Despite everything, Brain never did give up on taking over the world. Despite all the failed plans, having to raise their son Romy, and balancing an odd friendship, he never gave up. That was something his companion admired about the Brain; his persistence. No matter what happened to the two Brain would always find a way to get back on track. This did not mean that the Brain enjoyed disruptions from his work, and it was a surprise that he didn't leave Pinky at the first signs of disruption. Pinky often pondered this himself, and was always worried that his best friend would leave him some day. But no, other than himself, Brain hated disruptions. So it was quite surprising that he didn't turn away his son when he showed up at the door.
"Gee Brain, wha are ya workin on now?" Pinky asked, stumbling over to his cage mate. Brain was writing and adding to a blueprint in front of him. After a minute he stood up proudly as usual, and presented the designs.
"This Pinky, is my newest plan for world domination! You see, if I can gain control of the coffee industry in South and Central America, I will have complete control over the cost of the world's coffee. I will then cut off the coffee supply, leaving the entire world deprived of the energetic, caffeinated beverage. When the world's inhabitants are left sleepy and exhausted, I shall conquer the world!" He finished with his trademark position of lifting his fists up to the sky.
"Oh brilliant Brain!" Pinky exclaimed, clapping his hands together in joy before one of his rare realizations dawned on him. "Oh wait wait no. What about the people who only drink decaf?"
"Pinky, those who drink decaf are not of this planet." The Brain turned and continued to write down notes and calculations. "Now in order to take control of the coffee industry I will need to-" There was a knock on the window near their cage. It was rare for the lab to receive visitors, especially in this fashion. This did not bother the lanky, blue eyed mouse.
"Oh I'll get it!" Pinky yelled and he scurried over to the window. He looked through the glass and there in front of him, was his son.
"Oh Brain! Romy's come to visit!" Pinky's face lit up and, although he'd never admit it, Brain to was happy at the idea of his clone visiting. Pinky quickly opened the door and embraced his son in a tight hug.
"Oh Romy it's so great to see you! We've both missed you so much!" Pinky spoke as he set Romy down and held him by the shoulders to get a good look at him. His smile faltered though when he saw the suitcase that was practically bursting and the puffy eyes of his son.
"Egad Romy. What happened?" Romy looked down at the ground.
"Bunny kicked me out." By now Brain was by Pinky's side, and he was slightly alarmed at the state of his son.
"Now why would she do that?" Pinky asked.
"Well, she said that if I wasn't gonna find a suitable job, then I couldn't stay with her."
"Hasn't she always been supportive of your ventriloquising job?" Brain queried. Romy rubbed his shoulder nervously.
"Well yeah she was but um, she's... she's pregnant." The clone's parents' eyes widened.
"But, but you're a mouse!" Brain exclaimed. "And she's a human!"
"We don't believe in labels, man. You know that." Romy looked down again, only to look back up when his "mother" wrapped him in a hug.
"Well we support your decision, Romy." Pinky looked at Brain. "Oh just think of it, Brain. I'm gonna be a grandmommy!" Romy pushed Pinky away from him.
"She kicked me out cause I don't want a kid, especially if their gonna get in the way of my dream!" The angered clone exclaimed. Pinky gasped and frowned at his son.
"Now see here young man! I know I raised you better than this. You have to take responsibility, even if that means not being a ventriloquist."
"For once I agree with you, Pinky." The Brain spoke up again. "You made a commitment to this woman. And besides, this should be seen as a minor set back to your final plan. That's how I saw you when Pinky and I were raising you." Romy turned to his shorter father and glared at him.
"Oh yeah? Was I really such a setback? I mean, how long has it been since then? A year? And it looks like you've really made some progress on your grand plan." Romy snapped. Brain took a step back.
"I have made progress! I have a plan right here that is sure to work-"
"Just like all the other plans?!" Romy yelled. He huffed and picked up his suitcase. "I'll be staying in my room. Don't bother me." The two baffled lab mice watched their clone stomp away to his part of the cage. Pinky put a hand on Brain's shoulder and looked at him sadly. The Brain had a look of defeat on his face.
"Don't you worry, Brain. I'll go talk to him."
Pinky found his son sitting on his makeshift bed, his head in his hands.
"Romy?" Pinky called.
"What Pinky?" He groaned.
"Romy, look at me please." Romy slowly and reluctantly removed his hands and looked at his father. "Romy, you know that Brain and I care for you deeply and-"
"He really knows how to show it." Romy pouted, crossing his arms.
"It's just how he shows that he cares. And we do, we want what's best for you."
"So you'll let me stay?" Romy had a hopeful look in his eyes that Pinky knew he had to quell.
"Romy, as much as I like having you here, you made a promise to this girl. And being a parent isn't that bad." Pinky made his way over to his son and took his hands into his.
"But I don't know anything about being a dad. And I sure don't have any money to take care of the kid."
I got no money in my hand or my coat or my pocket
"Don't worry about that, Romy. You just have to be there and try your best. And if you ask me poit, you should head back to Bunny as soon as you can!" Pinky cheered the last part, happy to have gotten through to his son. Romy looked down.
"I can't actually."
"Why's that?"
"I kinda told her that I would travel to the city and makes some money some how." Pinky's ears sagged. He collapsed on the bed next to his son.
"Well what are you thinking of doing, narf." Romy shrugged.
"I don't know. I had this book full of poems that I'm working on. Maybe I can get'em published." Pinky sat up quickly, a smile on his face.
"That's the spirit, Romy!" Pinky left off the bed and headed to the door. "Now you get working. I believe in you! Narf!" He skipped out of the room, happy to have made some headway.
Pinky made his way to the counter where Brain was, expecting to see him writing and brainstorming. Instead he found a torn up plan and a distressed looking Brain. Romy's words had gotten to him more than the lanky mouse had thought, and it made Pinky upset to see the two most important people in his little world so distraught. Pinky let out a quiet, sad 'narf' before walking closer to his friend.
"Brain? You okay?" Pinky called.
"He's right, Pinky. None of these plans will ever work. They're so idiotic and ludicrous that they'd never even get past the first few stages." Pinky walked towards Brain and set a hand on top of his head.
"Don't talk like that, Brain. You've come close to taking over the world many times! You'll get it one day, I know you will!" Pinky tried his best to be encouraging.
"Oh Pinky don't you see?! The majority of my plans never work because the build up always gets stopped. I mean, how many times have I tried to get funding for the plan, only to be stopped before the plan can be initiated?" Brain yelled, exasperated. Pinky scratched his head, trying to count.
Won't get to space cause I haven't got a rocket
"Oh well, I don't know Brain. Narf I can't count that high." Brain let out a sigh.
"Just forget it, Pinky." Pinky frowned before yelling out.
"Okay that's it!" His outburst caused Brain to stare wide-eyed at his friend, and Romy to emerge from his "room."
"I've just about had it with all this sulking and giving up! Troz You both expect everything to go your way but it just doesn't! Now I know that the world might seem against you, but you have to learn to realize everything that you do have! Narf"
But I have air in my lungs, eyes in my sockets
And a heart that beats like a tap that leaks
"Oh that's right, Pinky." Brain started one of his rants. "Because you have so much to be thankful of, don't you? You just have everything in the world!" Pinky stared at the two scowling, cross-armed mice that at that moment never looked so much alike. Pinky almost wanted to take a picture. Wait no, he had to stay on track. There was a point here.
"I do have everything! I have a home and food and water!" Pinky yelled back. "I have a best friend and a son! Which is a lot more than most people can say they have! I've seen the world Brain and so have you! Narf We've gone on adventures!" Pinky turned to Romy who was flinching at the yelling. "And you, Romy! Poit, you have some one out in the world who loves you! Love is something that is so rare and so special, and, and you've gone and thrown that all away!" Pinky was pulling on his ears, enraged with the way his family was acting. He brought his attention back to the now two flinching mice and wagged a finger at them. "Now I may not be the smartest mouse who eva' lived, but I do know when to realize when I have a good thing." Pinky gave a final hmph and stormed off to God-knows-where in the lab, leaving the two stunted mice to think.
Brain turned to his clone, who had a similar look of shock on his face. It wasn't like the goofy mouse to yell and scold like that.
"It's not like him to yell like that." Brain spoke sheepishly.
"Yeah." Romy replied, rubbing his shoulder. There was another silence and Brain really got to think. He started to think about all the things Pinky was thankful for. They really had done so much, and they had seen things people can only dream about. There were few times that Pinky was able to convince Brain of his understanding of the world, and it was even rarer for Pinky to find things that Brain never found. This was one of the moments.
"He has a point you know." Romy spoke quietly. Brain nodded slightly.
"Sometimes Pinky still manages to surprise me with these little pieces of wisdom."
"It shouldn't, you know." Brain looked at Romy confused. "He's not as dumb as you think. He may seem like an airhead but he knows a lot. He has a different kind of intelligence to him, and he still manages to be understanding. He found that balance, and that makes him a genius." Brain looked down, considering what his clone had said to him.
"He always finds time to care about the important things like us, doesn't he?" Brain asked, although it was more like a statement.
In the night when you haven't got a plumber who can stop it
Jack in a box without a key to lock it
"We should go talk to him." Romy said, leading his thinking father off to where Pinky went. They found him in the rec room, chewing on some bread and grumbling to himself. The two shorter mice quietly climbed up the table and tapped Pinky on the shoulder. He turned quickly and saw his family in front of him with guilty eyes. No words were needed, and Pinky knew he wouldn't get a verbal apology from the two. Maybe Romy, but Brain? Never. So instead Pinky pulled them into a hug.
Well this boat may sink my I'm not gonna rock it
Cause the sea doesn't know my name
Well this boat may sink my I'm not gonna rock it
Cause the sea doesn't know my name
Well if you can't get what you love
You learn to love the things to got
If you can't be what you want
You learn to be the things you're not
If you can't get what you need
You learn to need the things that stop your dreaming
Oh the things that stop your dreaming
A few weeks past and Pinky and the Brain grew accustomed to their son living with them. He never accompanied them on any of their escapades, not that there were many to begin with. Brain was being more careful, trying to work out every detail so that he would conquer the world quickly and efficiently. Romy worked on his poems, and Pinky took care of the overworked mice. Long nights were spent making sure that his two favorite mice were taken care of, and sometimes Pinky was kept awake all night feeding them, and putting them to bed when they finally collapsed. Oh but he couldn't complain. They were content, and that was more than he could ask for. It was even worth the cold he was catching, which didn't seem to go away with medicine.
Today was one of those days when the coughing was particularly bad.
"Pinky! Would you stop that incessant coughing!" Brain yelled.
"Narf I'm sorry, Brain. I just can't seem to get this cold away." His body was racked with another fit of coughs. His voice was hoarse and dry sounding. It made Brain cringe, hearing the dreadful and uncomfortable sound.
"Pinky?" Brain asked, more gently. At most times Brain couldn't stand being this soft towards Pinky. But he had been taking care of him, and thought that he deserved a little more gentle nature towards him.
"Pinky, what's wrong?"
"N-Nothing Brain! Narf! Just a bit of a cold! Y-You get back to work, alright?" His voice was shaky, and his legs were wobbly. Brain got up and slowly assisted Pinky in sitting down, feeling the hot temperature his friend was radiating. A fever. After Pinky was settled Brain went and got a thermometer and a book on diagnosing medical conditions. He had a hunch as to what his poor friend was suffering from, but he prayed to God that he was wrong. Brain quickly stuck the thermometer into his friend's mouth and read the temperature. 103 degrees Fahrenheit. Not good.
"Romy! Come here!" Romy usually didn't hurry to approach his father. But when he heard worry instead of command in his voice, he hurried just a bit more this time.
"Yeah?"
"Watch Pinky for me while I look at this book." Romy sighed and sat next his father. At first glance he seemed fine, and then the coughing happened again. Romy stared at his dad until he was done, and then looked at Brain.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing Romy. Noth-" Again another coughing fit, followed by a quiet 'narf'.
"Don't talk, Pinky." Brain spoke, his nose buried in the book. He spent minutes reading and searching, hoping that for once he was wrong.
And for once in Brain's entire life, he hated being right. Tuberculosis. Of all the things. It took a while to explain to Pinky what Tuberculosis was, and it took even longer for the two mice to cease their quiet tears. Pinky understood though, oh he definitely did.
Soon Brain's plans were replaced by work to try and find a cure that would heal a laboratory mouse. But everything he tried, it only seemed to make Pinky worse. Finally, after much yelling from Romy, Brain stopped his efforts to find a cure. Pinky kept encouraging them to work on their projects, but there was less fire, less life in Acme Labs.
"Brain, why don't you work on a plan? You haven't worked on one in so long! Poit." Brain sighed and stared at the blueprints next to him. He really didn't feel like working, but he would if it made the bedridden mouse happy. He worked for a few minutes, barely writing any calculations.
"Why are you so sad, Brain?" Why was he sad? He had always thought about how much he'd get done with Pinky gone. But he can't go, not like this. Not is such a painful way. Pinky was at the stage where he was coughing out blood. Brain would have to resist to urge to yell that that fluid didn't belong outside. It belonged in his friend, who despite his stupidity and spontaneity, was still his friend. He never left him, like Snowball and Billie, and he would always be the one to pick Brain up after a failed plan. Brain was smart enough to see the world for what it was, a cruel and unforgiving land. But what he found in Pinky was innocence, and he needed that in this world.
"Brain, it will get better. I promise! Poit"
"No Pinky, it won't. You can't promise things like that because it won't get better!" Brain yelled.
Well I got no one's word
And nobody's promise
"Brain, please don't be upset." Pinky called quietly. "It'll be okay, and you'll still have Romy."
"But Romy will leave once his book is finished and published." His voice was bitter now.
"Not at this rate, pops." Romy's tone was monotonous called, and in his hand was a sad looking stack of papers. "This is a sad excuse for work."
Not a lot to show but this book full of sonnets
"Now listen here! What happened to you two?!" Pinky exclaimed, coughing slightly. "What happened to the two inspired mice I know? Have some confidence in yourself poit." Romy looked down and Brain glared.
"It's a little hard, Pinky." Romy admitted. Pinky stared at them before realizing what his son was talking about.
"Romy, Brain, listen. I know this is hard. But you shouldn't be so sad, narf. And just because I'm sick doesn't mean you two should be sulking all the time." Pinky took Romy's hand, who had subconsciously made his way to Pinky's bed. "But it'll get better. Things will get better for everyone! So please don't let me get you so sad."
And my liver may be fucked but my heart is honest
And my word is true like the sky is blue
If it weren't for the beggin blue eyes of the lanky mouse, Romy and Brain would have argued with him. But for his sake the two refrained. Romy nodded and headed back to the cage to work.
"You really don't get it, do you Pinky?" Brain asked, looking at his feet.
"Get what, Brain?"
"This isn't going to get any better, Pinky. You aren't going to get better." Pinky looked at him for a minute before chuckling.
"Oh I know that, Brain. I'm smarter than you'd think. Narf But it doesn't really bother me." Brain looked at him strangely. Pinky took this as a sign to continue. "Troz, What bothers me is that you and Romy are sulking about poit."
"And what do you expect us to do? Skip around singing with joy?" Brain growled. It was Pinky's turn to look at him strangely.
"Narf Brain. I thought you'd be happy. Always saying you could take over the world without me, that I just get in the way. Egad Brain, isn't this what you wanted?" Pinky gave him a confused glance. Brain just sighed and walked back over to his plans.
Things didn't get much better after that. More blood came out when Pinky coughed, and Romy's poems weren't coming out right, and Brain still couldn't work. Pinky seemed to notice this and after two weeks of putting up with their failed attempts of hiding their depression, he called them to his makeshift bed.
"What is it, Pinky?" Pinky pulled out a picture from under his pillow and showed it to his friend. It was a picture from the film Brain made for "Subjugation." It showed Pinky holding up Brain while a particularly large wave came in. Pinky was smiling and Brain had wide, worried eyes.
"Oh do you remember this, Brain? Narf We were at the beach and a big old wave came in and almost swept you up!" Romy gave a laugh at his shorter father's expression. Brain looked down, half embarrassed and half overcome with nostalgia. While the plan was a failure, and he did almost get water-logged, the day was quite fun.
In the summer time when everybody gets on it
Pinky reached under the pillow and pulled out another picture. This was when they were scouting for place to film the commercial, and Pinky had gotten a bad sun burn.
Warm our skins and get sunburnt from it
This got a laugh out of Brain and Romy, seeing the red exposed skin.
"Oh sure laugh it up, troz!" Pinky grumbled, but his anger was dismissed with his smile. The three were now chuckling at the funny pictures Pinky stored under his pillow. After numerous embarrassing photos and laughs, Pinky pulled out two more pictures. One was of Bunny and Romy, that Pinky requested the send to him. The other was of Brain and Billie, hugging and laughing.
And her eyes shine bright like a sky full of comets
That shoot like a silver train
And her eyes shine bright like a sky full of comets
That shoot like a silver train
Pinky gave both of them their respective pictures and watched them. They looked at him, confused by the pictures.
"Just to remind you that there's more to life than this ole' sick mouse." Pinky smiled. Romy shook his head and Brain looked away. Pinky frowned and started to cough, blood covering the majority of his towel.
"Brain, you remember that if you can't win the world, you can win the girl."
Well if you can't get what you love
You learn to love the things to got
Pinky looked at Romy.
"And Romy, you remember that sometimes, if you can't be exactly what you want, you can learn to be the thing you have to be."
If you can't be what you want
You learn to be the things you're not
"Both of you, please remember this."
If you can't get what you need
You learn to need the things that stop your dreaming
Oh the things that stop your dreaming
Romy let out a small sob and ran off, ignoring Pinky's hoarse calls. Pinky coughed a few more times into his towel before looking up, only to see that Brain had left too.
Pinky rarely saw either of them for a week. This didn't help the poor mouse, and he seemed to get sicker and sicker. He only saw Brain when he came to give him food and water, and he never saw Romy. Pinky's nights were often spent crying, wishing that his family were with him. Wishing he had somebody. Despite his happy facade, he was scared. Dying was scary, and Pinky was sad about what he'd miss. His grandchildren, Brain's plans, Romy's art. All of it.
Pinky knew he was going to die that night. The blood on his towels would increase, and he could barely breathe without coughing. It was late at night, and Pinky was up because he couldn't sleep. Brain had come to give him food and water, but that was it. Dying didn't scare Pinky anymore. He was scared of not saying goodbye. His eyes were getting heavier. Blood was leaking out of his mouth and staining his fur and sheets. He let out a small sob and coughed more, to weak to lift up the towel anymore. He felt a cool cloth be placed on his forehead, and he looked over, seeing Brain's smiling face.
Well if you can't get what you love
You learn to love the things to got
"It's okay, Pinky." Pinky would have given out a cheery 'narf' but he couldn't; he just coughed.
"Easy there, Pinky." Romy. Pinky shifted slightly and saw his son, who was standing in front of a human. Bunny.
"You brought Bunny?" Pinky asked, a smile on his face.
"Yeah. I sent in my book to a publisher. They said it sounded good." Pinky smiled. "We also started looking at larger apartments, for the baby." Pinky let out a bright and cheery laugh, trying his best to subdue his coughs.
If you can't be what you want
You learn to be the things you're not
"Easy Pinky." Brain eased, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Try not to strain yourself." Pinky nodded meekly before smiling at the parents-to-be.
"I'm so happy for you both." Romy stepped forward and took his father's hand.
"Thanks dad." The bucktooth mice smiled at each other before Romy gave him a gentle hug.
"Roman?" Brain spoke. The two mice looked at him. "Could you give Pinky and I a moment?" Romy nodded before climbing up Bunny's shoulder and waving goodbye to his father. The couple walked off to the break room.
Brain turned back to Pinky who was smiling brightly, despite his shaking body and limp arms.
"I'm so happy for them poit. Aren't you Brain?"
"Yes Pinky." There was a small silence that was interrupted by another raging fit of coughs. Brain waited patiently, holding a towel to his dear friend's mouth. Once he was finished Brain finally found the courage in him to speak.
"Pinky-"
"Brain?"
"Yes Pinky?"
"I think it's time Brain." The smaller mouse's eyes widened. No, no it couldn't be. There was so much for them to do! So many plans, so many things to say.
"Pinky?"
"Yes Brain?"
"Pinky, I don't want you to think that you got in the way of my plans. You were very helpful to me, for all these years. And... taking over the world won't be the same without you, Pinky."
Pinky smiled at his friend and slowly took his hand. He saw the tears forming in Brain's
eyes, but he didn't say anything.
"I'll miss you, Pinky." Brain sniffed. Pinky smiled even more before he slowly closed his eyes.
If you can't get what you need
You learn to need the things that stop your dreaming
Oh the things that stop your dreaming
Oh the things that stop your dreaming