Well, I just got back from seeing Toy Story 3 at my local theater. It was a great movie in every sense of the word, and a stellar, touching end to the trilogy. As usual, various characters engaged in thrilling, heart-pumping acts of heroism and courage. However, it occurred to me afterward that although he's definitely no wuss, we never really got to see Rex do anything especially heroic in any of the movies. So I wrote this fanfic to give him the opportunity. :)
Spoilers contained for those who haven't seen this gem yet.
Of the very few things that annoyed Rex-privately of course-the worst was not being able to accomplish very much with his minuscule arms. Thankfully, he had his devoted friends to help him, both old, like Buzz, and new, like Bonnie's Triceratops, Trixie.
At the moment, she was standing next to him, head expectantly cocked as he read from Bonnie's copy of Black Beauty, illustrations included. Sitting before him in a semi-circle were Woody, Jesse, Bullseye, Buttercup, Buzz, and Mrs. Potato Head (Her husband had decided to spend the time teaching their adopted sons how to draw, telling her "There's no way I'm going to sit and listen to some boring, prissy horse story!)
Eyes wide, the toys listened as Rex read from the chapter where Black Beauty and his friend Ginger were in a hotel stable that had caught on fire. No doubt it dredged up horrible memories of their near-doom in the landfill incinerator.
Rex certainly had to struggle to keep his composure as he said "'I did not know what it was, but there was something in the sound so strange that it made me tremble-' Next page Trixie."
Raising his right foot off the book's spine, Rex stepped back as his new gal pal delicately slid the point of one of her brow horns under the next page and flipped it over.
"Thanks." Rex told her. "Now where were we? Oh yeah. '-tremble all over. The other horses were now all awake; some were pulling at their halters, others were stamp-"
"Hate to break into storytime guys, but we have a situation unfolding out here," Hamm broke in from his perch on the windowsill, where he'd been luxuriating in the sun.
"A situation?" Rex cried, wringing his hands.
"What do you mean by that?" Woody asked.
"The Discovery Channel sort," Hamm responded grimly. "Come and look."
Immediately, a curious Rex joined his friends in leaping off the short table, down to a chair, and then to the floor. With Jesse's assistance from behind, Rex managed to join the others on the narrow ledge, where he dug in his foot claws for support.
"You mean Discovery as in Mythbusters?" Buzz commented as he pulled himself up and then stood erect in one fluid motion. "Man, do I ever love that show! That time when they blew up the cement truck was just aweso-"
"No, I mean more like Predators of the Wild," Hamm corrected. "Look," he said, pointing.
"All I see is just some gray cat out on the lawn-" Buttercup began. "Oh, that's not good," he said as he saw what the animal was doing.
Ears pressed against her head, an eager, predatory glint illuminating her eyes and demeanor, the gray cat was slinking forward over the grass, stalking a baby cardinal that had fallen from its nest and wandered out into the open.
"Oh no, that varmit's going to kill the poor thing!" Jesse cried, her hands going up to her mouth.
"Well, not if I can help it," Woody said. "But we've gotta do it fast," he said, even as he leapt for one of the latches alongside the window and pulled it down until it popped, Buzz assisting him.
"Um, should we really be doing anything at all?" Slinky said warily. "I don't want to sound unfeeling here, and I'm definitely no fan of cats, but this is kinda how the Circle of Life works, ya know."
"Slink, may I draw your attention to the green collar that kitty's wearing?" Hamm dryly answered. "That means she has an owner, which means she gets fed plenty, which means she isn't going to kill that bird for food, but-"
"Just for sport, which is senseless," Trixie cut in as she looked at Slinky.
"Touche," the dog knowingly smiled. "What's the plan Sheriff?"
"Well, as soon as we get this window open, Buzz, I want you to immediately glide out onto the lawn and get between the cat and the bird. With your armor and your strength, the cat shouldn't be much of a danger to you, even if you have to make a stand."
"You've got it Woody," Buzz said with a salute.
What came out of Rex's mouth next shocked him to the core.
"Wait!" he cried, waving his little arms. "I'll do it!"
Everyone went still, looking at him in amazement.
"You Rex? You?" Woody said.
"Since when did you become the gung-ho hero type?" Slinky said, blinking.
"Normally I'm not," Rex babbled, "but that's one of my great-great-great-great-ever so great-grandkids about to be killed out there!"
"You do know you're a toy, and that you don't have any children, right?" Jesse drawled, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, but that doesn't change the fact that birds are direct descendants of us dinosaurs!" Rex responded in agitation. "What sort of great-uncle would I be if I didn't intervene?
"Well, then get to it and make us proud," Woody offered as he, Buzz, and Trixie pushed the window up.
As they cleared out from in front of the , only Trixie remained, a little to the side.
"Be careful Rex," she said softly as he tensed himself for the leap. And then, closing his eyes, Rex sprung into empty air, falling, crashing into the bushes as twigs tore at and scraped his vinyl hide, then smacking into the cool, moist smelling dirt beneath Bonnie's window.
As he felt the impact, he thought, Maybe this was a dumb idea. A very, very dumb idea! I should've left it to Buzz!
Next up, the exciting confrontation and conclusion! R&R, if you please!