Intro:
========================
Superman and Starro travel from Earth 1. Their presence gives rise to the Zoo Crew (Captain Carrot/Rodney Rabbit, Alley-Kat-Abra/Felina Furr,Fastback/Timmy-Joe Terrapin, Pig-Iron/Peter Porkchops, Rubberduck/Byrd Rentals, Yankee Poodle/Rova Barkitt). [New Teen Titans #16]
Of course, that's how we saw it on Earth-Prime. Elseworlds, it was a different story.
The West Corner of the Park: 1
========================
The plastic disc sailed across the sky, casually dodging the white furred digits of the teenager it was meant for. Powerful legs pumped and pivoted to get the lapine youth directly under the flying object, but it was not to be. Five fingers clutched air as the disc continued to glide blithely past its master as if it had another target in mind.
Indeed, for one bright moment, Andy Costley thought the gods of flight had smiled upon him. He set his jaw, although a smile of his own seemed to form beneath his flexible beak, and dug his little green toes into the grass. He pumped his legs forward, sending a tiny spray of dirt and divots in his wake. Despite the awkwardness of backside of hardened skin, Andy felt fleet footed and sure as he raced to where he needed to be. His arm reached out, little green fingers with pale grey claws ready to pull the disc from the sky.
It was glorious. It was everything he imagined it would be.
Until a brown blur crossed his path and snatched the disc from the air.
Andy suddenly felt a thousand pounds heavier, as Jarvis landed lithely a few feet away. The cat was slim and robust, full of the hot-blooded grace denied the younger boy. He wore nothing but a brown-orange t-shirt that matched most of his fur. His fur covered sex bounced obscenely beneath his tail as he spun around and launched the disc on a different tangent across the field, and Andy couldn't help but look. It was one of the things that made the Mammals think themselves superior.
Jarvis smiled happily and looked Andy right in the eyes. "You almost had it there, Sport. Keep trying." Then the Feline looked away to watch Juan, another of the Hewitts' foster kids, leap up nimbly to catch the flying disc. At least, Andy thought it was Juan. Andy's vision was not great at long distances, which infuriated him as it fell right into the Reptilian stereotype. Still, how many grey Canines wearing red shorts could there be in the park today.
His "brothers" continued to play around him, tossing the disc through the air to anyone but him. They made no secret of the fact that they hated him for not being a Mammal. They called him Scaley and Meat behind his back, he knew they did.
"Play with Andy," Mr Hewitt had ordered as the ten boys under his foster care had climbed out of his bus-like van. The large black Ursine who had been taking care of Andy since his parents had died last year even gave Andy a wink from behind the wheel of the van. He and one of the older boys had an errand to run in town and they were going to be back just before supper, and Andy had always dreaded the unsupervised time when the other boys would be mean to him.
At first, Andy had been excited and grateful for this. For if Mr. Hewitt told them to do something, they generally did it. He knew once they started to play with him, they'd get to know him and like him for who he was. That's what all the teachers said in school. But nobody listened. Not to the teachers. Not to Mr. Hewitt. Nobody listened to anybody when it meant being nice to Andy. Before long, Andy totally resented his care-giver for that command.
What was truly annoying to Andy was how easily he could hope. The young male knew better, he really did. He remembered his father, his real father, complaining that at least when the Repts where slaves the Mammals had put some sort of value on them. "Now, it's like we're worth less than nothin'!" Momma had always dismissed the notion out of hand, with common sense optimism. In hindsight, Andy could see the weight of the years having to live as a second class citizen in her eyes and carriage. She had put on an act for him, to protect him from the harsh reality of it all.
With a stabbing pain to his heart, Andy realized he could come to hate Momma for doing that to him. A small hot tear of shame slid down his face and the boy forced himself to think about the flying disc that was never going to come his way.
-more to be added
========================
Superman and Starro travel from Earth 1. Their presence gives rise to the Zoo Crew (Captain Carrot/Rodney Rabbit, Alley-Kat-Abra/Felina Furr,Fastback/Timmy-Joe Terrapin, Pig-Iron/Peter Porkchops, Rubberduck/Byrd Rentals, Yankee Poodle/Rova Barkitt). [New Teen Titans #16]
Of course, that's how we saw it on Earth-Prime. Elseworlds, it was a different story.
The West Corner of the Park: 1
========================
The plastic disc sailed across the sky, casually dodging the white furred digits of the teenager it was meant for. Powerful legs pumped and pivoted to get the lapine youth directly under the flying object, but it was not to be. Five fingers clutched air as the disc continued to glide blithely past its master as if it had another target in mind.
Indeed, for one bright moment, Andy Costley thought the gods of flight had smiled upon him. He set his jaw, although a smile of his own seemed to form beneath his flexible beak, and dug his little green toes into the grass. He pumped his legs forward, sending a tiny spray of dirt and divots in his wake. Despite the awkwardness of backside of hardened skin, Andy felt fleet footed and sure as he raced to where he needed to be. His arm reached out, little green fingers with pale grey claws ready to pull the disc from the sky.
It was glorious. It was everything he imagined it would be.
Until a brown blur crossed his path and snatched the disc from the air.
Andy suddenly felt a thousand pounds heavier, as Jarvis landed lithely a few feet away. The cat was slim and robust, full of the hot-blooded grace denied the younger boy. He wore nothing but a brown-orange t-shirt that matched most of his fur. His fur covered sex bounced obscenely beneath his tail as he spun around and launched the disc on a different tangent across the field, and Andy couldn't help but look. It was one of the things that made the Mammals think themselves superior.
Jarvis smiled happily and looked Andy right in the eyes. "You almost had it there, Sport. Keep trying." Then the Feline looked away to watch Juan, another of the Hewitts' foster kids, leap up nimbly to catch the flying disc. At least, Andy thought it was Juan. Andy's vision was not great at long distances, which infuriated him as it fell right into the Reptilian stereotype. Still, how many grey Canines wearing red shorts could there be in the park today.
His "brothers" continued to play around him, tossing the disc through the air to anyone but him. They made no secret of the fact that they hated him for not being a Mammal. They called him Scaley and Meat behind his back, he knew they did.
"Play with Andy," Mr Hewitt had ordered as the ten boys under his foster care had climbed out of his bus-like van. The large black Ursine who had been taking care of Andy since his parents had died last year even gave Andy a wink from behind the wheel of the van. He and one of the older boys had an errand to run in town and they were going to be back just before supper, and Andy had always dreaded the unsupervised time when the other boys would be mean to him.
At first, Andy had been excited and grateful for this. For if Mr. Hewitt told them to do something, they generally did it. He knew once they started to play with him, they'd get to know him and like him for who he was. That's what all the teachers said in school. But nobody listened. Not to the teachers. Not to Mr. Hewitt. Nobody listened to anybody when it meant being nice to Andy. Before long, Andy totally resented his care-giver for that command.
What was truly annoying to Andy was how easily he could hope. The young male knew better, he really did. He remembered his father, his real father, complaining that at least when the Repts where slaves the Mammals had put some sort of value on them. "Now, it's like we're worth less than nothin'!" Momma had always dismissed the notion out of hand, with common sense optimism. In hindsight, Andy could see the weight of the years having to live as a second class citizen in her eyes and carriage. She had put on an act for him, to protect him from the harsh reality of it all.
With a stabbing pain to his heart, Andy realized he could come to hate Momma for doing that to him. A small hot tear of shame slid down his face and the boy forced himself to think about the flying disc that was never going to come his way.
-more to be added