"I don't get it, Ortensia," Oswald muttered as he leaned against a wall. "I can tell something's bugging him and I'm tryin' to help, but every time I bring it up, he acts like I'm threatenin' to punch him in the nose. And frankly, I'm gettin' close."

Ortensia smiled at him as she herded a group of bunny children outside to play. She knew he was just concerned, even if he wouldn't admit it. "Now, Oswald, I don't think you'll have to do that. Why don't you just ask outright?"

The rabbit looked up in surprise. "Huh?"

Ortensia rolled her eyes. Of course he wouldn't have thought of that. "Ask him outright what's bothering him. If I know Mickey, he'll admit it eventually."

Oswald looked at her, then smacked his head. "Why didn't I think of that?"

Ortensia giggled and playfully tugged his ear. "Because you're too macho, hunny bunny," she purred.

Oswald blushed a little and chuckled as she gave his cheek a kiss. "Thanks, hon."

"My pleasure," Ortensia giggled. "I'll see you later."

Oswald couldn't help smiling as he headed toward Mickey's house. How had he ever survived without her?

When he got to the door, he knocked a few times. "Hey, Mickey! You there?" He waited, tapping his foot, but no one answered. Letting out an impatient huff, he knocked again. "I haven't got all day, ya know!" Still no answer. Finally, Oswald opened the door and stepped inside. "Mick?"

Across the room, the phone chimed in greeting. "No one home! Want to leave a message?"

Oswald smiled. "That's okay. Ya know where he is?"

The phone sighed. "He hasn't been back since this morning. No one to talk to."

Oswald frowned in thought. "Huh... okay, thanks." Seeing the phone's sulking look, he smiled and patted its head. "If ya want someone to talk to, we can send some of the kids over."

The phone stiffened in alarm, then put on a casual look. "Oh, thanks, but that's fine! I think I, uh... I've got some calls to make, anyway..."

Oswald smirked and headed back out. "Alright, take it easy."

After jumping through the projector to Mean Street, Oswald saw Gus talking to Markus near the Penny Arcade. He hopped off the platform and walked over.

"Hey Markus, Gus," he said. "Is Mickey still around here? I was lookin' for..." He dropped off when he noticed the gremlins' concerned looks.

"Not anymore," Markus said. "He was here, but he left about a half hour ago. Last I saw, he was heading toward the Underground."

Oswald scratched his head. "That's weird... he should've been in OsTown. Thanks, Markus."

As him and Gus walked toward the entrance to the Underground, Oswald looked over at the gremlin. "So, what were you talking about? Is somethin' wrong?"

Gus shook his head, still frowning. "Not exactly, it's just... has something about Mickey seemed, well, odd lately?"

Oswald stared at him in surprise. "It's not just me?" he asked. Gus shook his head. "That's actually what I'm lookin' for him about," Oswald said as they entered the tunnel. "So I can—"

He stopped in his tracks; something was lying on the ground in the corridor ahead. Oswald squinted, then his eyes snapped wide open as he realized what, or rather who, it was. "Mickey!" He ran over with Gus close behind and knelt down.

Mickey lay still on his back, eyes closed. He was breathing in slow, heavy breaths like he was hurt, but there was no sign of any injuries. Oswald noticed something in his hand and frowned. Why did he have the brush out?

"What happened?" Gus exclaimed, more to himself than anyone else.

Oswald shook the mouse. "Mickey? Hey, Mickey! Wake up!" Just then, he saw something that made his stomach twist. Small black drops were detaching from the mouse's body, floating up into the air before disappearing. He looked up at Gus to see the same shock on his face. Shaking it off, Oswald took one of Mickey's arms and hoisted him upright. "Gus, give me a hand! We gotta get him to the Doc!"

Gus immediately flew over and helped Oswald lift Mickey up. Working together, they carried him out of the Underground and to the new lab the Mad Doctor had set up on Mean Street.

"Doc!" Oswald called out. "We need your help! Somethin's wrong with Mickey!"

The Mad Doctor looked up from the sparking wires he was about to cross. "Something wrong, you say?"

"Yeah, we found him like this in the Underground and he's not waking up!" Oswald said.

The Doctor abandoned his project and hurried over for a closer look. He frowned when he noticed the drops and caught one, rubbing it between his gloved fingers. "Hmm... I see..." He nodded. "Put him on the table, quickly."

Oswald and Gus set Mickey down on the lab table and waited as the Mad Doctor began doing routine checkups, listening to his heartbeat and breathing, then pulling back an eyelid to check his eyes. After that, he turned and punched a button on a nearby control panel. A device on the ceiling whirred to life and a large machine with an eye on the bottom lowered from it. The Mad Doctor grabbed the handles on its sides and pulled so it was positioned over Mickey.

Oswald frowned. "Uh, Doc?"

The Mad Doctor gave no sign of hearing as he looked through the viewport on the machine, muttering to himself as the eye clicked and whirred. Gus glanced at Oswald, who shrugged. Finally, the Doctor pressed the button again and the device whirred back up to the ceiling. His face was unreadable as he lifted Mickey off the table and placed him on one of the small cots against the wall.

"So, what's goin' on?" Oswald asked, tapping his foot with impatience.

"It's very strange, my friends... very strange indeed."

Oswald resisted the urge to roll his eyes; the Doc had finally stopped singing everything, but he still had a flair for drama.

"As you may have suspected, the Blot inside him has reawakened."

Oswald stared in disbelief. "But... how? And why's he so out of it?"

Gus frowned with worry and nodded at the rabbit's words. "I saw the effects after he absorbed it. They never got this extreme."

The Mad Doctor frowned and tugged at a glove. "How it happened, I may be able to explain. Dark feelings like anger and sadness were very strong influences on the Blot. In large enough quantities, they certainly would have been enough to reawaken a smaller part. Why it happened... that, my friends, is unclear."

Oswald looked at Mickey, a realization coming to him as he considered their recent conversations. "I think I know," he said quietly. "Missing people you love... well, that's about the darkest feeling there is."

Gus glanced at Oswald in surprise, then let out a heavy sigh as he rubbed his neck. "I should've known. Ever since I told him about the device... but how did he get like this? It isn't even the whole Blot, and..."

"Ah, and that, my friends, brings us to the real mystery," the Mad Doctor said. "The reawakening wasn't what caused his current condition."

Gus and Oswald glanced at each other in confusion before the Doctor continued.

"A portion of the Blot inside him seems to have been..." He paused, then narrowed his eyes. "Forcibly removed."

Oswald felt his jaw go slack as he stared at the Mad Doctor. "Ya mean... somethin' sucked it out of him?"

The Mad Doctor drooped and sighed; it sounded nowhere near as dramatic put that way. "...In layman's terms."

Oswald looked at Mickey again, his ears twitching with unease. "So, is he gonna be all right?"

The Mad Doctor nodded, adjusting his gloves. "Fortunately, it hasn't caused serious damage. He simply needs time to recover."

Oswald let out a sigh of relief, but Gus still looked worried. "Will he wake up soon?"

The Mad Doctor nodded. "It shouldn't be much longer."

As if to prove his point, a faint groan came from the cot. The small group turned to see Mickey slowly lift a hand to his head. "Unh... wh-... what..."

Relieved, Oswald and Gus hurried over to his side. Mickey blinked, looking groggy and confused. "Wh-... Oswald? Gus?" He looked around with dazed eyes. "Where am I?"

"The Mad Doc's lab," Oswald replied.

"We found you collapsed in the Underground," Gus added. "You had us worried for a while."

"Oh... sorry..." Mickey murmured.

Gus smiled and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry about it now. Are you all right?"

Mickey winced and grunted as he sat up and touched his chest. "Y-Yeah, I guess. But I..." Just then, a few small drops of ink rose from his arm. He froze, staring at it.

"That ol' Blot inside ya's actin' up," Oswald said.

Mickey's face went blank with shock. Apparently, he'd assumed it was gone, too. "What?"

Oswald glanced at Gus, who looked just as uneasy. Before either could figure out the best way to explain, the Mad Doctor stepped up and cleared his throat.

"I'm afraid it was only dormant, still feeding on your negative emotions. It seems they were strong enough to reawaken it..."

Noticing the guilt filling Mickey's face, Gus and Oswald glared at the Mad Doctor, who realized his lack of tact and stuttered. "Er... o-of course, it was bound to happen sooner or later. And I very much doubt it could have been avoided."

Oswald nodded. "Mick... ya do know ya can talk to us, right?"

Mickey looked at him in surprise, then at Gus, who nodded. Shame quickly replaced it as he looked away. After a moment, he let out a heavy sigh and spoke. "I didn't mean for this to happen again. I tried not to, but... I just miss everyone so much. And... Minnie..." Tears filled his eyes and he closed them. His voice began breaking as he continued. "I... I might never see her again. I can't even tell her I'm okay, know if she's okay..." He trailed off, letting out a soft whimper as he buried his face in his hands. He looked so heartbroken that even the Mad Doctor had to blow his nose.

"Mick, why didn't ya just say so?" Oswald said as he put a hand on Mickey's shoulder. "I'll make sure you find a way home, promise."

Mickey slowly looked up, then smiled a little. "Thanks, Os." He glanced back down at his feet. "I guess I was afraid that... I was being selfish."

Oswald shook his head. "Nah, Mick. There's way more selfish things than that." Oswald's voice then lowered to a near-inaudible volume, as if voicing an unconscious thought. "Hah... I would know."

Mickey seemed like he was about to say something when Gus suddenly hovered up to him, looking concerned.

"I'm afraid there's something else," the gremlin said. "The Mad Doctor says that some of the Blot in you was... well, pulled out."

The Doctor nodded, stroking his beard. "Indeed, indeed... and judging from the circumstances, it was not by something or someone very friendly."

Mickey's eyes grew wide as he listened, raising a hand to his chest again. "Pulled out..." he muttered, a distant frown on his face.

Oswald glanced over at the Mad Doctor. "Wait, but shouldn't gettin' that inky mess outta him be a good thing?"

The Mad Doctor pulled down a small screen and turned it on. A white outline of the mouse's body appeared on the blue backdrop, with a black blob floating near it. "If done the correct way, yes."

Gus crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Correct way?" he repeated.

The Mad Doctor gestured to the screen; the black shape moved into the body and began breaking up as it swirled around. "You see, over time, the Blot began to merge with his own ink. Removing it safely would be a very careful process requiring time and patience. This, however..."

A portion of the black suddenly tore out of the body outline. Even in this crude form, it made the viewers wince.

The Mad Doctor shook his head. "This was the exact opposite. Fortunately, the shock wasn't too severe... his body was able to recover in time to heal itself."

Oswald snuck a side glance at Mickey, ears twitching with slight concern.

"In the meantime," Gus said. "Perhaps, we should try to find out what did this. It could be very dangerous."

The Mad Doctor nodded and turned to Mickey. "Do you remember anything?"

The mouse closed his eyes. "It happened real fast," he said slowly, frowning. "But I remember seein' some kind of a... a dome with a flat bottom. And there was a whirrin' noise... it kept goin'. It sounded kinda like a Beetleworx." His body tensed as he continued. "It knocked me down before I could do anything. Then somethin' metal latched on my chest and started... pullin'. It felt like it was... rippin' something out of me. That's when I must a' passed out. Next thing I know, I'm wakin' up here."

The Mad Doctor scowled as he rubbed his chin. "Strange... strange indeed," he muttered. "It certainly must've been a machine. You don't suppose it could be some kind of rogue Beetleworx? It's unlikely, but certainly not impossible..." He glanced at the monitors nearby. "I'll have to run some calculations to find if any disappeared from the grid recently."

Oswald glared at the Mad Doctor with obvious impatience. "Well, what're ya waitin' for? Get to it! If it's one of your machines, I want it shut down right away!"

The Mad Doctor jumped and started typing rapidly on the keyboard. Mickey placed a hand on Oswald's shoulder, looking concerned. "Oswald, calm down. Whatever it was, we'll find it."

Oswald sighed. "I sure hope so. I don't want this happenin' again—to you or anyone else." He then waggled a finger at the mouse. "So, don't go off on your own again until we get this sorted out, got it? No more of that wanderin' dark alleys nonsense. There's a reason that never goes well in the movies."

Mickey grinned sheepishly as he rubbed his neck. "Got it." He touched his chest and sighed. "Believe me, I don't plan on runnin' into that thing again soon."

Gus smiled and nodded before hovering upward. "I should probably tell the other gremlins on Mean Street, so they can keep an eye out for it."

"Keep me updated," Oswald said.

Gus nodded and teleported out of the lab.

"Hmm..." the Mad Doctor muttered, looking at the monitor. "This is troubling."

He turned, frowning as he rubbed his chin.

"What's wrong, Doc?" Mickey asked. The Mad Doctor started and looked up, as if he'd forgotten the two were there. He then cleared his throat.

"It seems that all the Beetleworx are accounted for, and none have displayed any serious defects in their programming."

"Are ya sure?" Oswald asked. "Maybe you should double-check..."

The Mad Doctor pouted, looking a little offended. "Quite sure, but I can certainly run another check."

"Sorry, Doc, I just wanna make sure we find it before... anythin' else happens."

The Mad Doctor's frown softened and he nodded. "I'll also perform some scans on different areas of Wasteland for unusual activity... the Blot portion may be detectable. The results will be ready by tomorrow."

"Okay, thanks, Doc." Oswald turned back to Mickey, a worrying thought crossing his mind. "Ya know, maybe it'd be best if you stayed with Ortensia and me for now, in case they or it tries to... well, we have a guest room ya could use."

Mickey frowned, shifting in his seat. "Well... I don't wanna impose, but if ya really think it's a good idea..."

"It's no problem," Oswald said, then smirked. "Besides, the kids'll be tickled."

Mickey cringed a little. "Was that supposed to be encouraging?"

Oswald couldn't help chuckling at that. Mickey grinned back and hopped off the cot, stumbling a bit on the landing.

Oswald steadied the mouse. "Easy... you sure you're up to this?"

The mouse rubbed his head and nodded, still wobbling a bit. "Yeah, just kinda dizzy."

Once he was sure Mickey was steady, Oswald let him go and they walked together toward the exit.

Ortensia looked up in surprise as Oswald walked in with Mickey following. "Oh... hello, boys," she said, then noticed their looks. "Is everything okay?"

"Well..." Oswald said. "It's kind of a long story, but is it okay if Mickey stays here for a while?"

Ortensia cocked her head, looking concerned. "Well, yes, of course. But... is something wrong?"

Mickey and Oswald glanced at each other, but just then, the Bunny Children hopped in excitedly.

"Daddy! Unca Mickey!"

Oswald cleared his throat and smiled. "Hey, kids, guess what? Your Uncle Mickey's gonna be stayin' with us for a while!"

The bunnies squealed and began leaping up and down with excitement. "Yay! Unca Mickey's sleepin' over!"

Mickey smiled, but he was buried in a heap of cheering blue bunnies before he could say anything.

"I'll explain everything later," Oswald said quietly to Ortensia before wading through the swarm of bunnies. "All right, kids, you can play with your uncle later," he said as he grabbed hold of Mickey's arm, pulling him out of the crowd.

He then led him upstairs to the guest room, which was full of antiques and old family photos. "Well, I know it's not much, but make yourself at home."

Mickey smiled gratefully as he looked around. "No, it's great. Thanks a lot, Os." Suddenly, a sharp ache throbbed in his chest and he couldn't help wincing.

"Mick?" Oswald asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You okay?"

"Yeah, sorry..." Mickey said, rubbing his chest. "It's still kinda sore."

"Well, ya better get some rest," he said, grabbing Mickey's shoulders from behind and leading him over to the bed. "Just take it easy."

Mickey slowly sat down; suddenly his body was aching like all the pressures of the past few days had caught up with him. "Thanks, Oswald," he said.

The rabbit smiled reassuringly. "No problem," he said. "Hope ya feel better."

He turned to leave, but Mickey suddenly spoke up again. "Hey, Os..." Oswald stopped and looked back to see Mickey giving him a slight smile. "For what it's worth, I don't think you were selfish either."

Oswald stood there for a moment, startled. Slowly, he smiled. "Thanks, Mick."