Chapter Two: The Two Faces of Joshua
I sat in the chair again, looking around, this place was huge! It was filled with all sorts of acme gags. Doom walked over to the barrel. "How do you expect to take over all of Toontown?" I asked, watching him closely. He smiled, making me flinch. "You know how humans think that we Toons are indestructible, they know we can be punched, kicked, hurt to no measure, but yet they think that there is no way on earth to possibly kill a Toon. Well I found out the secret to killing one." He popped the lid off of the barrel, inside was a greenish, yellowish liquid that bubbled and smelt awful. He smirked, putting on some gloves and took a small sample of the liquid, turning to me. He then poured it on my tail, causing me to gasp in pain. I slowly watched as my tail dissolved into brown pain on the floor. "It's a mixture of turpentine, acetone and benzene; I call it, The Dip!" I looked at the trail of paint that used to be my tail. "You're a physcopath if ya think I'm gonna help ya." He started giggling, "Oh I know your track record of trying to get into the gang business Joshua, and believe me deep down inside you know you want to help me." I looked down, knowing he was right. Doom shut the barrel of Dip and rolled it into a corner, "I've made arrangement for a human disguise but it will take a while to make, meanwhile, you will rack up a gang and take care of anything I need done." He pulled out a human pistol, pointing it at me. "Are you in or are you out?" I looked at the barrel, my mind rushing with thoughts.
This was my chance! After years of trying to get into the crime business, I finally had the opportunity; I could finally be a real criminal, only problem, I was helping a mad man take over Toontown. "Y…yes boss!" I said smiling, the old me died at that moment and another side came out, he smiled, flipping the gun around and giving me the grip end of the revolver. I took it and he tossed me a pouch of what seemed to be Dip filled bullets. "Have a good night Joshua; ill meet you here in a couple days when you have assembled your gang." He suddenly disappeared into the shadows, and the lights went out. As I opened the doors to the Acme Factory, I realized that night had fallen. I carefully kept my finger above the trigger, just in case. Suddenly I heard a crash, and then I heard cursing in another language. I turned around and fired a couple shots in where it came from. Suddenly a weasel popped out of the pile of trash cans. He had darker fur that I did and his hair went to his neck. "Please don' shoot me, please!" He covered his face, "what the? Who da hell are you?" He then smirked and pulled out a switchblade and stuck it into the barrel of my gun, "Looks like jou are deh one who needs help amigo." He then turned his knife and sent me flying into the wall. I shook my head and I saw him picking his teeth with his knife. "Well, well, well, so jou are working for that lunatic Doom, might I ask why? "I growled, "Why should I tell you? Are you gonna report me to the cops?"
He shook his head, "Jou miss understand me, amigo, my name is Antonio, and I wish to join your gang." I lowered the gun, putting it back in my jacket. "Why should I let you in after you scared me half to death and you tried tah kill me?" He shrugged, "I'm not stupid amigo, I know that you're looking for thugs to join your gang and I'm interested, so jou can take my offer and make jour friend happy, or Jou can kill me now and have more work to do." I thought about it for a moment, "Alright you're in, see if you can find anyone that could be useful and meet me here tomorrow, I will make sure Doom knows that you're introduced to his plan and his weapon. Oh, and one more thing, my name is Joshua, stop calling me amigo. He nodded and walked off, I found my van parked outside, confused a bit. I watched Antonio leave and backed up, heading back to Toontown. As I pulled up to my apartment building and got up to the floor where my room was, I heard the door open; it was my sister, Olivia. "And just where have YOU been mister?" I rolled my eyes, "Sis, let me in." She shook her head, "not until you tell me". I growled, "I went to stop at the Ink and Paint club for some drinks." She still didn't move, "I would have believed you, if I hadn't been working there tonight!"
"Fine, I was out doing some errands, get off my back already and let me in!" She moved aside, "I know your lying but the tone in your voice tells me you'd rather not talk about it, jeez." I walked into the room and set my pistol down on the table, to which Olivia responded by grabbing it. "IS THAT A GUN? JOSHUA, YOU KNOW MOTHER FORBADE GUNS FROM US BEFORE SHE DIED!" I turned to her, "Mom is dead, and since when did you become just like her, forget her." She looked at me, tearing up and slapped me across the face, slamming me into the table, snapping it in half, "How DARE you say that to me, you have changed Joshua, you have changed." I got up, shaking my head, "So what? Olivia, mom is dead, move on, da only reason you defend her is because she loved you more, and don't try tah talk yourself out of dis one, I know it was true, ever since father left, I reminded her too much of him." She got up and shook her head, "Mother would not be proud to hear that, she loved us both and so did father." I got angry and picked up the gun, pointing at her forehead, "Do…not…speak of that…that…PIG in my house." She ran out of the door crying, I lowered the pistol and threw it onto the table. I walked over to my bed and lay down; I set my hat over my face and fell asleep.
When I woke up the alarm clock was right in my face. "WAKE UP!" It shouted, "YOU'VE OVERSLEPT". I growled and grabbed it by its neck and got up, "You've been a pain in my ass for too long, now it's time to pay." I grabbed my pistol and stuck the barrel in its mouth. After firing a muffled shot it began dissolving into red and gold paint on the floor. I looked around, all my other Toon appliances shook and kept their mouth shut, the telephone rang at that moment. I looked at it and it began shaking, I picked it up and sighed, "Hello?" On the other line the voice snickered, "Greetings, Amig…err….boss, dis is Antonio, I think I found jour next recruit." I reloaded my gun and stuck it in my jacket, "Yeah, what's his name?" "His name is Eric; he is a convicted jewel thief who was just thrown into a human prison for Toons." "Alright, meet me by da Acme Factory, I'll pick you up." I put the phone down and walked out to the washing machine. I picked out my suit and my eyes lit with anger. My sis had stuck her Ink and Paint club dancing outfits in with my suit and dyed it pink! I growled, knowing I had no other suits. I put it on and walked out the door. As I got to my van I heard a crash and looked up, a Toon dog painter fell and his bucket was coming at me. My eyes widened and I felt pain on my head as the bucket came down on it.
