Chapter 3: Where Paths Cross

"I'm so nervous," Dee said to her band backstage at Melody Mayhem as she nervously fidgeted with her windbreaker which was currently tied around her waist. Kaye gently took her hands to calm her down and smiled at her.

"Don't worry about it. We all just know that once you get that first note off of your tongue and out of your mouth, you'll do just fine," she said soothingly as she gently patted her cheek.

"Thanks, Kaye," Dee said as she stood up and looked out among the sea of faces when her eyes widened at the judges table as she noticed six familiar faces and one extremely wonderful face in particular. She slowly turned back behind the curtain with a goofy smile on her face which kind of worried her band mates.

"Dee? Dee Dee? Earth to Dee Rosella Bunny," Rhonda said a she waved a hand in front of Dee's face to see if she was okay. She looked out into the crowd herself and gave a yell when she saw who the judges were, "No wonder she's got that smile! The Loonatics are going to be the judges for the competition!"

"What?!?" Tanya said as she looked behind the curtain herself.

"Bite your tongue!" Danna said as she followed the others to look towards the judges table as well. Blaze saw Ace and he wasn't pleased.

'That pretty boy show off is a judge?!?! It's bad enough that he's already stolen my Dee's heart but now this?!? Does he unknowingly ruin my life?!?' Blaze thought as he gritted his teeth.

"Better calm down, Cujo before you start foaming at the mouth," Kaye said as she tried to calm him down as best as she could. She steered him around and had Tanya take him to their room to get a drink and cool down before they had to perform. Meanwhile, while the mayor came onto the stage to announce the first band, Dee was rambling on to Danna about how she looked.

"Oh my god, I can't believe he's out there! How are my hair and my ears?!? Should I tighten my scrunchie some more?!? I don't have anything on my shirt do I?!?! What about jeans?! Is there anything on my jeans?!?"

"Dee! SNAP OUT OF IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Kaye said grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her. All of a sudden, there was complete silence since the other band had finished. Kaye peeked around the curtain to see everyone stare at her.

"What? One band member has pre-show jitters. You can't tell me none of y'all get them!" she yelled before going back behind the curtain. As she retreated to Dee, she could hear the audience chuckling.

"That wasn't the kind of impression I was aiming for. I feel like a total idiot and I just screwed up the only chance I had to impress the one guy who can make me feel on top of the world," Dee said with a sigh as she slumped on a crate before the next band came on.

"Hey, he doesn't know that I was screaming at you. He just knows I was screaming at a band member," she pointed out. "Now are we going to perform or mope around here like girly girls eating ice cream and watching totally stupid, corny romance movies?" Rhonda and Dee looked at each other as if they were contemplating it just to mess with Kaye.

"Ah, hell no! We're performing!" she said dragging them with the others tagging along behind her.

"Okay, okay we get it," Dee laughed as Kaye still dragged her.

"Now, I wanted to announce our newcomers. They may not seem like it but they have the talent because I myself have witnessed it and now I have the greatest pleasure to introduce the Special Extras," the mayor announced sending the crowd in a round of applause. Dee stepped out into the single spotlight on the stage to the mike as the music played in the background of the darker part of the stage.

"Hey everyone, I wrote this song a while back but I think you'll like it. This is dedicated to all the girls out there who have ever wanted to know if a guy's love for her is real. This song is my favorite one out of all that I've written and it's called, Save Your Kisses for Me," Dee announced before she started to sing. The lights near the back of the stage went on revealing the rest of the band. When she got the song started, Ace's mouth hung wide open and he was ready to fall out of his chair.

[Chorus- Dee]
Save your kisses for me
Show me how you miss me
All so easily
My lovin'
Save your kisses for me
Cos I don't want to be
A summer love thing

Lexi saw how Ace was acting and gained a smile on her face. She leaned over towards Ace.

"I think we just found your angel," she whispered as she watched Ace nod slowly. He couldn't believe it. His angel was actually in front of him and to be honest she was beautiful.

[Kaye]
The way of your touch is always heavenly
And I love the way that you are loving me
You wrapped me up in the color of your love
You must be an angel high from above

Tech couldn't help but examine the female coyote on the stage. She was attractive and seemed intelligent, but Tech couldn't help but feel like he knew her from somewhere.

[Bridge- Danna]
How can I be sure that you won't go and what will be?

[Chorus- Dee]
Save your kisses for me
Show me how you miss me
All so easily
My lovin'
Save your kisses for me
Cos I don't want to be
A Summer love thing

[Rhonda]
Are you gonna be there when I need someone?
And will I be always just the only one?
I don't wanna have just another heartbreak
So tell me is your love true or a fake

[Bridge- Danna]
How can I be sure that you won't go and what will be?

[Chorus- Dee]
Save your kisses for me
Show me how you miss me
All so easily
My lovin'
Save your kisses for me
Cos I don't want to be
A summer love thing

[Middle- Danna]
One kiss, One love, One word,
One vow and nothing more

[Kaye & Rhonda]
One night, One dream
Gonna save it save it for me

[Chorus- Dee]
Save your kisses for me
Show me how you miss me
All so easily
My lovin'
Save your kisses for me
Cos I don't want to be
A summer love thing

Save your kisses for me

After she finished, Dee blew a kiss to the audience but Ace caught it as if it were just for him. The crowd went into a frenzy as well as the Loonatics did and Dee couldn't believe it.

"They like us!" Dee whispered to the band in excitement.

"They love us!" Rhonda responded back as she waved towards the audience.

"Correction, they adore us!" Danna said as she blew kisses to the audience.

"They worship us," Kaye said with finale as she winked walking off stage. The others looked at each and then at her as they followed her before nodding.

"They worship us!" they said together.

"We've got this competition in the bag! I know it!" Danna yelled.

"Yeah, unless some catastrophe happens during the competition, there's no way we can lose," Blaze added.

BOOM! was heard as a cloud of dust filled the building.

"I hate when that happens," Rhonda joked as they ran to see what happens. Their eyes went wide as they looked up to see what looked to be a giant tuna genetically hybrid with some sort of plant.

"Holy cannoli," Blaze said with wide eyes.

"Where?" Tanya said as she looked.

"Not literally, Tony," Danna said when she noticed something, "Hey look!"

The Loonatics came towards the creature and looked at it for a second.

"Okay, this is new," Lexi said as she got into her fighting stance.

"Amazing. A cross between an aquatic animal and a species of a vine producing plant," Tech said as he stared at the unusual hybrid in fascination, "This is quite interesting." Just then the creature swung at them with a vine/tentacle and they all dogged.

"Make your observations later, Tech. We've got other things to worry about," Ace yelled as he took out his Guardian Strike Sword.

"Ah, fuck!" Danna said as she attacked a stray tentacle that tried attacked Dee.

"No way you're hurting Dee!" Kaye yelled pulling out some sort of gun that seemed to freeze the tentacle. She kicked it extra hard with the heel of her boot shattering it. She and Dee high-fived before the rest of their partners joined the fight.

"Where's Kaye?" Danna yelled to Rhonda, the one who would most likely know where she is. She shrugged before freezing and then nodding upwards. They all stopped fighting when tiny white dots starting floating down on them and the creature.

"Is it snowing?" Duck asked. They all laughed but then stopped when the monster started shrieking and withering in on themselves.

"It's salt, you moron!" They looked up to see Kaye in the rafters holding two empty containers of salt. "Plants use fresh water, salt water is dangerous to them, plus a tuna lives in fresh water." She levitated down and landed safely just as Tech walked up to the thing and removed a scale that was near the bottom where it ran into the plant part.

"This could come in handy," he said as he put the scale into a tube and placed in into his pack.

"Hey, grab an extra for me," she called to him.

"Oh my god, Rhonda! Is your arm okay?" Dee asked as she saw the small gash on Rhonda's arm.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Nothing some bandages wouldn't help."

"Forget the bandages and give me that arm," Dee responded as she gingerly took Rhonda's arm. Her hand glowed white and in a matter of seconds the gash was a light pink scar that would be gone in a few days.

"Wow-how-did-you-do-that?!?" Rev said at his normal high speed.

"I've always been able to do that since the meteor hit Acmetropolis last year," Dee answered as she bashfully pushed her hair out of her face.

"Yeah, we all can do a little something, besides music that is. That's how we came together," Kaye said throwing an arm around Rhonda and Dee with Danna standing to Dee's left.

"Yeah, I have healing powers and an ability I like to call 'dream hopping'."

"Dream hopping?" Lexi asked with an arched eyebrow before Dee nodded.

"Yeah, it's the ability to get into and see other people's dreams. It's really actually more useful than you think when you want to learn more about a person."

"Cool," Lexi responded with a smile.

"The only downside is that in order to use it I have to be asleep, unconscious, or in a meditative state," she said with a sigh, "Kaye's powers are pretty cool too. She's your basic psychic: levitating, mind reading, telepathy to name a few. "

"Ohhh," Slam responded excitedly and asked Kaye in his unintelligible language to ask him what he was thinking of.

"Tacos," Kaye said confidently.

"Yes," Slam answered in amazement. (I thank the Progressive® commercial for this scene.)

"Rhonda here," she growled, "she can multiply herself so that there are numerous Rhondas and camouflage. She can blend into everything."

"I prefer to use my multiplication powers. I like to play chess against myself to keep on top of things," Rhonda explained when she created another version of her and they wrapped their arms around the other's shoulders before it disappeared allowing her to drop her right arm.

"Danna has what she calls 'solid dive' where she can go through solid objects and 'hyper quack' where she is able to teleport long distances," Dee explained as she pointed at Danna.

"Hey! You stole my gimmick!" Duck said in anger at the female duck.

"Excuse me?" Danna responded in an extra cocky voice.

"I was only ever able to teleport and I named it 'quacking'! You stole my gimmick!" Duck yelled.

"I did not steal your gimmick! I got the power and I named it myself with Dee's help. I didn't know you had the power up until now so I never stole your 'gimmick'," she shouted back with air quotes when she said gimmick the second time.

"Ignore him," Ace said as he pushed Duck out of the way and shot a smile at Dee who blush and smiled back.

"I'm Blaze. I have the ability to manipulate fire," he said as he pulled Dee away from Ace and glared him as he came closer to his face, "So don't cross me and get anywhere near Dee or else you'll get burned." He snapped his fingers and a small flame appeared on his index finger with the glare still on his face.

"Don't be too concerned with him," Danna said as, Kaye putting out Blaze's fire with a water gun beforehand, she pulled him away and retuned Dee to her original position if not a little bit closer to Ace, "He's had a crush on her since high school but Dee is unable to reciprocate his feelings."

"That so?" Ace said as he raised an eyebrow and looked at the silver furred rabbit. Blaze shot him a glare back and snapped his fingers again causing another flame to form. He put it out himself before mouthing to him, "Remember what I said, pretty boy."

"Tanya has super strength and is 100% indestructible," Danna pointed out as Tanya lifted her head proudly.

"And the best cook in the world, except my mom that is," Kaye inputted.

"Even I have to admit, your mother's recipes are fantastic," Tanya conceded.

"Anyway," Dee cut in to return to the original subject, "that's pretty much all of us and our little abilities. I'm sorry if some of the intros were a little…awkward," she mentioned as her gaze trialed over to Blaze who was still glaring at Ace.

"When is there never awkwardness?" Lexi asked smiling.

"Yeah, I know. Try being his friend since high school," she said yet again gesturing to Blaze.

"Say, we've been lookin' for some new recruits. We'd have to ask our boss first but," Ace began with a smile at Dee, "would you and your team like to become members of the Loonatics?"

"You can take that as a hell fucking yes," Kaye supplied for the whole team whose mouths were agape.

"Then we'll see you tomorrow," he said shaking Kaye's hand. They started to walk away but Ace turned around and gave Dee another smile, "See ya, Dee." She blushed deeply causing his smile to become wider. Then they started their jet packs and flew back to Loonatics HQ. After they did so, everyone finally snapped out of it and everyone except Blaze screamed out in excitement.

"I can't believe it!" Danna shouted as she hugged Rhonda.

"I know! We came to fulfill our dreams and we ended with something much better! I'm so excited!" Rhonda exclaimed in response. Kaye grabbed her ears moaning in pain at their extremely loud voices.

"Would you all just shut up?" she complained. They all looked at her and Dee put her hands on Kaye's head to heal it. "Thank you," she whispered.

"I don't see why you guys are so excited," Blaze muttered unemotionally before shouting, "Does someone not like me today?!? Can I have my way just this once?!?!?"

"Blaze!" Kaye growled.

"Y-yeah?" he asked hesitantly.

"Five second head start. Five…four…" she started making him run. She sprinted towards him when she finally counted to one.

"$20 bucks says Kaye will catch him before he has the chance to get away," Rhonda whispered to Danna who smiled.

"You're on," she responded.

"Ah!" he screamed as Kaye tackled him making him sprawl out on the floor right in front of the door. The door had been locked. He groaned as Kaye pulled him up by the collar dragging him over to the team.

"I'm dragging him all the way home," she growled. Dee shrugged showing her willingness at letting Kaye have her way.

"Keep kissing those frogs Dee! This prince can wait," he yelled as Kaye dragged him out of the building.

"When is he ever going to learn to give up?" Dee sighed as she went out the door to go home to pack.

"When does infinity end?" Rhonda asked as if seriously waiting for an answer.

"He'll keep chasing her from here to the edge of the universe," Danna proclaimed as she walked towards the door to also go home to pack.

"He'll crush on her till he fills both their appetite," Tanya said smirking. The girls looked each other before laughing hysterically.

"My stomach's not that big," Dee pouted.

"As you say 'My stomach's a bottomless pit,'" Danna retorted with air quotes.

"I have a high metabolism," she proclaimed defensively as she continued on home.

"You know, he once told me that in a little time he'd be Dee's second husband," Danna remembered as she walked out with the others.

"What happened to her first?" Rhonda asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I asked him that same question and he said, quote, 'Nothing anybody in Acmetropolis can prove.'" They looked at each other and ran to catch up to Dee who was a few steps in front of them.

"What did Blaze mean when he told me that he'd be your second husband? Who was the other one?"

"He meant what he said about being my second husband," she sighed. "And even though he didn't specify about the other, I figured he thought it would be Ace Bunny. Wouldn't he just love that?" she said sarcastically.

"So he's saying you're going to get married even when you didn't even know Ace Bunny except in pictures and on the news?" Danna questioned in disbelief.

"You know him by now, if I even show interest in another guy he gets jealous so fast that his head spins," Dee said with a sigh.

"One of these days, it'll fly off," Rhonda said giddily.

"He just needs to find someone else to cling to. He needs to learn to let go and move on with his life. It's like his mind is still stuck in high school," Dee commented when they finally reached her parents' house.

"Maybe we can hook him up with Lexi," Danna said grinning wickedly. Dee shook her head at her but Rhonda laughed.

"Lexi's too nice. I wouldn't wish this curse on anyone," Dee counteracted as she opened the door, "I better tell my parents about the offer I got and start packing tonight. I'll miss them but I know they wouldn't want me to pass up this opportunity. See you tomorrow guys."

"Good luck," they called to Dee as they turned around and walked home themselves.