"This is too easy," Chibi-Slacker said.

"What do you mean?" Andrew asked.  The two of them 
were sitting at an outdoor cafe.  Both were taking 
turns watching the street and the other patrons.

"I mean, we've been in this dimension for two weeks, 
and nothing's happened."

"Are you saying you want something to happen?"

"Yes, I mean, no.  I don't want anything to happen."

"Then why are you complaining?  We aren't being 
pursued, or being shot at, or anything else."

"I just wish something would happen."

Andrew stared in horror as the words left Chibi-
Slackers mouth.  Before either could say anything 
else, a pair of hands clamped down on their shoulders.

"Hello, ladies," Nemesis said. "Close enough, anyway.  
The boss wants to see you."

*******

"This is all your fault," Chibi-Slacker said.  The two 
of them were chained upside-down above a bed of close-
packed three foot spikes.

"Perhaps.  Have you thought about who the boss is?"

"What do you mean, perhaps?  And no, I haven't thought 
about it."

"Well, if this boss is who I think it is, it will be a 
very bad thing."  From the look on his/her face, it 
was apparent the Chibi-Slacker had caught on.  "Cheer 
up, we aren't dead yet."

"Yeah, but we're screwed."

"How screwed do you think we are?"

Chibi-Slacker looked up.  "What do you mean?"

"I mean, are we talking insulting Lina Inverses chest 
size screwed, Mara Jade on PMS screwed, or Pissed off 
Nemisis screwed?"

"Oh, in that case.  Nemisis on PMS screwed."

"I thought so."

There was silence for a few minutes.

"I think they messed with our heads when then changed 
us."

Chibi-Slacker looked confused.  "What do you mean?  I 
haven't noticed anything different."

"Really?  Then why are we speaking Japanese?"

Before Chibi-Slacker could answer, the door burst 
open, and Nemesis walked into the room.

"Don't hurt us," Chibi-Slacker pleaded.

Nemesis laughed.  "Oh, does that mean I shouldn't do 
this?"

With a wave of his hand, the two former authors 
suddenly found themselves suspended above a crowd of 
people.  They were also bound, gagged, and upon 
further reflection found themselves to be missing 
their clothes.  There was dead silence, then the 
sudden watery trickle of a thousand simultaneous 
nosebleeds.

*******

"Ouch," Urd commented, watching the scene on her wide-
screen scrying device.

Xelloss nodded.  "I doubt I could think of anything 
worse."

"Why are they still alive?" Q asked. "There have been 
plenty of opportunities to kill them."

"Because," Pluto explained, "if they were to die, the 
universes they created would also perish.  The 
residents of said universes would be understandably 
miffed."

"So we're going to keep them alive, but perpetually in 
fear, pain, and other such emotions?" Xelloss smiled 
when Pluto nodded.  "This should be fun."

*******

They were in that other place less than a minute 
before Nemesis brought them back.

"Remember, I can put you in the middle of any 
collection of fanboys in any world.  How long do you 
think you could survive?"  Nemesis smiled as he pulled 
out a pair of hedge clippers. "Did I ever tell you 
that I hate pink?"

A smooth, cold voice came from outside the room.  "Do 
not go overboard, Nemesis.  We need them alive for 
now."

While Andrew struggled to keep from whimpering in 
fear, Chibi-Slacker was his/her usual, sarcastic self.

"I thought you'd be taller."

Thrawn frowned.  "Nemesis, did you retrieve the item I 
asked for?"

"Yeah, boss, but it's not in a nice mood."

"Perhaps if you had asked it to come instead of simply 
grabbing it out of home dimension, it would be more 
cooperative."

"We are here, you know.  Should you be blabbing out 
your master plan?"

Thrawn leaned closer.  "But you do not know what it 
is.  Keep that in mind."

Andrew beat Chibi-Slacker to the punchline.  "Couldn't 
be any worse than being forced to watch a porno of 
Happosai and Cologne."

Thrawn was unaffected, while Chibi-Slacker and Nemesis 
looked sick.

"I can see why they sent you two here," Thrawn 
commented, before both exited.

"I did *not* need that image in my head," Chibi-
Slacker hissed.

"It got them out of here, didn't it?"

Before Andrew could reply, a small hatch was opened in 
the door.  Nemesis' face was visible for a few seconds 
before a small, furry bundle was shoved in.  As the 
hatch closed, Nemesis could be heard muttering "Where 
does he hide the Glock?"

Both authors stared at the gray and white rabbit that 
the bundle turned out to be.

"You think it's Star?" Andrew asked, the slightest 
hint of hope in his/her voice.

"We could only be so lucky," Chibi-Slacker replied.  
"Besides, I don't think they got to Kenko yet."

Andrew became aware of a tugging sensation on his/her 
hair.

KA-CLICK "Hey, toots, this stuff edible?"

"Oh, damn. It is him." Chibi-Slacker whimpered.