A/N:

I'm baaaaaaaaack! XD Did you miss me? You didn't think I'd go and abandon you all now did, you? Of course not! I'm finally settled into my new house and it turns out that we don't get internet access for another week or two, so this is coming to you from my campus library. I'm so sorry for the wait but things have been very busy, lol, but here's the new chapter and I hope it lives up to your expectations. Loves you all! XD

Thanks to 'Frumouttamimind' for all the PM's, they've really been fun reading and thanks to everyone for reviewing! You're all awesome and such a great help and motivator you have no idea!

Once again I have to add a disclaimer that this is all work of fiction and not to be taken seriously! Thank you!

*Slappy's POV*

As soon as I creaked myself out of bed I knew something was up. Talia wasn't on the sofa bed upstairs and that meant that she hadn't asked anyone to take over her shift at watching the motor mouth. But here's where things took another turn for the weird. When I went into Skippy's room where the patient was meant to be, both he and his warden were missing. So naturally I came to this one assumption: Talia had done something stupid. Jeez what was I gonna do with that kid? You know you could staple her to flypaper on the side of a jigsaw trap and she could still get in trouble. Granted if that was the case then she'd be in big enough trouble already… give me a break I'm old you can't expect all my musings to make sense!

Considering I was unfortunately turning into troop leader lately I rounded up the gang and told them the latest. Needless to say Flynn did a Bruce Banner on us and wanted to go charging out to search. What was it with that family and their hero complex? It only came to bite them on the nose in the end. And like me, Rita didn't seem to surprised either. The two pups or whatever on the other hand had their own take on things, as did the little one.

"The bad people took them, didn't they?" Poppy muttered.

"Relax, she's probably taken him to Pinky and the Braniac." Dot scoffed; I wasn't buying it.

"Or they went to the Waiting Room, that's where most of the stuff happens around here." Wakko commented, smiling comfortingly at the little redhead.

"Well we're not going to find out just sitting here are we?" Flynn snapped, "For all we know something's happened; and knowing our luck something bad!"

"Ding-Ding! Tell him what he's won!"

We all turned to see the smart mouth and I gotta say that I was either not expecting this or expected it to happen sooner. Leaning casually in the doorway, more for support than style, was a very irritating kid who it was kind of hard not to know. Well, sleeping beauty is finally up, eh? About time too! Boy, he looked like he'd been hit by a bus, dragged along behind it through a forest and then walked right of Gotham City Hospital. If you haven't seen The Dark Knight then by all means educate yourself. Point being, kid looked roughed up. Those hand-me-down pants of his were covered in ash and he looked a little burned up in patches too but that ain't nothing to worry about here. And I could go on vacation with the bags under his eyes. How did he even get here? He didn't look like he could stand on his own two feet; not unlike John Daly.

But then again it would be pretty difficult to stand if you had three kids pouncing at you. Yakko was either too tired out to move or wanted the attention; guess which one I'm going for; because he didn't budge, resulting in him being flat on his back with his siblings hugging around his neck and Poppy wrapping her arms around his waist. Well there was a picture moment… And me without my camera.

"Attention hog! I'm the only one who's allowed that much beauty sleep, got it?" Dot cried.

"I thought I was hard to wake up!" Wakko chuckled, squashing his cheek against his brothers.

Yakko coughed as Poppy punched his chest, "You scared me you jerk!" That little flash of fury didn't last long though, she was in mid-hug one second later. Kids these days…

"Go easy on me, it's been a long night! Dragging my burned up behind down here was tougher than it looked." he returned the embrace and looked up at the rest of us, "Anyone else? You know you want it."

Rita arched an eyebrow, "What have I missed…?"

"What the hell?" Flynn cried.

"What? You guys think you can get rid of me that easy?" Motor mouth seemed pretty pleased with the reaction he received and forced a smirk, "You look like you've seen a ghost. Ow-Hey!"

Yeah I smacked him one with my purse, what else am I gonna do with it, "Alright, Casper, you've had your fun now make up for lost time and start talking. What happened?"

"Where's Talia?" Poppy asked hopefully.

He pushed himself up, not letting the kids go just yet, "You want the good news or the bad news?"

"We want news." Flynn said, and frankly I agreed with him.

"Uuuuuuhhhhh-This may take a while. But first can anyone get me some ice?" he arched an eyebrow at me, "My headache seemed so have gotten worse for some reason." That smart-alec; not too bad having him back really, as long as he started talking and fast. That shouldn't be a problem for him…

*Talia's POV*

My head is freaking killing me. Screw you R.J, you backstabbing psycho. No that would only be a compliment to him. Don't get me wrong, I knew that there had been no way I could have kept up my side of the deal and set him free, that's why I'd contacted Dr. S to help me. But even that went wrong. I hated myself; why couldn't I just do the right thing once in my life without something horrible happening? Was I that stupid? Yeah, I guess I was… What happened? He smacked my head against something; thanks to that stupid deal of ours. But Yakko was alright, I knew that much. He'd woken up and was talking, that was always a good sign. Wait. Yakko? Where was he? Was he with me? But that sprung the question… Where was I?

I groggily blinked awake and winced at the bright light bearing down on me. My head swerved to the side to avoid it. I was sitting on a battered couch that, apart from the colour and condition was similar to the one in Dr. S's office. The room was pretty bare with just another padded chair not too far away and a large mirror which took up most of the left wall. Now this in itself was nothing unfamiliar to me, I'd spent many hours of my life in this position. However, having my arms twisted backwards so that they were pulled and bound by the wrists under the couch and a metal strip around my head was new. Wires laced from it down the side of the couch and trailed over towards the wall, embedding themselves into the wallpaper beneath the mirror. What was this, some sick little game? Whatever it was, I didn't want any part of it.

But at least Yakko wasn't here, or so I could see. I shook my head furiously to try and shake the metal off of me but it was too tight and wouldn't budge. Suddenly, the skin of my forehead burned horribly and the pain spread into a complete circle under the metal. I froze in shock, gritting my teeth from the urge not to cry out. Almost as soon as it had started, it stopped. Once the pain had resided, I tried to shake the helmet loose again but with the same agonising results, this time worse as the heat scraped over my existing burns.

"Shock therapy?" I breathed, remaining perfectly still.

"It's nice to see you respond so well to it, Miss. Nolan."

That voice. His voice. It sounded slightly infected with static, but it still rang clear; as if he was talking through an intercom. I looked up and found a speaker placed on the ceiling directly above the mirror. That's a strange place for an intercom. And that mirror doesn't really need to be that large does it? Just then, it hit me. I wasn't in some psychiatrist's office. I was in some sort of observation room, being watched by a one-way mirror. But what was I being observed for?

"Where am I?" I demanded, clenching my bound fists which only resulted in the shock scolding my wrists instead.

"Where all my real work usually ends up." He sneered, "My own personal security."

"If it's so secure then why all of this?" I indicated to the wires and isolation. This resulted in another slice of pain across my skull.

"Lets not be impolite, Miss. Nolan."

"Look who's talking!" I snarled, "You had what you wanted, you were free to go for good! I don't understand!"

"Then I'll explain. You see, as I've said before I know that you don't cooperate unless someone you care about it threatened. So naturally I was forced to fixing the Deactivator for your pet. Acting too soon would not get me anywhere. Like you, Miss. Nolan, I took precautions; too bad your aid came in the form of a traitor."

He knew that I'd called for help. He knew that I wouldn't make a deal unless I was desperate. "I know that Jared's your stooge, you gave that one away before."

"Ah Jared; a much better success don't you think? Although it did take a lot of effort to transfer the positive factors of my nephew into the new model."

Bile rose to the back of my throat, "What? What has this got to do with Mackenzie? And Jared can't be half-toon! You've been in prison for over two years, you couldn't have organised all of this!"

A cold chuckle, "Sorry, Miss. Nolan, it seems you're not in on my private joke. It's got quite the punch line. I'll start from the beginning so that there's no confusion. After all, it's not like anyone beyond this walls will hear it. But please, hold all questions until the end."

"Then talk fast you – agh!" The pain seared around my head once more, making my head feel ready to implode and filling my nostrils with the smell of burning flesh. Just for good measure he added the agony around my wrist restraints, making me writhe.

"And please, no interruptions…"

*R.J's POV*

(What a good girl she was. She will make a good subject in due course. I've never been one to lure my operations into my work without informing them of what they were walking into. And if a memory was ever in need of replacement, then at least no one can say that they weren't well informed before hand. There was no need for any of those mutants just yet. They'll be exterminated like the vermin they are soon enough. And the girl in question was nothing special. She was just a child who had been too curious for her own good. And now curiosity was going to slowly kill her; and greatly benefit me. Well I said I'd give an explanation, and so I shall…)

So, Miss. Nolan, I take pride in learning from mistakes and even more so in my preparation. It is common knowledge that I used my infantile minded nephew as a test subject. What else was he good for? But whereas he came in handy for spying, he was always just what I called him: A test subject. You see, in all of the times he was put into the Animator, I was looking to see if these mutations and abilities could survive within a human form. Once I became aware that they could, I went about trying to discover how far these boundaries could be pushed, discover how they work and how to control them. But the more I pushed, the more strain took its toll on the boy. Such a disappointment… He always had been.

But that led me to return to my research. Could I achieve my goal without suffering the same overpowerment that Mackenzie had endured? I never stopped believing that I could. So I went back and sorted through the machine to determine what made it work and how it had affected Mackenzie. Then it was simply a matter of extracting the positive qualities from the boy. Ink samples are so difficult to determine, but I think I took enough… Naturally I couldn't do most of my work at the studio, even with it under my control I still had to be cautious. So this place right here became home to my studies and successes.

Of course, Miss. Nolan, I'm sure that even you would agree that to take these forms of mutated DNA and merge them to my person right away would be foolish. And so I found a host to which I could use to my full advantage. This took longer to obtain, but I soon found a perfect subject. Young Jared. After the first set of tests were a success; I noticed that he responded to the same safe words as Mackenzie. It seemed as though Jared had adopted certain traits not just from the Animator and ink merges, but had also picked up a few traits from Mackenzie too. Now this in no way means that they are the same person; try instead, Jared simply carries a little of Mackenzie in his head at times. Fortunately, Jared was stronger and could follow simple instructions.

I kept him here and continued to work on Mackenzie so that I could continue to improve my, well, improvements. For if Jared became a definite success, then what was stopping me from achieving my goal and earning the power I had worked so hard to find. If I found a success or learned how to control an ability from observing Mackenzie, it would instantly be transferred to Jared. If it worked once more, then I was closer to finding success for myself. It was a perfect system.

Until I was informed that those three infections had found their way to you. Mackenzie was a good spy, even if he was a failed experiment. It seemed natural to bring you back to the studio. You're too curious for your own good. And if the Warner's had just stayed in their tower then you could have gone about your life regardless. Shame really, isn't it? But I digress… Miss. Nolan, it should be noted that I never intended to use you to replace Mackenzie or Jared in order to benefit me. After all, I'd spent so long perfecting Jared that it would be a shame to throw it away to start over on another. No… I just wanted you out of the way. So taking away your mind with the machines was satisfying and, well, entertaining.

But as we all know, that story doesn't end well from my perspective. So once I was prosecuted and informed of my nephew's death I started planning once more. Jared was still a success after all, why not use him to my advantage? Through the letters I fed all the information I could to him so that I could use him against Plotz. The Fleischer's were very busy people, and it took a lot to explain, but as you can see, Jared really has done very well. But don't be angry at him, Miss. Nolan, he told you the truth. Jared really was out of Burbank during my time, before he was lured into my trap he really did have the experience and qualifications he needed; and in all the time I was at work, he honestly never met me. I was more cautious this time. Working more furiously to keep my identity a secret from him. After all, Mackenzie knew me all too well, and he sadly passed on before his time…

Now you've asked me multiple times what it was about toons that I despised so much. I think it's time to tell you that too before I go on another tangent. You see, Miss. Nolan, I've always known that I was adopted and having a pretence father who was a studio guard gave me certain privileges. I watched how the toons made his life hell, battered and bruised night after night; so naturally I never had a good impression of the vermin from the start. But as I got older, I started to wonder who my parents were, as anyone would. Years went by, with no promise for me. That is until I came across some knowledge that one of the Fleischer brothers was somewhat of a womanizer. Often abandoning lovers to pursue his own goals only to leave with another. A secret child; he chose to abandon. Looking into it further, this man had been a co-creator of the Animator and Deactivator years prior…

It seemed my true father had cared more for abominations who should be exterminated and yet refused to acknowledge his actual child. And years later while growing up, those same creatures made my adopted fathers life misery. And on top of that, they gain what I long for: power. And they don't even know how to use it correctly. It sickens me, it truly does. So I figured; why should I sit here and let this happen? Why can't I obtain those abilities and show them how they should be used? And most of all; why should I let those monstrous creations live when all they did was distract a man from his responsibilities in later life? The Fleischers abandoned everything for them and the Warner Studio took the credit. Now you see, Miss. Nolan why I may bare a grudge? Once I achieve my goal, everything that the Fleischers worked for shall be exterminated and the studio shall regret ever crossing me. And now here's that punch line:

Once I've finished my work with you, no one shall ever cross me again.

*Talia's POV*

He was truly insane. I'd bitten down on my tongue so much to stop myself protesting that the vile taste of ink was starting to seep through. So R.J was holding a grudge against the Fleischers for caring for toons years before he was even born; he was aiming revenge on the studio for ruining his plans, he wanted to kill the Warners for taking his place… And all this time he was using Mackenzie to spy on the toons as well as test him to see what could work in human anatomy for Jared. But… Jared wasn't Mackenzie, he only had traits of him… So Jared really was half-toon too? Jared was just another experiment. This was madness! It was sick and twisted and disgusting! R.J waited silently behind the mirror, as if waiting for the information to sink in, taking pride in himself. It was all so much to take in. I didn't know what to think. Part of me was impressed with the amount of planning and organisation that had gone behind this; but all of me hated it and him without a doubt.

At my hesitation to answer, I received another surge of voltage. I glared at the mirror, taking in my own rage in the reflection, "So what now? You're going to wipe my memory like last time? I would have given you more credit than being so clichéd."

"Actually, I need your mind in tact for what I have planned. Your state of being is, after all, a puzzle to both of us and it needs further tests before I transfer the positive qualities into Jared If they work on him, they'll work on me... I assure you that I'm not that predictable." he mused, "I'm not unreasonable either, Miss. Nolan, I realise that I never gave you a chance to say goodbye to your family… what a shame… Forgive me, I hope this makes up for it." The arm of the chair flicked open to reveal a stack of paper and an old fashioned quill. The restraints on my wrists loosened, allowing me to get up but the helmet stayed put. I ignored the black and red scorches around my wrists and picked up the paper quizzically, "Fill it with what you wish, it's not like you know where you are to call for help. And I'm sure your pets will wish to be informed…"

I turned furiously and punched the mirror full force in rage. It didn't budge and my knuckles now throbbed. But still, what could I do? I needed them to know why this had happened. They needed to know. Okay, R.J, I'll play this sick little game of yours. I picked up the paper and quill and started to write. But the tip simply scraped on the pages, leaving nothing but an invisible dent. Of course, it's a quill, it has to be dipped in ink first. I looked around but there was none.

"You haven't given me any ink to write with." I snapped, hating myself all the more for giving in so willingly to his manipulation.

He gave a tone of pretence confusion, "Are you sure about that? I'd say you have plenty of ink on you that has yet to be put to good use…"

For a second, I just stared blankly at my reflection. But then it dawned on me as he started humming knowingly and smugly. I recoiled as if he'd struck me. There was no ink on me, but there was ink in me. The tip of the quill was sharp and gleaming in the harsh light like a blade. The look of entertainment that I could picture on R.J's face was almost enough to make me throw up. When he noted that I had gotten the message, I heard footsteps through the speaker as he started to walk away.

"You heal more rapidly as of late, Miss. Nolan, so I'd cut deep if I were you…"

A/N:

So I hope that tied up some loose ends for you all. And if not then by all means ask me and I'll give you another summary. That's why I added Talia's little paragraph there just to try and clarify some more.

So… Jared is like a final product for R.J. If Jared comes out okay in all of this, then R.J will know that the process is safe to work on himself so that he can get revenge on the toons, the Fleischer's and the studio. This guy is messed up…

So Yakko is explaining what happened to the others while R.J explains this, but what has R.J got planned and what do the toons plan on doing to stop it? And what does Jared have to say about all this? Because if he's a bad guy or good guy, he still never lied to anyone… Well, until next time and I'll try not to leave it so long next time. Please review! XD