Memoirs of a RAFian

[Cloak]

Well, Underseen, if you like my writing -- you might like some of their episodes . . . but apparently you can only watch it on Disney XD . . . at four AM.

Anyway, I'll try to post another chapter soon.  If I don't, I'll double up tomorrow (of course, this will be completely tossed out the window whenever my White 2 game comes.

Oh, new page --

• Book XX: The Darwin Gun

The RAFians must contend with a ray that causes its target to devolve or hyper evolve into "ultimate" forms.  Twenty chapters.

• Book XXI: Other Side of the Tracks

The RAFians experiences significant differences which allow them to see the other side's point of view.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book XXII: Pits of Terror

The RAFians fall into pits that show them their greatest fears. Twenty chapters planned.

• Book XXIII: RAF Comix

The RAFians are sucked into a comic book made by Damien. Twenty chapters planned.

• Book XXIV: The First Master

Cloak meditates alone in a forest, and has a vision about the first Master . . . the first Elements Master. Twenty chapters planned.

• Book XXV: RAF -- The Musical

The RAFians find themselves trapped in a musical where everyone must burst into song occasionally.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book XXVI: Outage Outrage

The RAFians find themselves losing their powers.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book XXVII: Infinity and Eternity

The Infinity Gems and the Eternity Stones make themselves known.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book XXVIII: The Virus Rings

The RAFians are attacked by foes they never thought they'd see again.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book XXIX: Soul-Suckers

The RAFians are attacked by Dementors, which have a rather large effect on Cloak.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book XXX: Mayhem of the Music Miser

Cloak recalls the RAFians' previous confrontation with the Music Miser three years ago.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book XXXI: The Metal-Maker

The RAFians must save their own from a Roboticizer. Twenty chapters planned.

• Book XXXII: Richard is Missing

The RAFians must cope without Richard.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book XXXIII: Emotional Food

The RAFians must confront a different kind of vampire.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book XXXIV: Transformation Confrontation

The RAFians must confront some strange machines.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book XXXV: Richard's Horn

The RAFians must get Richard's Horn, a mystical musical instrument, back from Malice, who recieved it from a RAFian traitor.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book XXXVI: Feral Scream

A Wildwethel-centric book, he must deal with his feral side.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book XXXVII: Predators and Prey

The RAFians are being preyed upon by some sentient predators.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book XXXVIII: A Protean Problem

The RAFians must deal with a powerful snot-nosed kid who, quite literally, can do whatever he wants.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book XXXIX: The Horsemen

Four RAFians are captured and converted into four Horsemen of the ancient, rogue Realm Walker Cataclysm.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book XL: Sizeable Pain in the Necks

The RAFians must deal with Heinlein aliens. Twenty chapters planned.

• Book XLI: RAF's Nightmare

The RAFians must survive their own nightmares.  Nineteen chapters planned.

• Book XLII: Unlucky Charms

The RAFians must contend with a rather bloodthirsty leprechaun. Twenty chapters planned.

• Book XLIII: The Piper

The RAFians must contend with a pied piper. Nineteen chapters planned.

• Book XLIV: Starlight Desire

The RAFians race Malice, Abomination, and the Banned to a wishing star (no, not Estelore). Eighteen chapters planned.

• Book XLV: A War of Armor

Parker is outraged to see knock-offs of his rather unique armor and what they're being used for.  Twenty-two chapters planned.

• Book XLVI: The Worst Plague

The RAFians must weather the worst plague to ever existed -- the Hate Plague.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book XLVII: Little Alien Napoleons

The RAFians are caught in the middle of a war between Helmacrons and Fmeks.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book XLVIII: Go Away!

The RAFians must deal with the papparazzi who are all of a sudden interested in them.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book XLIX: RAFian Tales

RAFians tell various RAFian-themed stories across a lunch table.  Twenty chapters planned -- a RAFian story per chapter, discounting the intro.

• Book L: Maul

The RAFians must deal with the result of one of Demos's experiments.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book LI: Erised Orbs

The RAFians must face their greatest desires.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book LII: RAFians Alive!

Read the "Mummies Alive" parody in the RAFize songs thread.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book LIII: The Pain Reliever

The RAFians must deal with an elderly Vulcan styling himself the "Pain Reliever".  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book LIV: Beyond the Veils

Aquilai and Aila must confront old foes while the other RAFians must put up with a Czarinian bounty hunter.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book LV: Dangerous Deals

Demos meets up with his half-brother, Shenecron, who has a perchant for making deals.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book LVI: Of One Mind

Malice seeks out the Unimind.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book LVII: The End of Time

The RAFians must contend with two Kryptonians (who think they're Time Lords) and prevent them from ending time altogether.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book LVIII: Hematomimic

The RAFians must capture a Plasmavore and put up with it's rather stupid Judoon jailor.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book LIX: Sins of Youth

Estelore, Richard, Parker, and Cloak must survive when the entire city and forum have been reduced to two-year-olds.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book LX: The Replacements

The RAFians must contend with the fame-feeding Eidolon Consciousness.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book LXI: Arachnoids

The RAFians must contend with the Arachnoids and finding a cure for one of their own that was poisoned before it's too late.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book LXII: Personal Tissues

The RAFians must contend with some one misusing Bibliophaetos's discarded book shell.  Twenty chapters planned.

• Book LXIII: Memory Today, Gone Tomorrow

The RAFians lose their memory and must find a way to regain it.  Twenty planned out.

• Book LXIV: Appliance Armageddon

A superintelligent computer controls all electronics, and the RAFians must stop it.  Sixteen chapters planned out thus far.

• Book LXV: Prodigy and Composite

Some RAFians are merged into two separate entities.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book LXVI: The Merging

The Universes begin colliding and merging.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book LXVII: Be A Doll

The RAFians are confronted by a Super Chucky.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book LXVIII: RAF Captors

The RAFians are sealed into cards, and it's up to Jack and Shadow to free them.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book LXIX: Dinosaur Island

Everyone, except those that bear a Mark, begin turning saurian.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book LXX: Corrupted

The RAFians must deal with the son of Cataclysm, Corruptor.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book LXXI: Artificial Skins

The RAFians must deal with symbiotes.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book LXXII: Separation Anxiety

The RAFians must contend with an ethereal virus.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book LXXIII: A Thing About RAFians

The RAFians must contend with Seekers, which home in onto their Marks.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book LXXIV: A Planted Idea

The RAFians must contend with a floramaniac.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book LXXV: Vacation Photos

The RAFians are sucked into a Polarisoid camera.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book LXXVI: A Personal Gremlin

The RAFians must contend with gremlins.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book LXXVII: The Rust is Silence

The Rafians must deal with an ocidationr ay wielded by a criminal.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book LXXVIII: The Toyman Cometh

The RAFians deal with a Toyman-esque character.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book LXXIX: RAFian Idol

Yes, just another excuse to put in more of the (as of writing) nearly 800 parodies.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book LXXX: Savage Heart

Cloak battles an ancient being called Carrotik.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book LXXXI: Slave Islands and Juggernauts

Three RAFians are taken prisoners by the Knights and sold into the slavery of New Genoshia, while the others deal with a juggernaut.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book LXXXII: Shredding a King

The RAFians deal with a demonic Shredder ghost.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book LXXXIII: RAF -- The TV Show

The RAFians are forcibly recruited to one of Mojo's programs.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book LXXXIV: The Drinker

The RAFians must contend with a Spirit-Drinker. No chapters planned out yet.

• Book LXXXV: The Last Laugh

The RAFians must face Joker Gas.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book LXXXVI: It's A Mad, Mad, Mad Villain

The RAFians must contend with mind control cards.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book LXXXVII: Sight Unseen

Six RAFians are rendered functionally blind.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book LXXXVIII: Don't Let It Snow

The RAFians must face a second Ice Age.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book LXXXIX: The Rachel Toxin

The RAFians must find a cure to a toxin that increases the fearlessness, hostility and aggressiveness induced in people.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book XC: Virus Alert!

The RAFians face a dangerous virus seeking a host.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book XCI: A Youthful Thief

The RAFians face a creature that siphons off the youth in its victims.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book XCII: Calendar Creep

The RAFians face the Calendar Creep, a criminal whose crimes are holiday themed.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book XCIII: The Branding

Faerie fights a witch-boy named Salem (and his magical black cat, Zat) for a magical branding iron in Faeries possession.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book XCIV: The Void Zone

Essentially gonna be a "Subspace Emissary" parody.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book XCV: An Epic Yarn

The RAFians' world is turned into yarn and fabric.  No chapters planned out yet.

• Book XCVI: RAFian Gladiators

RAFians are kidnapped by Gamesmaster, another rogue Realm Walker, and force to participate in gladiatorial games.  Contains the parodies of "It's Like A B-Movie" and "Worthless".  No chapters planned out yet.

[Gaz]

Gargoyles was an awesome show. Maybe that can be my next series recap after Beast Wars? I might do a few selected episodes of Batman the Animated Series.

Good chapters!

[Cloak]

Too right, Gaz, and, guys, this fic is gonna be on hiatus.  Nothing serious, I . . . I just got my White 2 game . . . and, well . . .

[Underseen]

Mark of Athena came in so I will not use the internet for a while too.

[Cloak]

Mark of Athena came in so I will not use the internet for a while too.

I'm actually almost done with that book (pre-ordered it on my Kindle).

EDIT: This small hiatus will probably be over on Monday.  Don't hold me to that though.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN:
Tumble, Tumble, Toil and Trouble

"What is this place?" Horse asked, as Bear grunted in disapproval at the place.

"No idea," Ash said.

"Nice colors, though," Faerie critiqued, "if faded a bit."

"Kind of a trippy place," Demos said, brushing some cobwebs off his silk suit.

"Still," Horse insisted, "what is the point of it?  This is supposed to be a fun house, after all."

"Well, now it will be a dead house," said a voice with one the lamest puns of all time.  The voice's owner was Bear2, which was odd because the original seemed incapable of speech . . .

". . . Well, have at you then!" Demos cried.

"You are so corny," Demos2 replied.

The battle was joined, stopping briefly when the floor began to rotate laterally.  This caused the five RAFians to stumble and fall.  Faerie and Faerie2 managed to escape this by flying and then they continued their battle, with Faerie2 using a flail against Faerie's double-headed battle axe.  Eventually the floor's movement subsided.  The two Faeries landed daintly while their comrades were in entangled in a heap on the floor, groaning.

Then suddenly the room started rotating in a vertical way so that everyone was tumbling around like clothes in a dryer.  It was very chaotic, so much so that they could not tell up from down until the thing stopped.

"Well . . . I always wanted to know what was like to ride in a dryer," Demos commented dryly.

"Oh, shut up," Demos2 said crankily.  "You're not funny, you know."

Then the battle was joined again. . . . Until the floor started up again.  When it stopped the five RAFians continued their fight with their clones, until the room started rotating vertically again.  The room did this again and again, with only ten minutes between each cycle.

"How the bloody hell does anyone consider this fun?!" Horse screamed.

During mid-vertical cycle, the mechanisms for doing this just stopped.  Unfortunately, every one was on the ceiling.  Cries of pain were heard after gravity did its thing and pulled them all back down to earth.  Each side withdrew to either side of the room, glaring at each other.  A chirp was heard, and Laserbeak flew in, having disabled the mechanism.  He then landed on Demos's left horn.

"Laserbeak?" Ash asked.  "Does this mean the others are in trouble?"

"Doesn't really matter," Faerie interjected, "we have troubles of our own.  Five of them."

Laserbeak chirped insistently, and projected a holographic image of Gaz, Paker, and Underseen using the Unity Pulse to destroy their dastardly doppelgangers.  Ash, Bear, Horse, Faerie, and Demos watched it with rapt attention.

"Of course," Horse said.

"We really should have tried that first," Demos suggested.

"Enough talking, more hitting," Faerie said.

They all aimed their Marks at their clones, who also saw the images and were scrambling over each other to try and escape, but resulted in just tangling themselves up more.  The five fired the Pulse and the clones melted into piles of runny, stinky gloop.

"Neat!" Demos said.

"Gross," Faerie amended.

"Now where to?" Horse asked.

[Underseen]

Yay, it's back!

[Cloak]

Yep -- and don't forget to check on the list in at the top post of the page.  I try to keep it as updated as possible.

[Underseen]

You know who hasn't been accruing recently... Blazing Angel. He was a main character 3 books ago

[Cloak]

Yeah . . . I tend to make posters here main characters of the books, so, he's been dropping off. . . .

CHAPTER FOURTEEN:
A Maze Thing

"And we get lost in a maze," Blue grumbled.  He had already lost sight of Block, Aquilai, Noelle, and Dino.  He shook his head angrily.  How could he lose track of them all?  Especially Dino?  Granted she was in her compacted form, but still!  And Blue never liked mazes.

"Lost?" came a cheekily arrogant voice.

Blue turned round, and it was Blue2.

"Oh, hello, copycat." Blue sneered.

"I may be a clone, but I'm still vastly superior to you," Blue2 sneered right back.

Am I so conceited?  Or is this just basically a Bizarro-Blue? Blue wondered idly, as he used his ninjabo to deflect several of Blue2's shurrikens.  Then Blue2 drew his ninjabo and the two battled sword to sword, equally matched in strength, technique and skill.

Meanwhile, Blocky had stumbled upon Blocky2, who commented on his originator's clumsiness.  Blocky tells him to shut up and proceeds to slash and bite at him with his dragon claws and fangs, while Blocky2 attempted to do the same.  Then it came to a fire-belching contest, which immediately caught the paper barriers of the maze aflame . . .

As this happened to the maze, Noelle had found her clone, and shuttered slightly at the indignity of be violated so thoroughly by this.  But, quite unusually, Noelle2 possessed morphing powers, same as Noelle.  Superior, in fact, as Noelle2 didn't seem to have a time limit.  Noelle learned this quite painfully, when Noelle2 taunted her about it.  Noelle2 seemed to possess all of Noelle2 morphs as well, in addition to having some that Noelle never acquired.  But Noelle was able to use what she had to hold her overpowered clone at bay.

While this was happening to Noelle, Dino had located Dino2 and was talking smack to her.  Dino2 shrugged everything Dino said off, but did not speak.  Dino wondered if her clone COULD really speak at all.  But then the two extended to their full sizes, roaring so loud it caused the paper-lined maze pathways to vibrate in most ominous way.  She tried biting or smashing at her clone with her jaws or tail, only to be countered by her clone's tail or jaws.  It was a very iffy thing -- Dino was dangerous at both ends.  But they immediately shrank down to their compacted forms when the paper walls had lit on fire -- and, as durable as Dino's hide was, it was not impervious to fire and heat.

During Dino's debacle, Aquilai was attempting to reason with his clone, only to find that Aquilai2 was completely unreasonable.  Aquilai was attempting to talk sense into his doppelganger, only to recieve a blast in the face like being shot with a firehose.  Aquilai2 was still a waterbender -- and hadn't regenerated once.  Aquilai found this somewhat offensive, but he could not imagine why he felt so.  So the battle went with Aquilai2 attempting to bludgeon Aquilai with force, while Aquilai used strategy and tactics -- usually involving blocking Aquilai2's attacks and then attacking himself.  When the walls bursted into flame, both Aquilais managed to douse it, although it was purely accidental in Aquilai2's case.

The fire had annihilated the maze, and all ten individuals stood in simply a large, stone room.  Five stood on one side, and the RAFian five stood on the other.  The RAFians were at an impasse.  Their clones had all their moves, their techniques, and their skill.  It was like fighting a shadow.  The RAFian clones stood with haughty little smirks on their faces.

"Give up yet, has-beens?" Aquilai2 said, snarkily.

"Who you callin' has-beens, hose-brain?" Dino snarled.

Then suddenly a chirp, and Laserbeak fluttered down and landed on Dino's head.  Then he hopped onto Aquilai's head, and Aquilai didn't look too happy about it.  Then Laserbeak focused his lens as Blue2 shouted, "It's the robot bird!  Kill it!"

But before the clones could act upon Blue2's order, Laserbeak displayed the way to kill the clones.

"Of course," Aquilai said.  "It's so obvious. . . ."

"Well, then," Blue said, smiling in a most unpleasant way, "let's do it then."

Within minutes, the clones were a bunch of smelly goop on the floor, and Laserbeak took flight again, to find RAFian Realm Walker.

[Gaz]

Yay laserbeak! Glad to see an update. I'm stuck on the couch cuz of my back.

[Cloak]

Yeah . . . I'm even considering breaking my self-imposed one-chapter-a-day rule. . . .

[Underseen]

No one will mind if you do..

[Cloak]

Yeah, well, I only really did it to allow everyone to catch up . . . otherwise I might make it seem like an insurmountable endeavor to read it.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN:
Desperate Delusions

Cloak carefully stalked forward, deftly keeping to the shadows.  His cloak allowed him to blend into the darkness, which is one reason he preferred dark-colored cloaks.  It was this reason and not, as many RAFians suspected, to keep his air of mystery.  Cloak saw a doorway, and he lurked just behind the threshold, glancing around at the room beyond.  Unlike many rooms of human habitations, this room hadn't four walls.  It just had the one, although it bore evidence of having an additional three, but they were disintegrated into rubble after time had its way with it.

Carefully, Cloak strode into the room.  He was sure that the place seemed empty, but it was a prime place for an ambush or a trap.  So he had his guard up, and it was very lucky that he did.  For when he strode into the room proper he felt the slipstream of a missed punch.  Cloak knew who the puncher was without even looking.  The attacker attempted to pummel Cloak some more, but found that it was rather like trying to punch a leaf.  Cloak didn't throw a single blow, content to just riding the waves that his would-be attacker was flinging at him rather carelessly.

"Stand still!" Abomination demanded angrily.

"Don't think so, no," Cloak said, with irritatingly blithe manner.

Abomination attempted some more fighting combos, only to find that they did nothing but use up his energy.  But Abomination's intelligence wasn't sufficient to figure that out.  Pity he couldn't steal the Twelve's powers again, then he'd be an actual threat.

"STAND STILL AND LET ME HIT YOU!!"

"I think not," Cloak said, with a rather bored intonation.

"STAND STILL!" Abomination roared.

"Make me," Cloak said, noting that Abomination seemed to be tiring.  "My, my, my, Mr. Abomination."

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!!  I'M . . . I'm . . . I'm, uh . . . Apocalypse!  Yeah!  My name is Apocalypse!"

"Did you say Calypso?  That's very odd.  Calypso is a girl's name." Cloak said, deliberately feigning ignorance.

"I DIDN'T SAY THAT, YOU -- YOU -- YOU --" Abomination sputtered, and, apparently unable to come up with a suitable insult, roared angrily and charged.  Cloak simply somersaulted over it, springing off Abominations own shoulders, which caused him to faceplant straight into the ground.  Cloak was finding this battle quite easy.

Too easy.  Cloak started to become suspicious and stopped playing games with Abomination.

"Enough of this, Abomination," Cloak said.

"I SAID STOP CALLING ME THAT!" Abomination roared.

"I'll call you that because that's what you were, what you ARE inside!" Cloak snarled back, his patience having snapped.  "Where's Malice?"

"How am I supposed to know that?!" Abomination spat.

"Well, you are her lover, are you not?" Cloak asked, regaining his composure.

"Well, we've never really -- I don't have to tell you anything about that!" Abomination cried defensively.

"And you still don't see it? Don't see that she's only using you for hired muscle?  Don't you see that Malice is incapable of love for anyone but herself?" Cloak said, almost pleadingly.  "Abomination, she doesn't love you.  She doesn't know how to love."

"You're lying!" Abomination snarled.  "Why are you lying to me?  Leave me alone!"

With that, he vanished with a swirl of his cloak.  Cloak could not feel hatred for the person who nearly murdered him.  Not anymore.  But he could feel pity for the brute.  And that, he felt in copious amounts.  Cloak decided however that he would feel pity for the hulking thug later.  Right now, he had an appointment with the doctor.

[Underseen]

Hoping for another Malice vs Cloak scene

[Cloak]

Perhaps.  Probably gonna post a couple chapters today . . .

CHAPTER SIXTEEN:
Noncommittal Malice

Cloak charged forward, knowing that Abomination went off somewhere to sulk for a while.  Found that he was back in front of the funhouse, and he quickly realized with a shock that Gemini wasn't even in there.  Then he caught a whiff of something -- something that smelled very much like sweat and . . . something else that he couldn't put his finger on.

He was torn between following the scent or seeing to the welfare of his friends.  But his curiosity toward the scent told them that they were big boys and girls -- they could take care of themselves.  And, if he had gone to check on them, he would almost definitely lose the scent trail.  He might be able to still get a confession out of the good doctor. . . .

He followed it to a rather large, squat, dilapidated, brick building.  Cloak didn't recall it being there before when they dealt with the Bibliophaetos incident.  Perhaps he just overlooked it.  He walked up to the door, and pulled on the handle.  Locked.  There was only one real reason why it would be locked -- after all, this park was abandoned over seventy years or so ago.

The door was made out of wood, but it was a simple task for Cloak to open it.  Then his communicator beeped, having received Laserbeak's wireless download.  Surely the bird would either return to Gaz, or come to him to catch the good doctor's confession.  Perhaps he should have waited for the robotic bird, but one of the fatal flaws to any feline, be he Dweller or Walker, is their innate curiosity.  Cloak proceeded onward, unaware of Laserbeak winging his way toward his position.

Cloak followed rather labyrinthine passages until he came upon a room were light was leaking out of.  He stealthily approached the door.  He waited a bit, and then leaped over the threshold, noting that there was a door hanging precariously on its bottom hinges.  He saw what he didn't expect -- which he would curse himself over upon later reflection.

It was Malice, sitting on a cozy, motheaten armchair, with the stuffing poking out in odd places.  She seemed to be drinking a dark-colored tea complete with teacup and saucer.  Upon seeing Cloak's sudden appearance (of which she didn't jump once), she calmly placed the empty cup and saucer on a rickety-looking endtable to her right.

"You seem surprised to see me," Malice said coolly.

Cloak didn't address this, and, instead, demanded, "Where is Gemini?"

Malice clucked her tongue disapprovingly, and replied in a bored voice, "Am I not enough for you?"

Cloak said nothing, just glowered at the Tasmanian devil-form Realm Walker.  He was in no mood for games just now, and it was perfectly clear Malice had placed herself here as a mere distraction.  But what was she distracting Cloak from?

"Why so serious, Cloak?"

Cloak narrowed his eyes at her, but said nothing.  This was pointless.  She wasn't going to give up the doctor's location.  He contemplated on asking her why she was using Abomination, why she was leading him on.  But that also was clear, she needed his thuggish muscle.  She didn't care if his feelings got hurt along the way, he was expendable to her.  Everyone was expendable to her.

"Oh, I knew you and your Dweller lackeys would come here," she went on.  Cloak suspected it was because she loved the sound of her own voice, of her own gloating tone.  "I knew you'd want to salvage their ruined reputations.  Watching them struggle against a system that had already villified them for actions they never even committed!  So entertaining!  And if a few Dwellers had to die . . . well, then fine with me."

Cloak's expression soured further.

"No one would have ever guess that your darling RAFians," she said the word as if a swearword, "were innocent and they've been unknowingly, involuntarily cloned!  And no one would believe that the residue left behind was ever really a viable being!"

"Maybe not before," Cloak said, his expression doing a complete 180.  He actually beamed at Malice.  "But they will now."

Malice stood, looking thoroughly perplexed, which pleased Cloak greatly.  Then he turned and looked over to Laserbeak, who was silently perched on an old goose-necked lamp.  He had been recording everything.

"What?!  I will destroy that piece of --" Malice cried, uttering a Realm Walker curseword, which sounded like a snarl to non-Walkers.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Malice.  Such language," Cloak taunted.

Malice moved to attack Laserbeak, who flew off, apparently looking for Gaz.  Malice made to go after him, but Cloak blocked her.

"Now, you were saying something about being good enough to fight you?"