Disclaimer: I do not own Animaniacs. Yakko, Wakko and Dot and all of the other characters belong to their own respective owners. This was made strictly for entertainment and no profit is made off of this.
Authors Note: Sorry it took so long to get these next chapters out. Right now I am currently finishing moving to our new house and I am editing my second MS by it's deadline for publication, so it's a busy time right now. Still, I didn't forget my A! Fanfiction.:) Enjoy.
Chapter 29: A different Trophy?
"I will take you in, one visitor at a time." The cartoon doctor demanded.
"Is it as bad as The Brain's?" Zenny asked softly.
"…" The doctor took a longer moment. "We think she's going to pull through, but we can't be 100 percent sure yet."
"What happened?" Dot pulled on the doctor's vest. "Please?"
The doctor shrugged her shoulders. "We won't know until or if she wakes up." He nodded again at the small crowd of friends. Pinky and The Brain sat in one chair along with Rita. Runt was on the ground next to Wakko and Iridescent's feet. Zenny sat next to her, then Renraw. Yakko sit at the far corner of the hospital, staring out a window that had its shades closed.
Zenny visited her first, then Iridescent. After them, Yakko took his turn…
Yakko stepped in the room. He'd seen cartoon hospitals before, even been in them a couple times as a guest. He had never gotten hurt enough to need one. It took a lot of abuse and damage to dent a cartoon.
Her legs weren't up in stirrups like he often saw portrayed. She was lying in the bed, her eyes closed, just sleeping off whatever happened. Her face had actually been bruised and cut. He had expected her wrapped in complete gauze the way the doctor spoke. "Any clue at all about what happened?"
"I don't know." The doctor informed him. "We have done X-rays of her though. The damage on the outside isn't the same as on the inside. It shows signs of stress and tension, and considering she was found in a trash can, I can only speculate she'd been rolling around in it at a great distance." He tried to smile at Yakko. "She will either pull through or die since she was drawn though. Great news, if she had been born into the cartoon world she could have suffered brain damage. Anything else?"
Yakko shook his head and held her hand gently. He figured it was probably bruised but it was impossible to see through black fur.
"More guests are waiting to see her." The doctor reminded him.
Yakko got the hint and headed back outside. He couldn't do anything for her in the room. When he got back to the waiting room, he finally saw Newt.
Newt stood up and rubbed his hands anxiously. "How is she?"
Yakko lowered his eyelids at the dog. "What took you so long to show up?"
"Easy." Zenny said. "Sit down Yakko."
Yakko watched as Newt was escorted to her room. Why he should be, he didn't know. He was late, beyond late. Why bother even showing up? Dumb old stupid freaking drooling scratching barking mutt! He sat back down in his chair, crossed his arms, and continued to look out the window that still had its shades closed.
/Aroma stopped handing over sticks when Yakko said that. "You have a problem with Brain and with Newt? Is no one good enough for you?"
"No, you just shoot too low." Yakko muttered. "Guess any guy's perfect compared to Warren though, huh?" He chuckled. "Heck, you even married me to get away from that psycho. Talk about desperate."
"Is everything a joke with you?" Aroma dropped the rest of her sticks. "How can you just laugh about Warren?" She turned away. "I thought you got it."
"Ah, I do." Yakko mentally hit himself. He put his hand on his shoulders. "I just hate moods that aren't fun, that's all." He turned her back around. "Come on Aroman Noodles, give me a smile? Yeah?" He gave her a big grin trying to coax something out of her. But it didn't work. "Dang lady, freakin' lighten up." He groaned. "No wonder you're his trophy, you'd just stay in one spot no matter what he-"
Yakko touched his cheek, feeling a thick slap make contact and watched as Aroma took off./
"Yakko?" Wakko called out to his brother as he stood up and walked out the door. "Where are you going? Yakko?"
Slappy looked down at herself. Orange wasn't her color. She looked in front of her through her speaking window and saw Snappy and Skippy coming her way. She smiled and picked up the phone. When Skippy picked it up, she beamed back with a happy smile. "How ya doin' there kid? Kinda drab in here, sheesh. Otherwise, it's okay, how are you, huh? How's ol' Snap treatin' ya?"
Skippy was silent as he cleared his throat. He held the phone tightly. "…hi. Aunt Slappy?"
"That's my name." Slappy nodded. "Don't forget that Skip. 'Cause that's what I am, I'm your Aunt Slappy. Okay?"
Skippy held his hand up to the window. "When are you getting out?"
"Once all these hoodlums go through legal loops and research." Slappy declared. "Might be awhile, these idiots can never do anything right away."
"Okay." Skippy moved the phone away, then back again. "Umm, bye then." He hung up and walked away.
Snappy took his place. "How you holding up?"
"Doing fine Mr. let's-whack-everyone's-heads-and-get-myself-arrested." Slappy complained. "You yutz."
"It was only temporary time and I couldn't let them just take you. Even if I couldn't do anything." Snappy waved his cane. "They got what was coming!" He smiled. "You're gonna be okay, Midge, I'll make sure of it."
"I ain't Midge." Slappy groaned. "I don't care what anyone says, not you, not these police, no one can tell me I'm Midge. I am Slappy Squirrel!"
"Sure." Snappy chuckled as he laid his hand on the glass.
"You take good care of my Skippy, you got it?" Snappy demanded. "You watch him too, he ain't no kid anymore, he's a teenager. Always trouble. He's got girls always wanting him since he's some teen idol. Don't let his ego get overinflated. Don't let him stay out too late at night. Watch out for so-called 'friends' who want nothin' but a piece of his fame and money. Don't let him-"
"I got it." Snap smiled. "I'm watching him, he's gonna be okay. You're gonna be okay too, there's no way I'm losing you. I-I didn't even know I had you."
"You don't. I'm not Midge!" Slappy yelled again.
"Sure." Snap lowered his hand again. "Take care." He hung up the phone and stood up.
Slappy watched as he tried to take Skippy's hand. Skippy rejected the gesture and crossed his arms, walking off alone. Good old Skippy…doing just what she had wanted. Well, it wasn't so good to see now.
Aroma groaned and opened her eyes. All around her was a room of white and a figure in the near distance. When her eyes adjusted, she saw Yakko grinning at her.
"You're awake." Yakko said excitedly but with a soft voice. "I'm Yakko. I'm not the copy of Yakko. And it would say that. Oh, well I am, I can…your brother's…shoot, what could I say?"
"I know you're you." Aroma's voice was hoarse but had a smile within it.
"Good, great." Yakko gestured around. "It's late, but I had to sneak in to see you wake up. You had to wake up, I couldn't go to sleep without knowing. So? How-how are you?"
"I've been better." Aroma joked. "I'm good." She raised her hand and held out her pinky. "I kept the pinky swear."
Yakko tried not to break when he heard that. "Yeah, you did. Good for you. Uh, where were you?"
"L.A. Hollywood sign." Aroma replied. "I took a trip from the top of the sign to…I don't remember stopping."
"Hollywood sign?" Yakko's jaw went slack. "He rolled you from the Hollywood Sign? The sign? You weren't even in Burbank." He bit his tongue. All that time wasted, he figured he'd be nearby. While he got his mind around that, he watched the windows. "So easy getting in here, any of those guys could take you just like that." He snapped his fingers.
"I don't think the hospital is used to being guarded." Aroma replied.
"Well then, I better stay. Make sure no one comes. Then in the morning, you can come back to the tower. Everyone will be thrilled." Yakko insisted. "We'll all watch you, take turns. Warren and those evil creations of his will never get near you again."
"Don't." Aroma groaned as she shook her head. "Don't say that. Don't do that. I lived my life in shadows, Zenny always guarding me, keeping me away. I'm not his, I won't be scared of him. I'll survive."
"Are you kidding me?" Yakko's voice was thick. "You-you just got rolled from Hollywood! From the freakin' Hollywood sign to the Chairman's office!"
"Yakko, being scared of him is no life." Aroma replied. "Could you live like that? Trapped in a tower? Guarded everywhere you went? I did it for awhile, but, I can't do it anymore. There's so much more to life than being scared of Warren." She smiled tenderly. "I didn't give in, and I won't. I'd…I'd rather-"
"Don't say it, because it almost happened." Yakko stopped her. He took a deep breath. "Even if by some miracle Zenny didn't require 24 hour post around you, you still aren't free. Say what you want, deep inside, I know your scared he'll come back. I know!" He pointed to himself. "I am."
"You're scared?" Aroma asked in surprise. "But I thought you were never scared of anything."
"Pfftt!" Yakko blurted. "Are you kidding? I'm scared this weird incarnation of our show is gonna get canceled. I'm scared me and my sibs are still gonna get separated. And I sure as hell am scared he's gonna come back for you! He's done it over and over last time, didn't he?" Yakko looked at her seriously. "He's gotta be stopped. No cartoon has the right to do this to another." He bent closer to Aroma. "Like it or not, I'm watching you tonight."
Aroma tried to shrug her shoulders, but they still really hurt. "What could I possibly say to that?"
"Good." Yakko smiled. "Let's see…considering you've been sleeping awhile already, how about a friendly game of paddleball?"
"In this condition?" Aroma chuckled. "Oh, I get it. Maybe you'd have half a chance of beating me."
"I've beaten you twice already!"
"I beat you three times."
"Well, we'll even it out tonight." Yakko laughed. "Anything else?"
"Well, I went through a lot." Aroma sniffed. "So…maybe possibly some kind of…confection would be in order?"
"Ha! Iri knows you well, she already baked the cake." Yakko replied. He looked out the window both ways. "Okay, looks clear." He stared in the distance at the tower.
"You'll be gone five minutes. Nothing will happen in five minutes." Aroma replied.
"Three minutes." Yakko replied. "Anything can happen in three minutes."
"Yakko. It's not his style to come after me that quick again." Aroma explained. "And…before you go, I need your cell. I need to see Newt."
"Newt?" Yakko rocked back and forth on his feet. "Can't you wait to play kissey-kissey face, I don't know, a couple of hours?" he asked sourly.
"No, it's not about that." Aroma sighed. "Minerva still hasn't been found. He's probably thinking Warren has her, and he should know…he doesn't. He doesn't know anything about her. He's been really preoccupied with it and I want him to know ASAP."
Yakko felt around himself. "I forgot my phone. Okay, I'll swing by his place and let him know. Okay?" He numbered things off his gloved fingers. "Cake, Newt, Paddleballs. Anything else?" He headed toward the open window. "I'll look back every once in awhile. Okay, and I'll try to hurry as fast as I can." He looked out the window. "Are you positive that-"
"I'll be fine already, go!" Aroma laughed.
"Newt!"
Yakko watched as Newt answered his door after several seconds of constant pounding.
"What?"
"Aroma's awake." Yakko simply said. "She said Minerva wasn't with Warren, doesn't seem like he even knew a thing about her."
"Really?" Newt's eyes widened. "So she isn't with that possessive freak?"
"No, see ya." Yakko was about to take off but the dog touched his shoulder.
"Are you 100 percent sure? I've looked all over Burbank, she didn't return with anyone else, she-"
"Aroma just dealt with Warren, he could be after her and no one's there protecting her right now. I ain't got time for this." Yakko complained. "Sorry, I don't know about the mink and I don't have time for this."
"You're staying at the hospital with her? There's no overnight visits." Newt said in confusion.
"Newsflash, I don't always play by the rules." Yakko growled. "Can I go now?"
"You're really really really positive that Warren does not have-"
"No he doesn't! Night!" Yakko took off, not leaving the dog any more time. He still had a cake and paddleballs to pick up. Best stop and check the hospital first before that.
He looked in the hospital window.
"Still here." Aroma waved at him. "Cake?"
"Not yet. Just got done with Newt." Yakko replied. "Pretty concerned about her still."
"Well, maybe he can rest better knowing his friend is at least not with Warren." Aroma replied. "At least not that I know of."
"Maybe." Yakko looked out the window. "I'll be right back with that cake, okay? And paddleballs of course." He smiled. He headed to the tower, stole the cake, grabbed a couple paddleballs, went back to the hospital…
And saw Newt through the window.
Aroma smiled at Yakko. "Look who else decided to break the rules."
"Yeah. Thrilling." Yakko jumped in and placed down the cake. Forget paddleball now.
"Well, I've got two guards for the night." Aroma tried to sit up in bed, but was struggling. Yakko helped her try to sit up, along with Newt on the other side. "And two arm supports." She gasped as she saw the cake. "Oh, she decorated it and everything. Ohh…maybe we should be good and wait for her in the morning." She looked at the cake with desire. "I can do it, I can wait."
"I am so happy you're okay." Newt smiled at her. He brought out a small thin wrapped present. "I bought this for you. Just something small, but…I think you'll like it."
Oh great, he brought a present. I don't have anything. Yakko berated himself. Of course, he's a boyfriend, he's supposed to have something. But Iridescent did make cake for her. I didn't even do that.
He watched her unwrap the gift and saw the confused expression on her face. And he could see why.
"Oh." Aroma picked up a paddleball from the box. It was nothing like her or Yakko's professionally handmade paddles. Nope, it was a 99 cent paddle ball, probably plucked from the kids section of a store. "A paddleball."
"I figured you did like them." Newt smiled. "I have a much nicer gift at home, but-" He grinned at Yakko. "I figured this would be more appropriate."
"Yeah, sure, uhhh it's nice. It's a nice gesture." Aroma tried to smile. "Thanks."
Yakko wanted to blurt out how lousy of a gift it was, but every time he seemed to talk to that dog, it didn't turn out well and if they didn't get along, Aroma might kick him out. He settled for subtle. "Real special."
"Did you stop and tell her brother and sister she was okay?" Newt asked Yakko.
"Yeah." Yakko nodded. He looked over at Aroma as she let out a gigantic yawn. "Well, maybe you didn't get enough after all. You tired?"
"I guess I am." Aroma spoke. "Sorry. I know you wanted to play too."
"Play?" Newt looked over at Yakko. "I thought you weren't playing paddleball anymore." He looked back at Aroma who had shut her eyes. "Aroma?"
"She's tired, leave her alone." Yakko replied.
"Well, at least she is okay." Newt sighed. "I hope Minerva's okay too."
"Yeah, I'm sure you do." Yakko sighed mockingly. "Great thing to dwell on, another woman when your girlfriend barely survived."
Newt looked offended. "I don't really care what you think, Warner Brother, I am simple here for her."
"Good. 'Cause I thought maybe you wanted to pick at her head about Minerva." Yakko commented. "She was already nice enough to let you know she wasn't with him after all."
"I care for Aroma." Newt replied. "I care for the mink too, she is a dear friend. Your perception is…off. It has been off." He glared at him. "For some time, it's been off. You are not dating her anymore, you cannot call the shots." He held his finger in the air. "I use the term dating loosely as well, since it was nothing more than blackmail."
Yakko sat in a rocking chair in the corner of the hospital and rocked, glaring at Newt. "Why don't you just confess how you really feel to Minerva Mink, and lay off Aroma already?"
"…she would never go for me."
"But you still like her, so why are you with Aroma?"
"Because," Newt replied, "why not? Why should I remain lonely because of unrequited feelings? You see, unrequited means-"
"I know what unrequited means." Yakko finished for him as he continued to rock.
"Just because a person cannot be with the one they want to be with…" Newt looked over at Aroma. "Doesn't mean they have to live their life without no one. Aroma is sweet, she'd never hurt me in a million years, and I would never hurt her. What more do we need?"
Yakko stopped rocking. "That little thing called love."
"And do you love something?" Newt eyed him suspiciously. "Dating her in blackmail is one thing, you wanted her for her 'other assets'. The marriage was a con, a ruse for you to get out. But…are you trying-"
"Not try anything and won't try anything." Yakko interrupted as he rocked. "I'm a Warner Brother, unattached, I don't wanna be chained down to one girl. I dated her for her hotness. Now, we're just friends."
"Oh?" Newt's look seemed unconvinced. "And if she woke up and said 'Yakko, I love you', would you still believe that?"
Yakko stopped rocking and got out of the chair. He looked out the window instead. "Only one of us really needs to be here, and I don't always play well with other cartoons."
"Then leave."
"Why don't you?"
"I'm her boyfriend."
"Well, I'm her husband."
"Temporary." Newt growled.
"Well, here's a better one." Yakko winked. "I can handle anything that comes my way. You?"
"I can too." Newt gestured to the window.
"You better." Yakko warned him. He jumped out the window.
As much as that dumb mutt wanted to think he could handle it, he couldn't. Newt was created to be a cartoon that flirted, chased and pursued a mink for her fur. He was meant to be blown up, to be an average dog villain for a show.
Yakko wasn't exactly drawn to scale to handle everything either. He was a jokester, caused damage, yakked and had two sibs that caused trouble with him. The only thing he had going for him was that he was a more powerful cartoon. He could swim across any ocean, climb any mountain, dive to the very depths of the sea without any gear and never get pulverized.
In the end, it'd be plain stupid to leave Newt alone. The dog and Aroma wouldn't last long against the kind of power Warren and his creations had.
Thinking harder about it, even he might need help, so he took off toward the Tower. Wakko, Zenny and him would surely be enough.
"Wakko and Renraw are watching the others."
Yakko stopped his flight of running just as he spotted Zenny beside a tree. "So, you aren't stupid either." Well, maybe just him and Zenny would be enough.
"Slappy! Another visitor!"
Slappy grumbled but got up. She grabbed her cane and looked outside her bars. This visitation wasn't even at the telephones, it was a special visit. "Thaddeus Plotz."
"Slappy Squirrel." Plotz dusted off his jacket.
"You back in the studio?" Slappy asked. "Is this insanity gonna be over soon? Can I get out now?" Slappy asked crankily. "I've still got Skippy to take care of. These phony charges need to be dropped." She raised an eyebrow. "Wait, why do you care so much about some old cast member of one of your shows, that you've physically come down to see me?"
Plotz just tried to smile.
Slappy frowned. "This stinks like a week old cheese wheel. Something's up."
"I will get it resolved." Plotz replied. "For now, you are on bail."
"I'm on bail? Well, better than nothing." Slappy watched as the guard undid the lock on her cell.
"Come with me. We'll work out a story. A week, tops." Plotz replied. "You'll be out, just follow through.
"So! Hi!"
Newt opened his eyes and saw Yakko standing at the window. "Not you again."
"Oh no, not him." Yakko grinned. "I came bearing news! Boss wants a new deal."
Aroma opened her eyes and almost gasped, recognizing the imposter right away. "You!"
"Yep, me. Boss is thinking about switching his trophy." He winked at Aroma. "Next time you meet, and you don't accept, he's switching to Minerva Mink."
"Minerva!" Newt shouted as he tried to attack him.
"Whoah, way too slow!"
"But we're not."
"Ah!" Yakko grabbed his copy and Zenny held his legs.
"Where is Warren hiding?" Yakko demanded.
His copy just smiled. "Oh…I dunno. What are you gonna do? Are you going to kill me? You'll have to kill me or I'll just keep coming back. You can't me hold forever, and no jail will hold me. How are you going to do it, are you gonna try to strangle me? Bake me in an oven?"
"Masochist, what a surprise." Zenny groaned as he kept holding on to his legs. He looked over at Newt. "Police, Newt. Grab the phone and call the police."
Newt reached over on the nightstand and made a call to the front desk, telling them to call the police. As he put the phone down he looked over at Aroma. "You said she wasn't there."
Aroma looked down at the sheets. "He didn't say a word. I thought she wasn't-"
"He kidnapped her. He's holding her for his next trophy!" Newt grabbed his head.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know!" Aroma cried out. "I'm sorry, I assumed he'd show her off, he's good at showing off his possessions."
"She isn't a possession!"
"I didn't mean it like that."
"Stop yelling at her, if you want to be useful, help hold him down." Yakko insisted. He watched Newt stroll over and use what little help he could add to keep the imposter down. When the police came, they placed special cuffs on the intruder's wrists and ankles, and gave him a shot that would freeze him for several minutes.
"Finally. One of them down." Zenny sighed with relief.
Newt sat quietly next to Aroma.
"Newt." Aroma spoke. "I am sorry."
"Minerva can't be a trophy. She doesn't belong there. She's an actress, she belongs here." Newt reasoned. "She's never gone through this. The only kidnappings were on set, between me and her. She was always fine. Now…she's not made for this."
"It's hard." Aroma agreed. "I'm sorry."
"Don't keep apologizing." Yakko put his hand on her shoulders. "You didn't know. How could you?" He smiled at her. "You ain't psychic are you?"
"I wish I were." Aroma chuckled. "Then I'd know when and where to run to not get caught."
"If you don't get caught, Minerva will just be the default." Newt said out loud. "What does 'becoming a trophy' really mean? What will he do to my mink?"
"Trophy is…easier." Aroma said softly. "It's breaking you into the trophy that's tough." She looked at Yakko. "I didn't give in, no matter what he did. But if he has someone else…"
"Uh uh. You pinky swore." Yakko reminded her.
"Minerva's never been through this, forget this pinky swearing!" Newt yelled. "How can I get her out?"
"By me giving up." Aroma said dully.
"Well, you aren't." Yakko replied to her.
"If she does not, Minerva is in trouble." Newt reminded him.
"We'll get her out too."
"How?"
"I don't know off hand. We'll think of something."
"We'll think of something is never an answer!"
"Well what do you want? For your girlfriend to give herself up?"
Newt looked over at Aroma. "…you've gone through it before…she hasn't."
Zenny watched in amazement as Yakko leaped over the bed and grabbed Newt.
"Look at her!" Yakko pointed angrily at Aroma. "We'll figure out how to get Minerva back, but she's not on his menu anymore! You got it?"
"Yakko, let go!" Aroma yelled. She would have got between them, but she was still fairly weak. "Yakko!"
Yakko let go with much reluctance. "The real problem isn't saving anyone, it's stopping him. Warren is capable of anything, he's even learned how to draw cartoons. There's no telling what else he can do. So let's all concentrate on figuring out where he's holding up, instead of figuring out who is the next sacrificial lamb. Agreed?"
"Sounds smart." Zenny agreed. "Aroma?"
"No sacrificing yourself." Yakko wiggled his finger at her and smiled. "Got it?"
Aroma looked over at Newt a second, then back at Yakko. "…okay."
Newt got up and without a word left the room.
"If anything happens to her, it's my fault." Aroma said softly.
"Nothing will." Yakko insisted. "We'll find her, bring Warren down and get life pretty much back to normal. Okay? Now tomorrow, just concentrate on your party and your luck at not getting killed. That's a good skill anyone should be proud of."
