*Chapter 8: Animation's End*

The rain became lighter as the storm moved on from the area, until it was reduced to a simple sprinkle. Sunlight poured into Burbank as it climbed the sky with the clouds drifting away.

Breathing hard and fast, Rem let her katana fall to the ground with a metallic clatter. She still ignored the stinging and throbbing pain in her left arm when she approached the Toon boy crumpled in a heap. Stars encircled Buddy's head after he slid from the wall to the sidewalk. Rem continued to calmly walk up to him, feeling he was no longer a threat. As soon as he was free from his dizzy spell, Buddy looked up at her with the most reviling gaze.

"...y-you...little..." he growled.

"It's over, Buddy." Rem softly told him.

"...Well go on and do me in, then! I know you're just waiting to!"

Rem narrowed her eyes at him and arched a brow, now really feeling insulted.

"...I've been taking suggestions like that from some 'other' asshole for most of my life. It ain't happening again." she ranted. "Not now or ever."

And Rem stood by that. No matter how much she despised him for all the hell he forced her and her peers to endure, Rem would not fall to his level. Buddy was beaten and no longer in a position to do anymore damage. That was all that really mattered now. Still, she was disgusted by the fact that Buddy continued to be in denial of his current situation.

"Can't you own up to all this?" she quietly exclaimed. "Just because you were wronged, it doesn't make you flawless. Look what it brought you."

Buddy eyed her as if the teen had just spouted the biggest nonsense he had ever heard.

"You expect me to simply abide by what they've done to me?!" he rasped.

"It's called letting go." Rem shot back. "It's okay to hold a grudge for a little while, it's only natural; happens to everybody. But allowing it to become an obsession is inexcusable. For Christ sakes, if you wanted a fucking career so bad, you could've tried a few other studios before the whole nut farming thing. The other guys who came before you and some after, also sort of 'faded from the spotlight'. You don't see them going bat shit insane!"

Now Buddy had really lost. He couldn't fire back at her because she brought a very strong and valid point. The realization of this paved the way for a major breakdown. His refusal to admit total defeat and being in the wrong however, was slowly but surely destroying him.

"...if...if I can't...destroy those Warners..."

Suddenly, the Toon boy pulled out the very same peashooter that he waved at her before, and aimed it right at her.

"I'll destroy the thing they love most..." he seethed.

Before Buddy could fire upon the frozen and somewhat blank looking Rem, he felt a sharp point abruptly jab him on his shoulder causing him to gasp harshly.

Weed Memblo had come upon him and stuck a fountain ink pen-the very same he used to help create Buddy all those years ago-right onto an outline point. Buddy subsequently felt his Toon energy start to instantly sap away, making him almost completely immobilized.

"...So long, Buddy." Memblo grunted somberly.

With great effort, Memblo sucked the misfortunate Toon right into the reservoirs of the pen. A strangely shocked and physically sickened (to the point of wanting to throw up) Rem watched, unable to look away. Next, with great, great, reluctance, Memblo dispensed the contents of the fountain pen right into a half full ink jar. Seeing this gave Rem a temporary relief from her earlier queasiness.

"...That's it?!" she rasped in disbelief that, that seemingly simple, yet sickening act was all it took.

"That's it." Memblo calmly replied.

"But I've seen that done in a whole bunch of other early cartoons, and they pop outta there like two seconds later!"

"That's true. But what they don't tell ya, is that those jars were left intentionally empty. Once a drawing goes back into the jar and mingles with the source ink, it becomes what it once was before. Like ashes to ashes."

The weight of the aging animator's words fell upon Rem like an anvil. Now she realized why she felt ill enough to puke.

"...and even if you 'redrew' him, he wouldn't be the same Buddy we just had." she concluded.

"Precisely." Memblo replied.

Now that anvil was followed by a baby grand piano. Buddy was not coming out of that ink jar in the next two seconds, or ever. He was gone.

"Lost of couple of extra characters that way in the very early days before the talkies." Memblo continued candidly. "Had to raise an eyebrow when the boys at the Fleischer Studio made it a running gag."

Then Memblo gave Rem a very serious look.

"You won't be spreadin' that around, won't ya?" he asked.

"No, of course not." Rem answered sincerely, shaking her head.

"...boy, you weren't kiddin' when you said you could bleed."

Rem snapped her head down to see dark red, almost black splatters swirling in the puddles. Then the sharp, throbbing pain made itself known again.

"It's just a flesh wound..." she muttered.

"Yeah, and Monty Python said the same thing." Memblo tutted. "Let's find you a first aid kit, young lady."

A few seconds later, they were joined by a mallet wielding Slappy Squirrel.

"Well? Did'ja do it?" she asked after surveying the scene.

"We did it." Memblo replied. "And this one here needs some serious patchin' up."

He pointed towards Rem who had a sheepish expression on her face, as Slappy scrutinized her condition.

"Ehhh, she's always needs patchin' up, the crazy kid." Slappy ranted. "Has a penchant for runnin' around with sharp objects."

Now Rem had the urge to roll her eyes.

...Oh, whatever.

xxxxxx

By midmorning, everything was back to normal somewhat. Control of the Warner Bros. studio was back securely in the hands of CEO Thaddeus Plotz, and security was helmed again by Ralph with Junior at his side.

Plotz was already having his hands full in calming the New York executives and investors down during a conference call and assure them that all was quite well. The studio was still up and running despite Buddy's actions, and upcoming movie and television projects that were previously green lit were still a go. In gratitude for saving the studio, promotions and pay raises from the suites were to be handed out.

Junior was already promoted to deputy head of security, much to Ralph's delight.

"Youse mother will bes so proud, son!" he cried, giving the youngster a big hug.

Roman Numeral One was placed in charge of the entire film and materials archive as well as preservation projects after protecting most of the studio's most precious assets. The studio's payroll and royalties distributions were henceforth reinstated. As for Weed Memblo, he was content with one last tour of his old workplace in spite of Plotz' efforts in asking him to reconsider leaving.

"Really, Weed." the stout CEO persisted. "We could use a consultant for the home video sales on our older animation material."

"Sorry, T.P." Memblo said. "Workin' here was a lifetime ago. I'm okay with retirement. Besides, I'm quite sure our legacy is in good hands."

Plotz could not deny that.

"Well, at least let me buy you a plane ticket so you can fly in First Class instead of Coach." he offered.

"That would be lovely." Memblo replied with a genuine smile. "I'll be sure to send you a postcard when I get back."

The two men shook hands amicably. Meanwhile near the Water Tower, the Warner Brothers and their sister Dot were busy tending to their charge's wounds, all dressed in hospital attire.

"Didn't I tell ya five minutes?!" Yakko ranted as he applied ointment to Rem's arm.

"Oh for crying out loud, Warner. I'm still breathing, aren't I?" Rem bit back.

"And who told you it was a good idea to lend out your hockey stick?" Dot added, putting on bandage pads while Wakko somehow managed to wrap himself like a mummy with the ACE bands.

Then, a shadow fell over them, prompting the Quartet to look up. It was none other than Bugs Bunny, munching on another carrot.

"Ehhhh, what's up doc?" he asked Rem who went white except for a pink tint in her face.

"Ummm...as up as it's ever gonna be I suppose." the teen stammered.

Bugs took another bite out of his carrot and gave her a warm, friendly smile.

"Hey kid, you're alright." he told her in an amused tone.

Rem watched him walk off to rejoin the other Looney Tunes, barely blinking.

"...Did I just get a compliment from the Rabbit?" she rasped in disbelief.

"Yup!" Wakko said as he and his siblings poured her a bowl of cereal.

"Think of it as getting an Emmy nomination, Roth." Yakko added, winking.