"What," Meme said shakily, "is that."

"It looks like Laff," Blaza said, "but like evil. And a robot."

"It is," I said grimly, "I told you don't go there."

"Hello mates," L4FF said, "ready for round two are youse?"

"Stay behind me," I said.

"And that worked well for youse last time, didn't it," L4FF taunted. I lashed out with my sword, striking the cyborg on his shoulder. The metal was split in half, revealing the wires inside. I smiled, knowing what this meant.

"You aren't invulnerable anymore," I said and attacked. L4FF drew a sword of his own and the two blades clashed. Attack and block, back and forth we fought. None of us had landed any blows, but I was slowly being forced back. We continued like this until I was backed against the wall. Then L4FF struck. He thrust his sword at me, I ducked and he jabbed again. The blade struck stone. It was wedged in the wall centimeters away from my arm. And there I stood, the sword pining my spacesuit to the wall. I struggled for a moment, but soon realized the suit would not rip easily nor would the sword budge.

"Looks like youse are a little stuck," L4FF taunted. I swung my sword as far as I could reach. My blade went straight through the cyborg's arm and it fell to the ground with a clang.

"Don't stop to gloat," I said with a smirk. I knew he couldn't use his gravity gun now, because it required two hands and his sword was in the wall. I thought we were in the clear, until L4FF pulled out another sword.

"What," he said, "Youse didn't think I came prepared?" He spun around, facing Meme, who was against the wall trying to sneak away. The cyborg pointed his sword at Meme.

"Ah!" Meme yelped.

"I could kill youse now," L4FF started, "but I know youse aren't going anywhere, so I'll start with the others."

"No," I breathed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Blaza creeping up on L4FF, knife in hand. I knew he would only have one shot at this, if he failed we were in deep trouble. L4FF took a step towards Meme. Blaza was right behind him and.....

"Ahggg!" L4FF shouted as Blaza's knife plunged into his chest. The cyborg fell to the ground.

"Kill one of them for me and I'll help you," he whispered to me right before he vanished the same way the shifters did.

"That's not the real L4FF," I said as it dawned on me, "it was just a copy. But that means there is a real one out there for the shifters to copy."

"Socks!" Blaza said as he and Meme ran over to me.

"Are you okay?" Meme asked, "Do you need medical attention?"

"No," I said, "The sword is just stuck. Not like you could provide any medical help though, Meme."

"Hey!" Meme said, as Blaza laughed, "One day you are going to need my help, and maybe I won't help you then."

"Then you wouldn't be much of a doctor," Blaza said, laughing again

"Oh, I give up, you are all so adopted. One day you will see. One day," Meme said, pointing his finger at us.

"Hey," I said, "Still a little stuck over here"

"Hmm, should we let him out?" Blaza teasingly asked Meme.

"Maybe," Meme said, pondering in an exaggeratedly fake way, "Or maybe not."

"Come on guys," I said.

"Ok fine," Blaza said, "Meme you try first." They both tried to pull it out to no avail.

"Well that's not coming out," Blaza said, "so we could cut it out, but I don't want to accidentally cut you."

"So just have him take it off," Meme said.

"No!" I objected. This was what I had been trying to avoid.

"Why?" Meme asked, "Are you afraid of us seeing, y'know, you naked."

"What, no, I, er," I stammered, my face growing redder by the moment, "I have an under layer."

"Well what's the problem then?" Meme asked me.

"I just, well, I don't want to," I answered, unimpressively. I had a feeling that wouldn't cut it.

"Well, do you have any better ideas?" Meme asked me. When I didn't respond, he spoke again, "Alright, we'll stick with this plan then."

"No!" I protested, but Meme was already walking towards me. I pushed him away and he staggered back, off balance.

"Blaza," Meme said, righting himself, "Can you hold him down?" Blaza nodded, and I noticed how little he had spoken. Normally Blaza was talkative and energetic, but now he was quiet and reserved. He wasn't the only one who had changed though. Blaza pinned me to the wall as Meme started to remove the space suit.

"No!" I cried, in a last ditch effort. Then Meme pulled the suit over my shoulder.

"Socks," Meme started, "is this a... a bullet hole?"

"Yes," I admitted.

"Who, when, how," Meme said, obviously in shock, "How did this happen?"

"Someone tried to kill me and they missed," I said, nonchalantly. You're leaving out the other deaths and the nightmares. Shut up me. I wriggled out of the space suit.

"Is that all?' Meme said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice, "No other big reveals? No more bombshells to drop on us?"

"No," I said, sheepishly. They could see the various scars on my arms and legs. When we 'died' on that planet, we came back without any injuries from before, but those weeks after I died twice to Laff in a boxing match had been perilous.

"Why didn't you tell us about any of this!?" Blaza blurted out, "Why are you keeping all these secrets? What else are you hiding, huh? I bet there's a lot you aren't telling us."

"I- I- I," I stammered. I couldn't think of anything to say, I didn't want to tell them this way. I turned and ran down the stone tunnel, and kept going. I didn't know where I was going, just that it was far away from everything.