herself. He did everything -- EVERYTHING! While she sat up in her little throne room upon her paper mache chair. Aloth was sure -- sure! -- the Bannedlands were verdant fields with sparkling water just like the forum both he and Queen were Banned from.

Perhaps he should have lied better or maybe have not have been so rude, and he did don several unique and clever disguises, to get back into the forum. He, to this day, didn't know how they were seen through -- despite the disguises being quite easily seen through. He never seemed to realize that he wasn't a cartoon protagonist, and such disguises only worked within the confines of those realms. But he was certain, in his own arrogant, supercilious way, that those disguises were infallible. The Mark wasn't a thing at this point, and, as such, neither was the scar-like Mark of the Banned. So, his disguising abilities were . . . less than impressive.

He eventually stopped when they forced him into the Bannedlands, and he lost his resources to make any more of, in his opinion, his ingenius disguises. And after awhile, he felt his skill atrophied (though the fact of whether he even had talent -- well, consensus would have that he didn't). He had only served Queen until this point because she intimidated him. Until she had him fed up with the piss poor treatment.

Then he saw a stucco building off to his right, about nine o'clock. He thought that he might have some resources there to make a disguise. . . .

***

Queen was fuming and grousing just as much as Aloth, upon her ramshackle throne. She had decreed once that this throne be made from the blood and bones of her enemies, from which she can oversee her relentless reign of terror over the troll masses. She sat with her hand on her cheek, bored and irritated with the limited intelligence of the trolls which made up the entirety of the Bannedlands which she ruled over with an iron fist -- which was incredibly difficult with trolls, considering how abjectly stupid they were.

Especially those with the trumpet horns*. They were more stupid than the rest, and apparently they took pride in their stupidity, misconstruing it as shrewdness of thought and, ironically enough, intelligence. They were easy enough to mislead with propaganda and misinformation, as they swallowed it with little difficulty or skepticism. It helped that they saw skepticism as stupidity -- which, again, was ironic in its way. But this held no enjoyment for Queen, who found conversations with a brick wall as more scintillating conversations than those with these trolls, especially with the Trumpet Horns.

It's the reason why she didn't banish Yorick and Aloth away, despite Yorick bening there before her, roughly. She was the leader here. She called the shots here. She gave the orders, and everyone else was expected to follow them. Aloth included!

How dare he . . . ! How dare he sass her like that! How dare he turn his back on her! She hadn't gave him permission to leave! She hadn't allowed it!! And, yet, he still left!! The gall! The gall that he had to disobey her!! Disobey a direct command, a direct order, she issued!

Those RAFians had the same problem. They refused to see when she clearly knew better. They refused to obey her when she clearly knew what was best for the moment. She knew so much more than those . . . those . . . those CHILDREN.

She took two deep breaths, quickly recognizing that she was working herself into a state. She calmed herself down, and looked upon her iPad-like contraption. Then she smiled, seeing something that she would want for her own.


* I doubt anyone who isn't FaceBook friends of mine would get this reference.

[Cloak]

New chapter.

CHAPTER SEVEN:
Obliviousness and Oaths

Kluge had made the adhesive, quantumly enhanced somehow, but he had yet to conjure up the solution that would break down the adhesive. This adhesive was so strong that it bound together two surfaces, no matter the composition, almost immediately. The only thing that it really didn't bind totether so strongly was if one of those surfaces was insubstantial, like energy, or vibranium or n^th metal. Adamantium could cut through it, but it was able to bonded to it if still unset or "wet".

Kluge dabbed his balding head with a hankerchief. He was sweating profusely. This was proving to be hard work, especially since he was a neuroscientist by trade and training, and inventing was more of a hobby of his.

He breathed through his prominent and bulbous nose very audibly, obviously he had exerted himself and expended a great amount of energy on this little side project of his. But he was happy to do it, and he didn't even need any grant money to do this project. It was all out-of-pocket for him, as he discovered this adhesive completely by accident.

He patted his lab coat which was draped over his stout, rotund body loosely, almost casually. He was looking for -- ah, never mind. It wasn't there.

But none of these solutions seemed to work. Perhaps that seaweed extract might work. Or that seeds from those pomegranates. Or maybe some loquat leaf oil extract. Or maybe a honeydew rind? A grape stem? A tomato vine? Hmmm . . .

***

GH and Leatherhead were in their thread, and Leatherhead was playing his keytar, while still wearing his human suit, which was synonymous to a play suit a normal human child his age would wear. GH was cooking them some lunch.

They had already gone over the moodulator control business and settled everything. Leatherhead wasn't even punished, but he still felt that he had let GH down, though he didn't say this. He didn't like feeling like that, if he was honest.

As he played, as sang in his thoughts:

Proud of your son.
I'll make you proud of your son.
Believe me, bad as I've been, Daddy,
You're in for a pleasant surprise!
I've been one naughty kid.
Some kid, some pride, and some joy.
But I'll get over these lousin' up,
Messin' up, screwin' up times!
You'll see, Daddy, now comes the better part.
Someone's gonna make good
Cross his stupid heart!
Make good and finally make you
Proud of your son!
Water flows under the bridge,
Let it pass, let it go!
There's no good reason that you should believe me,
Not yet, I know, but
Someday, and soon,
I'll make you proud of your son.
Though I can't make myself taller
Or smarter or handsome or wise!
I'll do my best -- what else can I do?
Since I wasn't born perfect like you.
Daddy, I will try to
Try hard to make you
Proud of your son.

"LH, it's lunchtime," GH said, gently. Then he took a look at his adoptive son. "Leatherhead, are you okay?"

Leatherhead deftly turned his head away, wiping away tears that he wished to hide. "I'm fine, Daddy."


SOURCE SONG: https://youtube.com/watch?v=kV3D1ASN7Xc

[Cloak]

New chapter.

CHAPTER EIGHT:
Breaking and Entering

Kluge was puttering around in his lab. It was your standard laboratory setting -- sterilized surfaces, sparkling white everywhere there wasn't the silver of metal. It wasn't a particularly large laboratory, but it wasn't as cramped or dilapidated as one might assume, neither. Everything was neat and orderly. Kluge loved it -- loved this place. He spent almost every waking moment within this place. It was only when he had to take care of biological needs that he ever left. He actually lived in a small efficiency apartment, a studio apartment, that was located upstairs from this spacious laboratory. And he paid for it out-of-pocket, somehow. Probably due to his past inventions that made things only slightly easier to live in the city, despite all the unusual goings-on happening there. He made enough to continue his experiments, and that's all that he really cared about.

Sure, he was primarily a neuroscientist, but that didn't mean that he wasn't knowledgeable in other fields. He would often admit that he dabbled. Dabbled in chemistry, biology, biochemistry, etcetera, etcetera. Granted, knowledge of the human brain was his strongest suit, he acknowledged it himself. Although he didn't have the best sense of cause and effect. He never understood the sheer severity of the consequences of his moodulators until it was very late in the process and less scrupulous people tried to take them from him. Kluge always tried to see the best of things and tended to overlooked the dangers the ramifications of his inventions and decisions.

And it was the same with this adhesive, this quantum glue, as it were. He just saw it as a useful product, but did not see how it could be used negatively. Though he seemed to be aware of the fact that accidents may happen, which is why he was trying to develop a solution that would dissolve the glue should such an incident happen. He thought it prudent before potentially marketing it under the name of Kluge Glue. He'd put that Elmer guy out of business easily.

He heard shattering glass -- and he briefly thought that the Kluge Glue would make window repair easier, disregarding the idea that no one would have the patience to glue together every shard of glass back into place. He wondered idly if he should go investigate or stay within his laboratory, his safe space. It probably would be more prudent to ascertain nothing was damaged other than the window, he considered. He walked back into his living quarters, which was up a short staircase to his left, and saw that there was a shadowy figure standing between him and his queen-sized bed, which was still disheveled and unmade despite the fact that it was nearing dinnertime and the sun was going down.

"Excuse me, sir," Kluge said, announcing himself. This was not a good idea. It's never a good idea to reveal your location to a home invader in such a way -- especially if one looked as unhinged and violent as Kluge thought that this one did. "Excuse me, but I take umbrage at your breaking of my window and entering my premises without my permission."

Kluge may have been brilliant when inside his laboratory, but, socially? Socially, he was as dumb as a brick. The shadowy figure snapped his attention to Kluge and approached him in what was supposed to be a slow, intimidating way. Only Kluge wasn't intimidated, but looking rather annoyed. He saw that this figure had no knife or firearm. His stringy, thin frame indicated that he wasn't a fighter.

"Sir, please drop the pretense," Kluge said, succinctly.

"Where is it?" came his voice. It sounded as if he was trying to affect a gravelly voice, but the effort was a poor one.

"And what 'it' is it you seek?" Kluge said, deciding to indulge this buffoonish burglar. "I have many 'its' which you many seek."

"SHOW IT TO ME!!" the figure demanded, coming into the light to reveal a poorly disguised Aloth.

"You must be more specific, sir," Kluge said, being unnecessarily polite with this home invader.

Just then, Kluge heard something shatter behind him, from his laboratory. He completely disregarded Aloth and rushed to his lab.

[Cloak]

New chapter.

CHAPTER NINE:
The Other One

"What the -- what are you doing here?" Kluge demanded, finally dropping his politeness. He was starting to really consider getting a new security system, The current one clearly isn't cutting it. "What do you want?"

It was another shadowy figure. This one was distinctly feminine, wearing some sort of regal dress and having her hair teased into a hairdo that Kluge couldn't begin to guess the name of. But that wasn't important, Kluge didn't care about those specifics. He wanted to know what there were two uninvited people breaking into his lab. It couldn't possibly be about the moodulators again. He had destroyed them all. Granted, he never did find the remote control device that activates them, but he was sure that he would eventually find it again. He would gut it, so the parts could be used elsewhere. That was his intentions, anyway.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," the woman intruder said, in a slow manner. A manner eerily similar to the simpering tones that Malice loved to use when she was being coy with Cloak. "Perhaps you need to lock your front door more often, you bumbling oaf."

"I asked you a question, miss," he said, showing this intruder more respect and politeness than she deserved. Although, he had a bite of impatience in his tone now. "What. Do. You. Want?"

"How rude!" said the figure, turning towards Kluge. "Is that any way to treat a guest in your laboratory?"

"Guest?" Kluge snorted. "You broke in, miss. You aren't in a position to claim guest rights."

"I walked in," she corrected, "again, the door was unlocked."

"Still, you came, unbidden and unwanted," Kluge countered, "why should I allow you guest rights?"

"You can't offer a weary traveler such treatment?" she said sounding distinctly condescending. "Are you always so callous with your words?"

Kluge couldn't help but feel like he had been slapped across the face.

"Ma'am," he said, trying very hard not to be cross. "I would appreciate if you didn't come into my domicile and insult me to my --"

"I don't really care what you would appreciate or not, you rotund nincompoop," Queen said, as she stepped into the light. She allowed what she clearly thought was an intimidating countenance and imperious demeanor to wash over the dumpy man. Kluge was hardly impressed. He was just very weary of all these interruptions and intrusions to his work. Not to mention that he was finding himself very tired of the sheer rudeness of all five (and hopefully no more) intruders that thus far had infringed upon him.

"Now, you rolly-polly little idiot," she said, insulting him more freely now because she wasn't getting any push back from the round, stout man. "Where is your new little project? The sticky stuff?"

"The Kluge Glue is not ready for the market yet, madam," he spoke the last word as if it was an insult. "I still --"

"Don't like to me, you flappy excuse for a human being," she said, abusively. "Where is it?"

"What the hell are you doing here?" said a voice behind Kluge.