For all The Zookeeper's fuse lighting and lethal threats, the crew couldn't believe that now, they had the ultimate powder keg all rigged to explode. After almost eighteen months of aimless scraping or defiant courage, the revolutionaries had their sequel—1400 years after the original—lined up.
Following an 'accidental' afternoon stay, Mayfield left Taco Bellevue a thousand dollars lighter, but a thousand worries heavier for poring over mail call. First thought that a day or two of packages would solve his problem, until among the bills he saw that onyx-black, gold lined invitation again.
Once to a gala that resembled a golden opportunity, now to the day after that reminded him, viscerally, of how much he could lose. Seeing it again had him run fingers over & over, the silken touch pounding both his heart and head.
Meanwhile, the other crew had gathered in the lab to ooh and ahh over the finished antidote, listening to claims of good faith that it could cure one person forever of Archbury's affliction. A careful reconstruction from Leela's sample, borne from the rarest ingredients including crystalline opal.
To imagine if Zookeeper had found Farnsworth's safe, or thought to ask him…
The Professors made clear however that it could only work for the current formula; it'd be relieving but useless for anything above. And unless they fancied their chances with Dr. Beeler again, it was a true one-shot deal, one to leave potential thousands out of luck for treatment.
Thousands, in panic for their sudden displacement, anger for getting no answers, and destructive for being cooped up together. And all those factors never considered the worst to happen; them being signalled and discovered once more…
His concerns numbering in dozens but perhaps summed up in one, Mayfield had approached the gathering to address both Professors, having heard inklings of the new antidote.
"Apologies for sounding ungrateful, but why couldn't be there any back-ups?"
"Any other situation, have you any idea of the felonies we'd have committed to put this thing together?"
Mayfield could only gulp, before he huddled everyone together and read his letter out:
It seems that the return of The New Justice Team is imminent.
To whomever makes up your ranks, I must pay my begrudging respects. Seems we have wagered quite the war across these seas of stars, and regardless of whoever enjoys the spoils, we both shall remember forever.
But the finer things in life beckons, and as the old saying goes, all good things must end.
You know where to find me. Come alone, keep me waiting at Earth's peril.
- ZK
Every single delivery, all those suspicions, every last brutal attack and mind game, and all their preparations for war. In their hands, in this single moment of time, an opportunity to answer those questions they'd long thought impossible.
A few deep breaths had between crew as Leela soon rose herself above the crew, a final Captain's address on the ship's stairs as she stood forward, clasped behind her back, and focused upon both boss and subordinate.
"Lady, gentlemen, robot… This journey's been, for the better part of two years, one of being beaten down and broken apart on a loop. Now we've arrived at the final stop; getting this far deserves a medal on its own."
Hands motioned to hearts; first hers, then theirs, before she looked to that iron ceiling and pounded her fists.
"For all my nightmares, I dreamed and fought of finding our spark, I clung to hope that I'd find my friends alive, and I prayed for that beautiful day of reunion, of rekindling. Well to quote Meat Loaf, two out of three ain't bad… But I am NOT one to settle and be happy."
"Took the words right out of my mouth," Mayfield quipped under his breath.
"For how little he did anything 'round here, why in Babylon must we rescue Fry, woman? I'd sooner put Mayfield on crew, at least he tries to help us raise the bar!"
Rare compliment or no, even Mayfield squirmed against Hermes' words. Not the wisest sentence he'd speak…
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that Hermes, and you'd best hope I don't hear that again. Besides, for all we've done to discredit and damage that bastard, we're beyond that event horizon now."
"If I may interrupt for a sec, Cap'n?"
"Go ahead, Thomas."
"Hermes, we all owe him a solid arse-KICKing, one reason or another." A point to his stump. "Old and hopefully new, Captain could think of us like family. For once being a stranger, I took my lumps for nothing BUT mixed messages. Surely you're smart enough to understand the rest."
Hermes shrugged his shoulders, and kept silent as Leela grabbed their attention again.
"As Captain of Planet Express, and I guess as a moonlighting crime-fighter, it's about damn time that WE sent that creep into captivity. That WE close this cursed book we've been caught in. I've just a question for you all… "WHO'S WITH ME HERE?!"
Her huge raised fist in the air, and from everyone else a roar of approval. Arms pumping in whirlwinds, hands clapping with thunderous force.
"Then it's settled. I'll take Bender and Thomas to confront him personally. Everyone else, please keep yourselves safe, especially if we don't come back. Bender, grab the antidote and guard it with your life. Thomas, say your last goodbyes and wait outside. I might check around the ship, just in case."
A decision the kid hoped had never been made. Especially for all the assaults, torture, wars and other attempts since that first delivery, he had no wishes to play the hero…
Peeking from out of his cocoon, the bitter winds numbing his beard, Mayfield soon spotted Bender joining in, a cigar lit in his mouth. No care at first, until the smoke drifted past his nose, at which point he began to cough and hack up phlegm.
Quite a scene, one that had Bender glare across and grimace.
"What's your problem, sissy? Can't even handle a cigar?"
"Brilliant deduction, tin-can. You mind quitting it for a minute?"
"Give me one good reason why I should."
"One, now's not the time to take things easy, and two, I've had enough poisons in my life, thank you."
Bender just haw-hawed and blew smoke in his face, almost falling after Mayfield's latest fit: "Not to me you haven't!"
All fun and games until the cigar got snatched out of his mouth, tossed down, and stomped on. The look in the robot's eyes… Seemed ready to make a cheap shot of him.
"Next time, that cigar's in your eyes! I wouldn't care normally, but save it for somewhere else now, got it?"
Leela would join ranks before the friction got too serious, and called her apartment as their first stop. But in crossing the street to the café, her war face façade had cracked, replaced by constant grabbing of her hair. Even Stevie Wonder could've seen the nerves about her…
"Everything okay, Captain?"
"Oh, yes, all's fine… Why do you ask, Thomas?"
"If it's obvious to me, who are you trying to fool?"
"Fine, no, I'm not okay. Ever since we met and well before, I've craved, savoured and begged for this one chance. Now that I've got it? I just think everything's gonna go to hell again."
"Well we're still here, and that's what has that snake rattled. And even against all the crew's screw-ups and close calls, we owe much of that to you."
"Come on kid, even you can see that there's no comparison, can't you? Even those last few months could NEVER prepare us for this, and if we screw up this time, we're done for!"
"Fair point, but I guess"—he clapped her shoulder—"you could always a cappella him to death. Worked a treat last time, didn't it?"
She couldn't even smirk before leading them back inside her whitewashed asylum. Only the precious memories to call it home, as they sat about the recreation room, humming about how to begin. For starters, some goodbyes she had weren't very fond ones…
"Guys, from first crawl to almost my 30th year, I trust you both know of the fires I've been forged from. You've seen how far I'd go for success; no place too deep, dark or deadly to shy away from."
Silent nods from the fellows, as she continued.
"And so it should be without saying… Despite all we've done to get here, I've never been more scared in my life. Winner-take-all, no higher stakes I've known. Either we're universal saviours, or we're dog chow, there's no in-between."
"As your technical elder, you sure said it lass. These nerves already made me go a couple of times, and I was certain I saw a trail of bricks a few blocks back."
"For good reason pal. For one, the old crew already failed once, and you don't need reminders I'm sure. Then there's the worries about what future tricks Zookeeper will carry up his sleeve."
Bender and Mayfield stole a glance at each other.
"You all get the drift now, I hope… Any questions?"
Bender piped up: "Once we get the gang back together, what'll happen to chrome-dome here?"
Leela's eye narrowed, before she rolled it in searching for answers. Talk about bad timing, and unplaced confidence…
"I'll thank you for blurting that out, Bender."
"Blurting what out?" Thomas whipped round. "What the hell's going on, Leela?"
"Let's just say that had I ran the business, I'd have never made the same decision."
"Well, please, don't keep my breath bated over here."
"Professor gave the order while I said my goodbyes. Once we rescue and resettle Fry into HQ, assuming we beat such odds… You'll be made redundant, alright?"
Could feel every last colour drain from his skin, his fists curl and crack knuckles: "You fuckin' kidding me, Leela? So not even as back-up crew?"
"Think I agreed to it? You've proven more than welcome since I gave you your start, and I don't know why Professor would've thought otherwise."
"Maybe I have ideas, but still, I've lost limbs and almost my LIFE to help rescue his business, his home. And that's how the back-stabbing mother—"
"Thomas, please! He'll put in a good word for you, I'm sure."
"Don't delude yourself; he STILL treated you like crap, and you've been his best employee for eons! What makes you think he'll care about me?"
The lone man stood to butt his head against the wall, gutted and unable to even look those two in the eye.
"Christ, even for all my efforts, nothing changed at all."
His first success and friends in almost a thousand years, and now to have that snatched away… Soon leaving for 'air', he trudged out and down the hallway, as flickers of regret flashed across his peers.
"Would never be a good time to tell him… So, any final words Bender?"
"I thought I knew love, and every last suspicious, needy, fearful and greedy side, until your crew came back to save me. You know I'm thankful for that, and soon as he gets over himself, send my thanks to chrome-dome as well."
"Sure Bender, but how do you expect the kid to feel? He's known nothing else, now because our clown-in-charge's saving cents over making dollars, his future's screwed."
"I expect he should feel happy, since he's sacrificing for the greater good… Namely me, Bender."
"So saving your life and gifting Earth wasn't enough? If you'll excuse me."
Even for knowing his love of larceny, Leela left Bender inside to find her soon-to-be former charge, his palm across his face as he barged out the front door. In her calling out, and his halting, they soon stood where he once laid all those months ago.
"You might as well have left me there."
"Thomas, look how far you've come from the child who laid on that concrete. Mightn't be any consolation, but don't you think that's worth something?"
"Yeah, a fat load of jack-shit! Who are you convincing Leela? Besides, given the Miracle Cream, the sandwich, the stories and the lessons, it's all been you to get me this, give me something to aspire to. Now I've got to figure this life out by myself? Guess it's better than being gorged on by worms, but not by much."
"Look, I'm sorry that such news was sprung on you, but it's not like you never gave back! You helped get us leads, reunited us with old friends, even scored us this chance in part. I mean—"
"Can we just drop it? I have no future, and that's all there is to it."
"Like hell you don't! Let me clue you in… While the Nimbus tended to you, I spoke with Kif after our war. He was adamant that if we got through this, we'd be rewarded and well. And unlike Zapp, I'd trust his word a great deal more."
"ENOUGH of the empty words! Even in my long-lost past, the commanders told their men the same thing, before sending them off to die or deserting them if they survived. What kind of fool do you take me for?"
"Kid, careful who you accuse of speaking empty words… You know me better than that."
Could only throw up hands as he heard nothing, shake her head before returning to a giant mess, Bender in the worst of criminal moods. Was forced to whoop his ass back in line, before she closed her eye and her bedroom door, the ultimate change now hers to confront.
Once Bender had his grumbles and replaced her things, he knew the time had come. While Mayfield continued to fester and pace around, the robot began his eager search through his Compartment of Mystery.
A small hush of "Ah-ha!" as he plucked out his outfit of old, minutes spent to blow upon, carefully wipe and polish off the lot. A royal fur-lined purple cape, his golden, gemstone-imbued crown, and the simple goggled mask over his eyes…
Soon a pose to let himself gleam under white lights… The King, His Highness of Justice, the Best One of the Three, had returned…
"So what do you think, my royal peon?"
"Yeah, guess it's fine."
"Subject, do not displease your King! Super King, that is. So I'll ask thee again, how doth I look?"
"Do me in like Anne Boleyn for all I care, but seriously, just fuck off already!"
Bender almost boiled at those words; were it not for Clobberella's sudden entry, the team might've become a dynamic duo then & there.
"Super King, let him go at once!"
There she stood to seize his limelight; black domino mask, hot-red bustier, custom orange-and-yellow Lightspeed Briefs, matching high heels to the knees, and a blood-red cape to finish the look. Her hair worn in a huge bouffant, while front and centre stood her emblem of a swinging rolling pin.
"Whoa… wow." Mayfield never thought it'd get better than the pictures.
"Swore I'd never wear this again… God, it brings back some bad memories."
A few quick adjustments, before she composed herself.
"Well Thomas, you'd better get changed yourself."
"Excuse me Le—I mean Clobberella… What are you talking about?"
"I'll make it simple. If you're going to run among our ranks, you'd better look the part. We both got you something to help you do that. Make sense?"
"I'm listening."
"Wait here, I'll be right back."
Before long a neat cardboard package was slid into his arms, leaving Mayfield to grow a little hopeful. Had many ideas of the perfect look, but his face fell flat and fast once he ripped that gift open.
A shining, skin-fitting, hot pink bodysuit. A satin green cape with pee-yellow stripes, similar in length to Clobberella's. Bright blue boots splattered in red polka-dots, right up past his knees. And most telling of all, not a straight face to be seen as Leela tried to tour the features.
"Okay, okay, so you can—" A bite of her tongue. "Call others." A breath or two. "And also—"
"Hell no, Leela."
"Why not Thomas, it would look ah-may-zing!"
"Because if that's what my efforts were worth to you this whole time, after all I've lost, then clearly I'd have no future either by myself… Or as your fucking joker."
Didn't even touch the suit, before he began leaving for the door. Leela, having gained a different kind of heat vision, rushed to block his way.
"I can't believe you… That bodysuit is where you draw the line, after all the horrors we faced together?"
"That's not the point. This look screams obvious target for The Zookeeper, and you remember my time in his chamber! What do you mean by sending me out like this, to be ripped apart?"
"You think he'd care about that, idiot? Even for all he did, all his attempts, you've always been the rat to squeak away. Now we called you into our ranks for a reason, and I didn't get this created SOLELY to have you laughed at. Time's short as it is, so if you're going to whine & bitch, keep your little tough-guy look."
Between middle fingers, threats to break them, and Bender's demands for attention, everyone left the apartment equal parts bitter and angry. Patting themselves down once, twice, three times to be sure, they were soon under the cover of an approaching night. The less people that saw them, the better off they'd be…
As either brave heroes forced into sadistic choices, or criminals in need of justice themselves, they didn't want to leave any encounters to chance. Rushing past the Museum of Natural History, and the return of rough memories again, they soon wound up at those infamous ice caverns of over two years ago.
Leela used her first glob of many, knowing she needed any miracle she could get. Mayfield did as well, even for having lost the will to care.
But he didn't know that, as the rank filed inside that frozen wasteland, those old friends within were going to give him reasons to.