Greetings. So nice to have your interest. I have a few words to prologue this:
- English is not my mother language. So, please, help me to improve this.
- I do not own Loonatics, Looney Tunes nor any symbol, phrase or characteristic that resembles aforementioned characters.
- Also, I do not have total right over the three new characters presented on this fic, nor over the other two mentioned, since they are build over Loonatics premises and references. I created such characters, but, legally, they belong to the same people other Loonatics features belong too.
- This lines are for entertainment purpose only. I do not have nor desire any commercial compensation.
- Can you tell what my fave rock bands are?
- So, with no further ado… please enjoy
THE MERRY ROGUES
Chapter One: Street Fighting Mouse
So there they were. The six heroes of Acmetropolis in front of their HQ, locked on the sight of a powerful binocular, hold by a mouse in a black suit, with a bright blue triangle glowing on the chest. Despite the fact his size puts him, at max, at chest height of the Loonatics, Speedster knew he could do it.
The plan was perfect. He looked at his companions, the light-framed skunk and the gigantic, muscular rooster. They also wear similar clothing, although the rooster had ripped off the sleeves of his golden-triangle embossed suit, and the skunk had made the top part of the suit a short jacket, with he keeps open over a grey t-shirt, with half of his white triangle on each side, He thinks this makes him look somehow like a bullfighter. Speedster would laugh at the notion at other moments.
Not now.
Now, they will send Zodavia a message. Now, they will defeat the Loonatics. The mouse stood up.
"It is time" he said, opening the top part of his suit, tying the cloth arms around the waist, revealing his brown fur that did not hided the word "Arriba" tattooed just above his navel. "Earplugs on, let's go." With that, the mouse uttered the words "tag team", generating two energy copies of himself, each one taking one member of his team to their target, at very high speed.
- - -
Rev Runner was the only one to see something moving very, very fast on the heroes' direction, and started to shoot words his unique way.
"Hey-guys, look-out, look-out, there-is-something-coming. Maybe-someone-asked-a-super-express-pizza? It-would-be-just-in-time, really, I-was-really-hungry, unless-it-is-one-of-those-exotic-type-pizzas, hope-there's-no-anch"
He didn't finished, as the powerful punch of Speedster hit him hard on the beak, sending him several feet away.
Without loosing any time, the mouse was now all over Slam, while the tall rooster was standing in front of the other surprised heroes.
"Hey, what's up, docs?" asked Ace
"Name's not doc. They call me, I said" The next "call me" words went as a powerful sonic wave, knocking the Loonatics out of their feet. With a smile, the rooster added, in a normal voice "Lethal Leghorn" and quickly jumped over Tech Coyote.
- - -
Lexi felt like a stampede of elephants just crossed her skull. Her hearing powers made the Sonic Attack of Lethal Leghorn be even more devastating on her. Still out of balance, she saw a hand being offered, and a soft voice muttering
"Here, let me help you"
She looked at the unknown skunk, grabbing gently her hand and helping her on her feet.
"Who are you?"
"Call me Pretty Boy Le Pew; and you are… " his eyes locked on hers, and started to glow in an eerie way. Lexi Bunny suddenly felt as her very soul had abandoned her, as the skunk finished, kissing the back of her hand "… you are mine"
Tech E. Coyote looked at the weapons he draw being sliced by a powerful pair of rooster spurs. His mind rushed in hypothesis, but his enemy was merciless over him and over his arsenal.
Slam, on his hand, was not having more success. Not only the mouse was too fast for him, but also generated energy copies of himself, further damaging and confusing the tasmanian devil.
Lexi wanted to hit the daylights out of the skunk, but she could barely move. She was not capable even to control her emotions, being invaded by an uncomfortable calmness.
"You hate me and my two pals over there. I can feel it.", said the skunk. "At this moment, your emotions are on my body." He smiled "everything you feel, I feel. Everything you know … I now know. Nothing personal, my bunny, it's just business." He sighted. "But, since your emotions are too strong…" The skunk quickly hit the basis of the female neck, knocking her out.
- - -
"Lexi!"
Ace rushed to her, as the skunk attacked. And was surprised by the way the black and white one defended himself.
"You know, Ace, Lexi knows how you move, and knows how to block every attack of yours. And what she knows…"
A quick kick from the skunk made send Ace to the ground. "…I know. Including what she thinks and feels about you, n'est pas?" Said Pretty Boy, his knee pressing Ace chest. . The rabbit eyes went wide, before a punch of Pretty Boy closed them "I live for this moment of comprehension."
"Good.", said Speedster, suddenly at his side. "How about some help here? Second round, now. Lethal, finish Slam. Pretty Boy, Tech. I will go for the duck." The Skunk nodded, and pronounced the word "disengage", rubbing his eyes, as they stopped to glow.
- - -
Slam, heavily hurt, faced a massive rooster on front of him. Grumbling, he tried a Tornado Attack, just to have Lethal saying.
"Son, two, I said, two can play this" the word "game" produced a shockwave sending Slam against the nearby building. Without loosing a second or showing any signal of regret, he used his spurs to slice thru the columns that hold the building together, burying Slam under tons of rumble.
Nearby, Danger Duck was not amazed at the short mouse running full speed in his direction. Using the Quacking, he teleports himself moments before the impact, mocking an "Ole" while doing it.
"I am going to get you, mouse."
"... just like your ancestor did to mine?" Speedster laughed "Deja vu or what?"
"My ancestor could not do this. Quacking!" the duck teleported himself, trying to hit the mouse, who moved just in time to avoid the punch. "You can run, but you can't hide. And you can not hit me, if you don't know where I am. Quacking!".
The mouse stood there, waiting for the duck to reappear, seeing the light that comes before the Quacking, and triggering his Tag Team ability at the same time. The duck suddenly saw himself in the middle of about a dozen energy copies of the Mouse. He hesitate a fraction of seconds, without knowing what direction to go, time more than enough to the copies to return and hit him several times.
Falling in the ground, Danger Duck still manage to hear the mouse saying "Ditto for the ancestor's ability, and ditto for the 'can't hit' thing", before his world faded into darkness.
- - -
Meanwhile, Tech was not having a better fight. With his weaponry turned piles of scrap metal by the rooster, he had to resource to his pale fighting skills. His regeneration powers help him to take any hit the skunk could come up with, but his nemesis, oddly, did not show a sign of getting tired. Between heavy breathings, the genius asked:
"Enhanced stamina, I presume?"
"Oui. You are indeed the smart one."
The next thing Coyote noticed was a muscular white-feathered arm knocking him out.
"Talk less, hit more, skunk", said Lethal. "It is that simple".
Pretty Boy shrugged.
"He will be back in a matter of seconds."
"Really?" Lethal raised his leg, his spur glowing, before lowering it heavily on Tech's back. "Make it a couple of minutes, now."
- - -
"My-who-are-you? What-you-did-to" Rev was awaking from Speedster Punch the moment Lethal and Pretty Boy passed by him. The rooster, with a quick movement, knocked the daylights out of Rev, before he could fully recover.
"As I said, simple."
"Wow, easy on the bird."
"Why?" said, with a sneer, Lethal "Like him?"
The skunk raised an eyebrow.
"He can't take what Slam can, and has no molecular regeneration. No casualties, remember?"
"HAH!" was the mocking answer.
"Andale, we have seconds!" Shouted Speedster, commanding his team "Pretty Boy, give us access" The skunk quickly typed Lexi's code at the door pad, and the trio entered the Loonatics HQ. And, just as fast, they exited and disappeared on the streets of the huge city.
Chapter Two: Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own
Ace did not know what to think. Just about one hour ago, his whole team was defeated silly, by just three foes. He looked at his companions. Physically, Slam was in worst shape. Lying on the couch, after being rescued from under a building by the other Loonatics, the tasmanian devil could barely move without screaming in pain.
Rev was sitting on the couch, holding a bag full of ice against his beak, by the first time too quiet and immobile. Tech was close to him, eyes closed, index fingers together in front of his own mouth. Thinking. Concentrating. Only Duck was moving in circles, complaining non-stop. The carpet already started to vanish under his feet.
But what concerned the rabbit the most was Lexi. She was sitting on a corner, not allowing anyone to get close to her.
The female thoughts were on turmoil. "He invaded everything I am", Lexi keep thinking. "He could do anything to my body that would make me feel so... disrespected. How can I face the others now?"
The yellow rabbit sighted. He could feel the eyes of Rev, Danger and Slam on him. He did not know what to do, what to say. What a leader, he though. Without other resource, he tryied and contact Zodavia. The holographic pod came to life, bringing the attention of the Loonatics, but Lexi.
"Zodavia" Started Ace "we have a…heavy situation here" He rubbed his chin "Heavy and painful, really."
"I know, Loonatics. I saw part of what happened on your suit cameras." She stopped for a while. "I have a history to tell you"
- - -
The woman at the hologram continued:
"Remember the training camp, where you learned how to use your powers? For security reasons, there were two camps, completely independent. Each one destined to help about half of the people affected by the comet."
"What?" The Loonatics could not believe what they heard.
"There were 11 of you, Loonatics. But, while in your camp everything went right, on the other, Speedster, Pretty Boy and Lethal decided to rebel. Before we could fully understand or help them to control their powers, they leaved the camp. We manage to capture the three again, and reinforced the security at the area. But they escaped again, killing several guards in their way." She looked down for a while "Potential Loonatics Rave Frog and Golden Canary also died trying to stop the Merry Rogues, like they started to call themselves."
"And why did you waited until now to tell us about'em?" Asked Ace.
"They were out of your league, Ace. Until now, the Merry Rogues did nothing but small thievery. One or another act of vandalism against Acmetropolis data files, blackmail here, stealing a vehicle there. While the six of you… your job is on global scale. You protect thousands and thousands of lives. You are the greatest heroes; don't need to worry about petty street criminals."
Danger Duck got a hand mirror and started to admire himself: "You got that right, sister."
"But now…" continued Zodavia
"Now they decided to play in the big league, we noticed." Said Ace, sitting down
"So, what do you know about those three, Zodavia?" Asked Tech. "Any information would be welcomed."
"We don't have much. They destroyed their previous life files on Acmetropolis data center, so they can move without alerting the cameras and the police. Also, there are only the results of few tests we managed to save from the destroyed training camp."
"Proceed" encouraged Tech.
Her image disappeared, being replaced by a rotating picture of a stark naked rooster, against a height-measure wall. Zodavia voice was heard.
"Lethal Leghorn. His vocal chords can generate a destructive sound wave. Leg spurs extremely sharp and dense, are capable of cutting thru most of known materials."
"That includes my weaponry, the building that was over Slam, and my spine. None of these are enjoyable experiences, I assure you." Said Tech.
Zodavia nodded: "There are some results that may indicate that his strength can be twice, maybe three times the normal level. We are not sure about that, however."
"Slam is" said Ace. "What else?"
"Nothing else about him" The rotating figure of the rooster was replaced by the skunk's, in the very same fashion. "Pretty Boy Le Pew: Chromosome Y Interference, and further disclosure of the thoughts and feelings of bodies with such component. Complete reach of power is unknown."
Danger Duck approaches Tech
"In English, that would mean...?"
"He... short-circuits females." answered a worried coyote.
"How?"
Lexi stands, and was talking after a long time. Ace didn't like what he saw; there was hate on her eyes. "How he does it? What triggers it? Contact? Closeness?"
"We are not sure. Apparently, he needs both visual and bodily contact, but our data is inconclusive."
Lexi said nothing, just sat again. Zodavia continued: "Also on Pretty Boy: high level of stamina. Capable of staying awake for more than a week, without showing signals of fatigue." The figure of the skunk was replaced by a short brown mouse: "Speedster: Leader of the group. Super speed ability."
"As-fast-as-me?" began Rev. "He-can-not-be-as-fast-as-me, nobody-is, I-mean-he-got-us-by-surprise-right? If-we were-ready-for-him, he-could not-match-my-speed-I-was-knocked-out-before-I-could-act, remember. I-could-not-run-as-fast-as-him-being-knocked-out."
"Shhhhh, Rev, pay attention" said Ace.
"We honestly don't know, Rev. We suspect – emphasis on suspect – he can't maintain the high speed as long as you can. Also, he generates energy copies of himself. Those can be solid enough to carry or hit objects, or work like a time bomb. He can have improved his energy manipulation, however."
"Have any clue on their whereabouts?"
"Now you must rest, Tech. There is no use on going after them now. We talk tomorrow. Zodavia out."
While Zodavia spoke, no one noticed a small object glued under the holographic pod.
"Fair enough." said Lexi, standing and rushing to the training room. "Ace, can you help me?"
- - -
At the training room, Lexi unties the cloth that held her ears together, tying it over her eyes. He grabbed a bo staff, throwing another one to Ace, who just entered the room.
"…Lexi?"
"With my hearing power, in theory, I don't need to see to fight. Attack me, Ace. I need to train this."
"But why…"
"You heard her. He needs eye contact. Now listen. You boys can bring the other two by the book, I don't care. But that skunk… He wants a piece of me, right? Boy, am I going to give it to him. I have the right, Ace, and don't you dare to say otherwise. Attack me!"
The yellow rabbit smiled "well, you must be prepared, then, because you will hit him on my behalf too." Without a warning, the rabbit jumped over her. The staffs clashed with violence.
"You can do better, Ace."
- - -
On other part of the city, 3 pairs of eyes were glued on an old computer. Speedester was praying for the fragile equipment to complete the task, to track Zodavia transmission. Slowly, the screen started to move, to show different parts of the city, until stopping over a determinate street and building.
"We have, I said, we have an address, partners." Said Lethal, giving a beer can to each one on the room
"Now" said Speedster "we just wait for Ace to find our little gift, and then… we kill Zodavia."
The beer cans clash, on a happy toast.
- - -
This is the first part of 3. What do you think so far? Want me to write the next chapter? Opinions, rotten tomatoes, disdain laughs et. all are appreciated.