If you laugh when Shroud is revealed, he will hunt you down. Just warning you now.

Shroud did not panic. Panic was unbecoming of a warrior of his caliber. Panic happened to other people.

However, he did sweat a little.

"How did you detect me?" he asked.

Circuit pointed to his antennae, which sparked. "I can sense changes in the planet's ambient electromagnetism."

"What does that-"

"Any creature with a nervous system has its own electromagnetic field. Yours was small enough that it took a while to impact the surroundings."

He dropped the small figure.

"Sometimes," he went on, "I can even read someone's mind by analyin' their brain waves."

Shroud grunted. Impressive.

"So, why are ya here, boy?"

"I bear a message for the General, from The Forge."

Circuit's eyes widened. "So, ol' Furnace ain't forgot about me after all, eh?" Circuit chuckled.

"I don't claim to understand the message, but he seemed very distraught."

Circuit stopped laughed. He tapped his foot, and a rock pillar sprang up, bring Shroud to eye level.

"What's goin' on that Furnace wants me to know?"

"He only said three words…"

Circuit sighed. "What's yer name?"

"Shroud, sir."

"Shroud. Appropriate. Lower yer hood, yer indoors."

Shroud fidgeted, then complied. His head became visible. His skin was dark blue, and a pair of antennae sprung up when the hood lowered. His snout was a pleasing aqua color, and he had big, red, compound eyes.

Circuit stared. He shook his head. "Where're yer wings, boy?"

Shroud sighed. His cape twitched, then unfolded into a massive pair of butterfly wings, the biggest Circuit had ever seen. The black-and-white patterns, however, did not hide the fact that his wings were in shreds. The edges were ragged where they'd been torn, and there were several tears on the bigger pair.

Shroud stared at the much bigger warrior with a look of defiance. "I cannot fly. I can glide, and I can jump, but flight is forever lost to me. I focus my talents elsewhere."

Circuit raised his hands. "Alright, alright. What's yer message?"

Shroud folded his wings back into a cape. Even torn, they were far too big to be practical for ground-level movement.

"Lord Furnace said just three words…"

He took a deep breath.

"'He's coming back.'"

Socrates the Abra was aroused from his midmorning slumber by a vicious shaking of his house. The various dishes and books that constantly flew about his home shook indignantly at the disruption of their duties, but Socrates waved them to silence.

His uncle was a very powerful Alakazam, and had tought him many things.

And these teachings allowed him to know immediately what had caused this disruption of his schedule.

His uncle's former coworker, the new Guildmaster.

Circuit was screaming.

Shroud was dodging flashes of lightning. The General was panicking! This wasn't what was supposed to happen.

Lord Furnace always said great things of the General. He was supposed to be brave friendly, incredibly strong, and very wise.

He was not supposed to fly into a panic attack and start rambling hysterically. Of that he was certain.

Noctowl had zoomed from the stairwell and was trying to restrain the Electivire. Glitch and Ekans (who'd been recovering in the sick bay) were assisting, but with minimal success.

"No! He can't come BACK! It ain't fair! He's-he's a monster! I can't handle him, not again! It's a mistake-"

"Guildmaster, please! This is most unbecoming-ZZT! Aah!"

"Now, calm down, you see!"

"-It's some kind of cruel joke! Furnace just had a bad dream, that's all! For the love of ARCEUS, please say it ain't so!"

"CIRCUIT!" Glitch screamed. He summoned a firewall and wrapped it around the General, containing him. Glitch's head flipped right-side-up and his neck reattached. Shroud had only met Glitch once before, but knew enough to know he meant business now.

Circuit banged on the firewall for a few seconds before he collapsed, sobbing.

Noctowl picked himself up and ran to his side. Shroud dropped from the ceiling.

"Sir?" Shroud asked cautiously. "What did the message mean?"

Circuit didn't answer. Glitch dropped the firewall and Circuit stood up and walked the stairs. He tapped the wall and a huge book dropped out of a panel that opened up.

Shroud looked at the title: 10,000 Plans for Dangerous and Unlikely Circumstances.

Circuit flipped open the book and began skimming. Shroud caught a few of the titles: What to do if the Joker attacks the Pokémon World; What to do if the Guardian is incapacited; What to do in the event of Total Existence Failure; What to do if attacked by a wildebeest and all you have is milk...

There were all kinds of crazy things like that. Shroud was a quick reader, and the ones he could understand were all carefully thought out, with at least a page for each situation, each detailing the materials required, which were often quite odd and always involved duct tape. But as Shroud read, they all made sense. He could see a twisted logic behind it all, and even Shroud, with his naturally cynical mind, couldn't find a single flaw in any plan.

Except for one.

The very last page barely had any writing whatsoever.

The situation presented was thus:

What to do if Burne comes back:

The plan was short, written in large letters, and underlined several times. There were several curious marks that Shroud guess were the pencil breaking as it was written.

The plan was this:

Whimper, Cry, and Run.

Shroud was very scared.

Captain! We've struck plot! Questions, comments, or concerns? I hope you know what Shroud is now.