Episode One: Alliances, Part Two

The sound of nine separate blasts, one after the other, resounded across the twenty-ninth floor of Khan Tower. Shere Khan looked up from the business section of The Cape Suzette Crier before glancing over at his nervous lackey, a small black and white rabbit. He then glared at the coffee that had spilled from the mug in his hand and formed a small puddle on his desk, as though his intense gaze would evaporate the dark brown liquid.

"My mug is half-empty." The tiger growled.

"That means it's half-full, sir." Jackrabbit joked meekly. Receiving only a cool stare in return, he filled the coffee cup until it was full again.

"Our guests have arrived. Show them in." Khan commanded.

Jackrabbit bowed deferentially, then left the room in silence.


If anyone had happened to walk into the spacious office just then, the odd assortment of unconscious individuals lying about haphazardly on the plush carpeting would've almost certainly given them pause. One of them was a pale, dark-haired young man whose slight frame was draped in a bronze-trimmed midnight blue and black tunic. Nearby was a tall middle-aged man with gray hair that was much shorter than the first man's was, as well as a white female duck in a long flowing red and wine dress who's white-streaked raven hair was piled atop her head, a small white sheep ewe, and a second female duck with long violet hair wearing tight purple trousers and a red cutoff top. An anthromorphic corgi, a blue-skinned humanoid male with a robotic left arm and who sporting futuristic armor, an anthromorphic female hyena who had long kinky headfur, and a brown male dog dressed in a long-sleeved shirt, vest, sirwal, and a turban made up the rest of the party.

A chorus of pained moans and groans rose into the air as everyone started to awaken and open their eyes.

Dawn pushed herself up into a sitting position, moving gingerly due to the persistent ache behind her eyes. As she adjusted her large glasses on her face, her eyes landed on Mozenrath and widened. She nervously backed away, accidentally bumping Morgana as she did. "Who – what are you?"

"I'm more concerned about who brought us here and why." Morgana's green eyes glinted with suspicion as she eyed the wizard. He was the one person there who she was detecting strong magical emanations in. Only a magician could have had the power to abduct them. If there was trouble, then she might be the only person there who could protect everyone.

Mozenrath frowned at the females. "I'm just as lost as you two are. And exactly what manner of creatures are you two supposed to be?"

Before either could respond, Warp groaned, "What hit me, a space freighter?" He fought to stand, holding up a hand to his throbbing forehead. He wasn't the only one. The others also struggled to get to their feet while battling their own fierce headaches and aching bodies.

Shenzi rose unsteadily to her feet. It took a second before the shock bore into her - she was standing on two legs! "What the -?"

Suddenly feeling eyes on her, she looked around to find a brown dog transfixed on her. Shenzi looked down at herself and gasped. She hurriedly grabbed a nearby throw rug and wrapped it around her skinny body like a dress. That done, she stormed up to Dijon and grabbed him by the snout with her free hand. "Look at me that way again, and I'll develop a craving for dog food! Understand?"

Dijon nodded and she let go, causing him to fall to the floor.

"Ooo, smooth move ladykiller!" Lightning was laughing uproariously from where he'd been watching the scene.

Morgana was fronting Mozenrath, and she wasn't happy. "Why have you brought us here?" She raised her hand into the air, ready to launch a spell.

"I? How do I know you're not behind this?" Mozenrath's gauntleted hand began glowing red with magical energy.

Disgusted, Lucretia prepared to walk out, only to be blocked by Warp, whose cybernetic arm had been switched to plasma rifle mode. "Where are you off to, sister?"

"Nowhere with you!" Lucretia retorted, pointing her blaster at him.

Her eyes glowing in anger, Shenzi snarled at Dijon, who by then had gotten back up. Hastily the upset thief backed off, not wanting to have his muzzle or any other body part for that matter grabbed again, but not before growling back at Shenzi.

The six of them formed a circle, ready to attack or defend if necessary. The air was sliced with tension that physically manifested itself in Mozenrath, Morgana, Lucretia, and Warp's respective powers and weapons.

From the sidelines, Robert, Dawn, and Lightning silently watched as the six shouted at and threatened each other. They were being ignored – for the time being, anyways - due to not being obvious threats.

Dawn didn't have any weapons on her. Best to just let these weirdoes kill each other while she focused on finding a way out of… wherever she was. Hoping not to draw any attention to herself, she started edging towards the door that she'd noticed earlier, but found her progress halted when she bumped into something solid. Spinning around, she found herself face to face with a portly golden-brown and white dog not much taller than she was. His large radar-like ears added a few more inches to his height. Dawn jumped back like she'd been scalded.

Lightning was just as startled as Dawn was, but quickly recovered. "You mind, Fluffy?" He tersely snapped.

Dawn started to hurl an insult of her own when she suddenly realized something. Letting out a scream of alarm, she covered her eyes. "Put some clothes on, pervert!"

Robert, while wary, was to his credit the calmest person there. He certainly had no intention of getting between armed strangers, two of whom appeared to have energy weapons of some kind that he was unfamiliar with. He'd seen a lot in his days, but even his sharp mind was struggling to process what was happening – what had happened to him. That strange white light that had warped him away made no kind of logical sense. These talking bipedal animals and bizarre people made no logical sense.

Hearing the sound of a door slowly creaking open, the nine stopped and turned to see who'd just entered the room with them.

Boldly - or as bold as a shivering rabbit could be – Jackrabbit stepped into the middle of the fray. He cleared his throat. "Mister, um, Mister Khan will see you now."

"Is 'Mister Khan' the reason we're here?" Lucretia asked him.

Nodding, Jackrabbit pointed at the door.

Warp shot the others a threatening glare before striding off in the direction Jackrabbit had indicated. "The only reason I haven't toasted you guys yet is because I'm waiting to see who this guy is so I can toast him!"

Jackrabbit stopped Shenzi and Lightning just as they made to follow everybody else. "Hold on. You two will need clothes."

"What's happened to me?" Shenzi demanded.

"The both of you have become anthromorphic."

Shenzi and Lightning exchanged confused glances before fixing their eyes on Jackrabbit once more."Anthro-what?"

Jackrabbit smiled as though Lightning was a child who had just used a word incorrectly. "Anthromorphic. That means you both have humanoid characteristics now." He looked Shenzi up and down. "You look to be my daughter's size. We live right here in this building."

Lightning coughed loudly. His ploy to get Jackrabbit's attention worked as he looked over at the corgi. "Don't worry, we can find something for you too. Come, I'll explain more on the way." He started to lead the pair out of the office, but Shenzi was growing far too distressed to go anywhere.

"So I'm a freak?" She asked, her tone panic-stricken. "Why? Who would do this?" Placing her hands on her head, she collapsed trembling to the ground.

Lightning rolled his eyes. "Listen, you're makin' a big fuss over nothing, sweetheart. Can't you see how useful having thumbs will be? And look, this makes us taller now too."

Ignoring him, Jackrabbit knelt down beside Shenzi and set a hand on her thin shoulder."You're not a freak - not here anyway." He reassured her. "And I imagine it was done so that you could blend in with the others better." He stood up, and taking her by the hand, led her out the door, Lightning bringing up the rear.


The rest of the motley little group meanwhile piled into the mysterious Mr. Khan's office. The huge room practically bled refinery and expensive taste. The artwork and sculptures there were replicas of famous works, while the immaculate desk at the back of the room shone with mahogany. The elegant furnishings contrasted with the lush private garden there.

"Is anyone else as confused as I am?" Lucretia asked nobody in particular, glancing around as she did.

Dawn decided to make herself comfortable in one of the several chairs there. "At first I thought this was all just a dream…" She fingered her gold bracelet as if making sure it was really there. Bizarrely enough, she was no longer in her hated orange prison uniform, but her much preferred skirt, blouse, and blazer trio. Even her glasses were her favorite ones, aqua tortoiseshell. "Did any of you see a white light before we woke up here?"

Dijon looked up from the white marble sculpture he'd been eyeing. "I did. Just in time too."

"Just in time?" Morgana echoed.

"Yes! Policemen were after me."

"Really?" Dawn purred, setting her chin on her hand and regarding Dijon with a tight-lipped smile and hooded eyes. "I'm sure you're just a poor, persecuted innocent that they decided to target for no reason at all, right?"

For his part, Dijon glanced away. "Uh, well…"

"I think I saw the same light." Morgana broke in. Most of the others chimed in with their own accounts of being accosted by an anomalous light.

"Well, it's clear that that light was responsible for bringing us here." Mozenrath matter-of-factly stated.

Forgetting about taunting the flustered Dijon for the time being, Dawn regarded Mozenrath quizzically. "But how is that possible? Light can't abduct people!"

"That's the million dollar question, lamb chop." Warp coolly replied from where he leaned against the wall. He paid no mind when Dawn shot him a dirty look.

Still struggling to come to terms with what was going on, Robert had chosen to simply sit back and listen to the conversation. He was too was inexplicably back in his regular attire - a long-sleeved brown shirt, tan sweater vest, and khaki slacks.

"Wherever we are, this building is in the clouds." Mozenrath marveled, pointing at the skyline that could be glimpsed from the floor to ceiling windows.

Warp chuckled. "That's because this is a skyscraper. It's a building with several stories."

Mozenrath cast an irritated glare at him. "Then how did we get on this - what do you call it? Skyscraper?" He didn't care for being condescended to. Being condescending was his job.

Warp was about to respond when the door opened to reveal a fully-clothed Shenzi and Lightning. A bit calmer than before, Shenzi was dressed in an ankle-length purple dress with tank-top sleeves which barely hung off her shoulders. Her headfur had been tied up in a high ponytail on top of her head. On her feet were white sandals. "His daughter's got good taste." She said, pointing to the retreating rabbit.

Lightning was now wearing a pale blue long-sleeved dress shirt, with red suspenders and tan slacks. Clearly proud of his new clothing, he strode over to where the others were. "Hey, so I miss anything?"

Morgana shook her head. "We're still waiting for Mr. Khan."

Dijon meanwhile only had eyes for one person. As Shenzi stepped into the room, he stared at his feet while his mind searched for the right word. "You look, um… purple! Uh, I mean beautiful."

Shenzi smiled thinly.

A thought suddenly hit Dijon. "Maybe we're dead. Maybe this is heaven."

Rolling her eyes at him, Dawn crossed her arms. "So heaven's a corner office? Somehow I seriously doubt that."

"Miss Bellwether is right. This isn't heaven, but many of my employees do believe me to be God." A smooth, low voice purred from the plush red chair behind the desk, causing everybody to start. The chair swiveled around to reveal an anthromorphic tiger dressed in a fine blue suit sitting there. He grinned at his visitors, showing off his sharp teeth. His green eyes gleamed hungrily, like those of a predator that had just cornered its prey.

Not having expected to see the big cat, Lightning, Shenzi, and Dijon all took a reflexive step back at the same time, while Robert's eyebrows shot up in surprise. The only individuals who either weren't particularly intimidated or stunned by the tiger were Warp, Mozenrath, and a now narrow-eyed Dawn.

Khan appeared to delight in the stir his sudden appearance caused. "Welcome. My name is Shere Khan -"

"Then you're the guy who's about to get his kiester kicked." Warp declared, pointing his blaster at Khan.

Khan's toothy grin grew even wider, and very calmly, he pressed a red button located on his desk. Several guns and laser weapons of considerable size suddenly jutted out of the walls, every single one aimed dead at the would-be assassin. Reluctantly, Warp retracted his blaster.

Mozenrath grinned sardonically. "Really intelligent."

"As I was saying," Khan continued as if he hadn't been interrupted. "Welcome to Cape Suzette in the year 1937."

Nine faces regarded him in shock.

"1937?!" Warp echoed.

"It can't be!" Lightning scoffed.

"We've gone back in time - how?" Morgana's eyes were wide, questioning.

"I have my ways, Miss McCawber." Khan answered evenly.

"You know who we are." For the first time since his arrival there, Robert spoke. It was a statement, not a question.

"Of course." Khan nodded. "Mozenrath, wizard ruler of the Land of the Black Sands. Morgana McCawber, member - or former member as it were, of the Justice Ducks and sorceress, once used her sorcery for monetary gain. Warp Darkmatter betrayed Star Command and became an agent of Evil Emperor Zurg's. Lil' Lightning, costar of Thunderbolt on The Thunderbolt Action Hour before allowing him and countless puppies to be captured by Cruella DeVille to be made into a fur coat while he assumed Thunderbolt's role on the show. Lucretia DeCoy, a traitor to her homeworld and spy for the Saurons. Dijon Moustard, a thief formerly in the employ of Morlock and Flintheart Glomgold respectively. Dawn Bellwether, former assistant mayor of Zootopia before usurping Mayor Lionheart through means of bio-terrorism. Shenzi, hyena who used to be in the employ of Scar. And you are one Robert Callaghan, former professor at the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology until stealing one of your prospective student's inventions and embarking on a rampage." As he spoke, he focused on each person in turn.

Nobody said a word until Dijon glanced over at Lightning. "You were going to let puppies be turned into a coat?"

"Oh shut up." Lightning grumbled.

Dawn began sarcastically clapping. "That's a real nice party trick Khan, but it still doesn't explain why you bought us here."

Khan coldly regarded the sneering sheep a moment before unsheathing the long claws of his right hand and closely examining each one. Catching the implied threat, Dawn fell silent.

"I have summoned you here because I need assignments done which require a particular skill-set by those with ... loose morals." Khan finally replied at length.

"Does that include me?" Morgana wasn't so sure she wanted to be acquainted with these people.

"Yes Miss High and Mighty, it does! You're here, aren't you?" Lucretia snapped. Sauntering up Khan, she seductively pulled herself onto his desk and leaned in towards him. "What can we do for you, honey?"

Mouth twisting into a sneer of repulsion, Khan pushed her away. "I need certain objects delivered to me."

Warp smirked humorlessly. "So we're your new delivery service. Sorry, but I don't work for nothing. What's in it for us?"

Reaching down into his desk drawer, Khan pulled out nine manila files bulging with papers. He handed them out to each person. "What you have in your hands are records of your past misdeeds. If you agree to this, you will return to your former lives with clear names and clean reputations." He waited for their skepticism and excitement to die down before going on. "In the meantime, you will live together, work together, and fight together."

"Then what?" Warp scoffed. "We get to throw a slumber party and braid each others' hair? Gossip about who has a date for prom and who can't land one?" He looked pointedly over at Mozenrath.

Dijon's hand shot up enthusiastically. "Ooh, ooh! In that case, could I order pizza?"

Unamused, Khan gave him the evil eye, earning a nervous whimper from Dijon.

Mozenrath too was scowling at Warp and Dijon. "In his own mindless way, the blue guy did raise a valid point. What if we refuse?"

Khan placed his hands together. "If you refuse or if even one of you dies, you will return to your former lives, where you'll be hunted down and imprisoned, or possibly even executed. And I believe some of your former employers and jailers aren't nearly as forgiving as I would be."

The room was quiet as each person let Khan's words sink in. The only sounds that could be heard were the ticking of a clock on the wall and the persistent drumming of Khan's claws on the desk.

"Would you excuse us?" Morgana asked him. She and the others moved away and formed a huddle.

Dijon was the first to speak. "I have nothing to go back to. I'll do it."

Robert nodded. "I don't have anything to lose at this point."

"I'd do it even if he wasn't offering us a chance to start over." Lightning piped up. "I'm done playing second banana!"

Shenzi looked down at herself in dismay. She pretended to weigh the consequences. "Let's see… definitely getting eaten by lions, or maybe getting killed out here. What choice do I have?"

"It might be nice to have a clean reputation." Morgana observed, remembering her fight with the Justice Ducks and Darkwing.

Anxiously Dawn wrung her hoof-like hands. She wasn't sure about trusting a tiger, but what other options did she have? "I guess I'm in…"

"My last boss fed me to a wormhole. This has to be better." Lucretia said.

"Unfortunately, job - and life security aren't guaranteed with Zurg. I'm in." Warp agreed.

They all turned to Mozenrath. He looked down at his gauntlet warily. With only half his powers intact from his fight with the ancient sorcerer Khartoum, he would never be able to take the Seven Deserts. He was as mortal as anyone now and not nearly as untouchable. He thought about Khan's threat and gulped. When he finally addressed his potential new teammates though, his usual mask of cool indifference was back in place. "Some of you look like you can't put on your own sandals. I'll do it."

That settled, the group turned to Khan. "We all agree." Mozenrath informed him.

"Good." Khan turned to face the Cape Suzette skyline. "My associate will show you your new home and give you your first assignment. Don't fail me!"

The nine left the office, closing the door behind them. Once they were gone, an angry voice growled from behind Khan, "I didn't waste valuable energy bringing them here just so they could fail. This had better work, Khan!"

"Patience." Khan reassured his partner. "They will deliver, and if they don't, they can either be returned or disposed of. It's no big loss. They won't be missed."