"Rise and shine, new recruit." a cheerful if slightly nervous voice woke Yakko from his restless sleep.
He got up with a groan, his back aching from the nearly paper thin cot provided in the cell.
"Well, come on." the voice belonged to a rather scruffy looking dog.
The dog wore an old Irish cap and a dull blue vest nearly covered in pockets. Out of one of these pockets he deftly produced a small key and unlocked the cuff around Yakko's leg. Yakko rubbed his ankle, more for sympathy than because it actually hurt, and got up. The cell door stood wide open and Dot, who had already been woken up, waited on the other side, another guard beside her. As soon as Yakko stepped out of the cell, he burst to life, grabbing the dog's hand and shaking it vigorously.
"Ehhhh...it's been nice here and all, but I've gotta' split. See ya'!"
Yakko shot down the hall, grabbing Dot by the hand and dragging her along behind him. The place proved to be a bit of a maze: barren, stone corridors intersected each other at random intervals, twisting and turning off into the distance like the innards of some great beast. They must be underground, Yakko mused, never slowing his pace. The dog, after momentary confusion, had given chase, and now several other guards were joining in. Yakko snickered to himself. Being chased never got old. The corridors still did not end, and Yakko became sure he had gone in a circle. Just then, the mass of guards seemed to disappear. They all turned away and fanned out into the maze. Yakko and Dot paused for a second, confused.
"Hey, I think I see a green light down there." Dot said, squinting down the hallway in front of them.
"I dunno, I'm pretty sure we went that way already."
But Dot had already begun to walk towards the light, so Yakko followed without further hesitation. The hall ended in a large black hole with a welcoming "Exit" sign suspended above it.
"We did it!" Dot practically jumped into the air.
"Something's a little fishy here. There's no way we could have missed that before." Yakko replied, staying a safe distance from the portal.
Once again, Dot was way ahead of him and leapt through the portal before he even finished speaking.
"Come on!" Dot's voice was muddled through the hole.
Yakko sighed with relief and jumped into the blinding sunlight. They were right in the middle of Main Street. No one took much notice of their sudden appearance. After all, toons travelled practically everywhere with portals when they weren't riding the trolley. In fact, the world had taken so little notice of their disappearance and reappearance that the chirping birds and grinning toons were more mocking than reassuring.
"We should hide out somewhere for a while. Maybe we're still being followed." Dot said impatiently.
"Right."
They silently headed for the nearest alley, which was more than sufficiently sheltered from the bright, exposed Main Street.
"Hey! You're that Yakko kid, aren't you? And...Dot, right?"
They spun around to see a tall, brick-colored rabbit leaning against the doorframe of a ramshackle house. He was disheveled and rather plain looking, except for his right eye, which had a large, red question mark where the pupil ought to be, and an excessively large, red bow tie to match.
"Couldn't help noticing you out my window. You don't look too good. You need help or somethin'?"
"Uh, yeah, actually." Yakko responded hesitantly.
"Well, come on in." the rabbit motioned towards the open door.
"Who are you, anyways?" Yakko's brow furrowed slightly.
"Name's Rabbit. I'm a part-time newspaper columnist, part-time unemployed."
Rabbit disappeared into the house and Dot and Yakko followed. The house was small but comfortable, with stacks of yellowing newspapers littering the floor and a typewriter resting on a red, wooden table in one corner. The three stared at each other for a moment, an awkward silence settling over the room.
"Er...so, you needed help?" Rabbit asked, realizing he should probably break the silence.
"Is there any way I could leave Dot here, just for a little while?"
"Well, sure, um, I suppose." Rabbit was a bit taken aback by the blunt request. "You'll be back soon?"
"What?" Dot butted in emphatically. "You're just going to leave me here and run off, after everything that just happened?"
"Look, Wakko's still in there. I have to go back and find him, and I'm sure not taking you back there with me. Could be dangerous." Yakko responded with finality.
"Fine. Just try not to do anything stupid."
"Come on, we're toons. What the worst that can happen?" Yakko turned to address Rabbit. "I'll be back very soon."
Yakko hastily left the alleyway. He was far from comfortable leaving Dot with a total stranger, but he knew that changing his mind would have far more severe consequences. Rabbit nervously adjusted his moth-eaten bow tie.
"What did you two get yourselves into?" Rabbit glanced suspiciously at Dot.
"It's a long story. You probably wouldn't believe it anyways."
"I bet I would." Rabbit persisted, trying to get a newsworthy story out of her.
"Just forget it."
Rabbit sat down behind his typewriter, shrugging. He began to shuffle through the pile of papers by his feet.
"So, er, I suppose now would be a bad time to ask for an autograph?"
Dot sighed and sat down on one of the less precarious looking mounds of paper. Out of all the strangers Yakko could have left her with, it had to be this weirdo.