Here we are everyone: Chapter 8.
This is it. This is where you-know-what hits the fan.
From here on out, the jokes are over.
The threat is real.
And, over everything else, the toons have everything to lose.
Also, before we get into the story, from here on out I want to warn you all that this story is about to get real tense and real dark, so prepare yourselves.
I also decided, and this was at the last second, that Little and Carlos from back in Chapter 5 were coming back sooner than later. I was going to save them for later on in the story, but it just seems right to bring them back for the big reveal of Rocky's Master Plan.
I also decided that this chapter will have a guest appearance by two more of my original characters: Sara (a dhampir), and the one I've been promising was coming.
Oh, and finally, there's a musical song used in the chapter too. No, it's not original but you'll find out where it's from in the author's notes.
And, finally, this is the 2nd longest chapter I've ever written for a story (23 pages, over 9400 words). Yep, you read that right but that could always change as we're not even at the end yet. Currently, Chapter 5 is the longest at over 9800 words.
Anyway, enjoy.
Chapter 8: The Burbank Invasion
It was a very interesting Saturday for Dr. Otto Scratchansniff.
Today was his usual appointments with the Warners, and up until Yakko's turn things were a bit normal.
Dot was, in a word, spoiled. She had been having her 'Brad Pitt' dreams again.
Wakko was, unsurprisingly….Wakko. Aside from the recent thoughts of Fifi stalking him, he was normal.
Once it was Yakko's turn, he mentioned a reoccurring he began to have following the events of Chapter 6. To Yakko, he hoped the doctor would have an answer.
"So Yakko" began the question from Dr. Scratchansniff, as Yakko laid down on the couch before he asked "Tell me about your dream."
"Well Scratchy…"Yakko replied, placing his hands on his waist before continuing "….I remember seeing Burbank destroyed, everyone was on the floor unconsciousness, and then there was this toon that looked like me and my sibs, but I could have sworn he had Mickey's Keyblade from one of those Kingdom Hearts games."
Dr. Scratchansniff nodded, taking notes as Yakko continued.
"He also had Bugs' eyes, and his mallet as well" Yakko added, concern in his voice.
Dr. Scratansniff noted that. He had been the Warners' psychiatrist for several years, even following the cancellation of Animaniacs. After Plotz's 'disappearance', Scratchansniff continued his duty of treating them regardless of the concerns of others.
With Wakko and Dot, not much had changed but they were more cautious these days.
Ok, sometimes they were.
Yakko, however, had changed. For the last few years, he was more cautious with the safety of the siblings. Then, on a previous visit, he noted Yakko seemed calmer. Happy even. He would have to ask about that.
"And then I saw someone else" Yakko stated. Dr. Scratchansniff stopped taking notes, as Yakko stated "He looked kind of like a blue bird, but his body looked more like a human. Then, they started fighting and then…"
Once he said that description, Dr. Scratchansniff began to sweat.
"And then?" Dr. Scratchansniff asked, wiping his forehead with a napkin as Yakko replied "Then, there was a flash of light and I would wake up."
Dr. Scratansniff, almost trembling, finished his notes as he put them on a nearby table to contemplate his thoughts.
The unknown toon in Yakko's dreams, he had honestly never heard of. Given the severity of his dream, however, it was troublesome to consider a toon that was a possible mix of Bugs and Mickey.
That, however, wasn't what scared him. It was the other one Yakko mentioned: the humanoid bird.
Dr. Scratchansniff has heard of Big the Bird, an alien from beyond the stars who chose to protect the Earth. However, a majority of toons either never really cared about events outside of Burbank or weren't fully aware of how things had changed since the 90's. What he heard about Big and his family, however, was enough to convince him not to instigate them.
However, things changed and now he was worried.
After the recent events in Miami from Chapter 5, while a majority of toons were kept in the dark about what happened to Bugs and Mickey, Dr. Scratchansniff was one of those who was informed of the situation and was rightfully worried.
What made the situation more terrifying was the fact that the toon Yakko described in his dream was similar to the one spotted in Miami by 2 members of Big's family, one of which was a human who was injured. Previously, he had heard plans for them to be captured by the Looney Tunes while Big had suddenly disappeared. His return a few days later caused that plan to be thrown out. Even the Looney Tunes, as legendary and iconic as their comedy tricks were, realized that to do so would invite nothing but trouble and death.
Then, there was the safety of the Warners to consider.
After hearing of the dream, the doctor was convinced that sooner or later, the Warners would meet Big. The concern came down to two different questions: The first was would the Warners force a confrontation, or would Big instigate them into becoming violent? The second was if it was wise to tell them, let alone Yakko, about him?
In the end, Dr. Scratchansniff decided that right now Yakko didn't need to know. He and his siblings might have been created in the late 1920s, but in mind and body they were still young and didn't need to know how harsh the world was outside of toon-related areas.
"Hello? Scratchy?" Yakko asked, having gotten up from the couch and waving his hand in front of Dr. Scratchansniff before the doctor returned to his senses. "Uh-what? What is it, Yakko?" he finally asked, as Yakko replied "You zoned out. Everything ok there?" Dr. Scratchansniff nodded while replying "Oh yes, my boy. I am just fine. I was contemplating on your dream." Motioning towards the couch, Dr. Scratchansniff soon said "Please sit down. I think I have the answer your looking for."
Sitting back down on the couch, Yakko heard Dr. Scrtatchansniff exclaimed "Yakko, sometimes dreams can either be weird or scary depending on recent events. For example, the toon you saw in your dreams could be a metaphor for yourself becoming more grown up, more of an adult in other terms." Yakko, raising an eyebrow, then asked "What about the other guy?"
Dr. Scratchansniff, taking a deep breathe, replied "He represents your anxieties of the future. As you know, the future is always uncertain. Aside from anxiety, there's also fears and goals you might feel you are unable to accomplish." Cupping his hands, Dr. Scratchansniff concluded "The best thing to do is confront your fears and try to accomplish your goals."
Yakko scratched his head before asking "What about the flashing light and the friends on the ground?" Dr. Scratchansniff could only shrug before replying "I'm honestly not sure. It's possible they represent the end of your past and a new path to take. Remember that dreams don't always make sense, so the best thing to do is to interpret dreams as we see them, but never forget that a dream is just a dream."
Yakko only raised an eyebrow and tapped his chin, almost as if contemplating those words, while Dr. Scratchansniff seemed a bit tense. Finally, a moment later, Yakko spoke.
"I guess you might be right, Scratchy."
Dr. Scratchansniff sighed in relief before asking "Since I have you on the subject of dreams, I've heard you've finally started dating…"
Little did Dr. Scratchansniff know that, as he began to talk to Yakko about the rumors of his dating life, sometimes dreams are more than just images based on anxiety or life.
Sometimes, dreams are warnings of events to come.
"Hello Ralph"
Preparing to eat another donut from his box, Ralph stopped as he put the donut down and noticed the familiar figure of Minerva Mink, dressed in a basic orange blouse.
"Duh-hello Minerva" Ralph greeted her before asking "Here to see the Warners?"
Minerva smiled before nodding, as she replied "Yep. By the way, how's the misses?"
Ralph smiled, as he replied "Oh, she's doing great." Pressing a button, the security gate opened as Minerva said "Thanks Ralph" before walking by as the gate closed.
"Bye Minerva. Have a nice day" Ralph announced before returning his attention back to the donut. "And now, back to you my delicious treat" Ralph quietly told his donut before beginning to eat.
"Hello, Ralph."
Ralph suddenly stopped, looking around as he felt something was rather off. He remembered the voice. It was one he thought he'd forgotten a long time ago. It was a very unwelcoming voice that always reminded him of his failures during 'Animaniacs'.
"Look down, Ralph."
He didn't want to. Didn't want to remember the horrible days when he would be screamed at every time he failed to capture the Warners. Didn't want to remember the constant decreases of pay he was forced to accept. Didn't want to recall the constant headaches and depression as a result.
"Please let it not be him, please let it not be him, please let it not be him…." Ralph would repeat continuously, hoping it was just his imagination as he finally looked down.
It wasn't.
Right in front of him was Plotz, back in the same blue business suit he would wear during the show.
"M-Mr. Plotz?" Ralph asked, shocked as Plotz opened his arms up and asked "Did you miss me?"
Ralph was simply shocked as he took a step back before asking "How is it possible you're here?" Plotz, in turn, simply replied "Oh, that's not important. What's important is that I'm back and ready to take full control of the studio. So, just open that gate and let me in."
"N-No" Ralph weakly replied.
Crossing his arms, Plotz raised an eyebrow before asking "Did you just say no? To me? Thaddeus Plotz, the one-true CEO of Warner Brothers?" Ralph, in turn, was shaking yet replied "Y-Yes. You're not the CEO anymore. They found someone else to do it, and the company's been doing pretty well since." Plot took a deep breathe before stating "Well then, I guess we'll need to fix that first." Turning around, Plotz soon announced "Oh Rocky…"
Looking past him, Ralph soon saw a new toon walking towards him. He seemed similar to the Warners, except he wore a robe similar to one of the members of Organization XIII with crystals on his shoulders and apparently wore gloves on his hands similar to Bugs.
In fact, Ralph felt as though his eyes were shaped similar to Bugs' as well.
"Duh-who is he?" Ralph asked, yet before Plotz could reply Rocky instead said "Oh great. Another dumb one, and a human toon no less." Turning to Plotz, he asked "You want me to evolve him….why exactly?" Plotz nodded before he replied "Well, not that I'm not happy to have Baloney on our side, but I think it would be a good idea to invest in some new employees, don't you think?"
Ralph was a bit confused as Rocky scratched his chin before realizing "So, you think that instead of limiting my control to just Baloney, I should extend it to others." Is that right?" Turning to Plotz, Rocky received a nervous nod as Rocky then turned back towards Ralph, an evil smile apparent on his face as he shouted "I LIKE HOW YOU THINK!"
Extending a hand towards Ralph, his fingers became tentacles as they began to grab Ralph and cover him, restraining him while he screamed.
Once his mouth was covered, Ralph's last thoughts were that of fear before everything went black.
"Hey you three" Minerva called out, as the Warners left the office of Dr. Scratchansniff (after having to tear Wakko away from Hello Nurse).
Once Minerva was in sight, Yakko waved to her while Wakko and Dot narrowed her eyes.
"Is this gonna be a constant thing with them, Dot?"
"Probably."
"…"
"…"
"I'm going back inside."
Wakko attempted to return into the office only for Dot to grab his arm as she hissed "If I have to suffer Yakko and Minerva being cutesy with one another, so do you."
Luckily for them, neither one heard that as Yakko asked Minerva "Hey! What're you doing here?" In response, Minerva gave Yakko a kiss to his cheek before replying "Well, I wanted to spend some time with my favorite Warner. There doing a parade today in Burbank and I was wondering if you wanted to come along."
Yakko was about to reply when Wakko suddenly said "Of course he wants to go." Yakko turned to Wakko, who simply rubbed the back of his head while Dot exclaimed "What he means is you two should go. You're both looking a lot happier since you started dating and it's clearly working out." Yakko raised an eyebrow, yet before he could say anything Minerva wrapped herself on his right arm while asking him "Come on Yakko, please? They both said we could, plus there will be booths full of jewelry and food vendors."
"Food?" Wakko asked, licking his lips.
"Jewelry?" Dot asked, a gleam of light in her eyes.
Yakko sighed, conceiting defeat, yet told them "Ok, we can all go but you two need to stay out of trouble."
They nodded, yet secretly had their fingers crossed behind their backs.
As the four began to head towards the gate, only Yakko noticed a toon passing by them looking suspiciously like the one in his dream.
"It couldn't be him, could it?" Yakko thought to himself, turning around yet saw him gone.
"Yakko, sweetie" Minerva asked, adding "Everything ok?"
He nodded, hesitantly, before turning to face her and replied "Yea, thought I saw something."
"Was it the cast of Twilight?" Wakko asked, yet they all cringed before Dot replied "We did that joke last chapter."
In the end, Yakko just shook it off as they left.
Unfortunately for him, Yakko's mind was not playing tricks as Rocky came out of hiding from behind a conveniently placed security vehicle, Plotz soon popping his head out afterwards.
"So those are the Warners?" Rocky asked, as Plotz nodded yet seemed a bit confused on something "Yes" he replied, but then asked "But why are they with Minerva Mink, and why is she hugging Yakko's arm like that? They've barely ever had any chemistry on the show, not that I would allow such a thing."
Rocky took a deep sniff, a bit confused himself, before he caught it. There was something rather different about Minerva's scent that he didn't catch before.
"Well, it looks like a lot's changed since you were around" Rocky muttered, adding "For example, she's been having relations with the oldest of them." Plotz, enraged, began to shout "WHAT? HOW DARE THEY…"
Yet, he was silenced by a hand covering his mouth as Rocky hissed "The key to accomplishing both my master plan and your return to power here is stealth. We will deal with the Warners later, but first things first." Removing his hand from Plotz's mouth, Rocky stated "First, in order to understand just how much they've changed, we need to see their doctor."
"Hello, Dr. Scratchansniff's office. Please hold." Hello Nurse would say on the phone, placing the phone call on hold before transferring it to the doctor's office.
For her, not much had changed in Burbank since the series was canceled. Like Dr. Scratchansniff, she remained in Burbank to help with the treatments of the Warners.
Up until recently, she had noticed Wakko and Dot's changes were minor compared to Yakko. Once he stopped joining Wakko in shouting "HELLO NURSE", she began to worry.
Luckily, from the rumors she'd been hearing about him, it seemed he was actually doing ok, so she stopped worrying.
"Hello, Nurse?" she heard.
Looking up, she found Rocky looking at her, a single hand pointing at her as he said "Congratulations, you've just been chosen to evolve."
In the first second, Hello Nurse was confused.
In the next second, as tentacles began to come out of his hand and trapped Hello Nurse, she screamed.
In the second after that, her mouth was silenced as her entire world went dark.
Once the scream of Hello Nurse was heard, Dr. Scratchasniff shot out of his chair as he began to run to the door.
Unfortunately for him, he was knocked back into his couch as he saw Plotz himself opening the door.
Behind him, Dr. Scratchansniff could see as Hello Nurse was entrapped by the unknown toon just before Plotz closed the door.
A toon the doctor had heard of before from a very particular dream.
"Oh don't mind Rocky" Plotz stated before adding "That's his way of making friends."
Horrified at the sight, Dr. Scratchansniff quickly got up as he asked "Mr. Plotz, is that you? What are you doing back? And with that…." Pointing to the door, he added "…thing?"
"It's simple" Plotz replied, dusting himself off as he added "I've had time to think on things. Thinking is all you can do when you've been locked away in Toon Jail for almost 20 years, and I've thought a lot about things, such as what I'm going to do when I'm back in control of Warner Brothers, what to do with the Warners, and then there's what I'm going to do to you."
Dr. Scratchansniff could only back away towards the wall, as the doors opened and Rocky entered, the tentacles on his fingers still out and about as he announced "The nurse is done." Looking at the doctor, he smiled and said "And you're next."
"Hold on a moment, Rocky" Plotz pleaded, turning to face Rocky before looking back to Dr. Scratchansniff and stating "I want him to answer something first before you begin the procedure. I want to know why did you sell me out to Bugs Bunny." Rocky moaned before he rolled his eyes and crossing his arms.
Dr. Scratchansniff could only shake, terror running through his veins as Plotz continued "I knew it had to be you who ratted me out to Bugs. There was no other person who works here in Warner Brothers who was as close to them as you, yet when I had a chance to make more profits while locking them up forever, instead it was I who was locked away. So tell me doctor, why?"
In response, Dr. Scratchansniff gulped before he responded "You no longer cared for their health or safety, so you left me with no choice. I had to protect them from you."
Plotz narrowed his eyes as he said "Dr. Otto Scratchansniff, you betrayed me but I still have a use for you." Turning to Rocky, he soon told him "Have at it."
Rocky smiled as he said "As you wish. Now doc…." Rocky stopped, as his tentacles began to make their way to Dr. Scratchansniff before shouting "IT'S TIME TO JOIN THE PARTY!"
As the tentacles began to grab Otto Scratchansniff, like with Ralph and Hello Nurse before him, his last words were that of a scream before everything went dark.
His last thoughts, however, were different. They were that of fear for the Warners before darkness overtook him.
As the doctor stopped squirming while trapped in Rocky's tentacles, Plotz rubbed his hands in a villainous way before saying "Once we're done with him, next we relieve the CEO of the company." Rocky nodded before he adding "And after that, we make the world suffer."
Meanwhile, as the events occurred, the Warners and Minerva exited studio grounds as they quickly made their way to Burbank.
Although, the one thing that bothered the siblings was Ralph left a box of donuts unfinished, the security booth seemingly abandoned.
"Don't you think that's a bit strange that Ralph would leave a box of donuts unfinished? That doesn't seem like him" Wakko said, concern apparent, yet Dot proceeded to push him from behind as she replied "Maybe he's in the bathroom, or maybe he forgot. Who cares?"
Going forward, none of them suspected what was to come as a lone figure began to stand up from where Ralph once was inside the booth. A figure that looked seemingly like Ralph, yet his uniform and hat were now all black while his eyes had turned pure white, the pupils now having disappeared.
Hearing the sounds of footsteps, the new figure seemingly looked like Hello Nurse yet her nurse uniform was all black and her eyes had the same dead expression as the figure in Ralph's place.
As they began to see the Warners and Minerva head towards Burbank, more specifically the parade, a voice told them through telepathy "Follow them into town and gather intel about how many toons live here. When I give the signal, capture the Warners and bring them to me."
"Yes, Master Rocky" The figures of Ralph and Hello Nurse announced simultaneously, as Ralph opened the gate to allow Hello Nurse to exit before he exited the security booth, the two following our favorite siblings closely.
"Look at all the food" Wakko exclaimed, as he began shoving several different types of food into his throat, all the while being chased by vendors as one of them shouted "GET BACK HERE! YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR IT!"
"Look at these rings" Dot stated, putting on several different types of rings on her fingers as the vendor, a woman wearing a simple light brown dress asked her "Do you like them?" Dot looked at them before taking them all off, replying "No, not really. They look awful by comparison." Placing them back on the table, the vendor asked "By comparison to what?" Dot could only raise an eyebrow before replying "To me, of course. These rings aren't as cute as me." Walking away, Dot didn't see the hand gesture the vendor gave her.
"Well that's one for the books" Yakko muttered, face palming at how Wakko and Dot were behaving.
Minerva, of course, chose to hug his left arm before whispering into his ear "Oh lighten up" before snuggling closer to him as she then added "Let them have our fun. Meanwhile, it'll just be the two of us." Yakko, turning to look at Minerva's eyes, couldn't help but give a peaceful sigh as he said "Yea, you're probably right." Eying a nearby booth selling milkshakes, Yakko asked her "Wanna split a shake?" Minerva chuckled before replying "Maybe later."
Upon Minerva giving him a wink, Yakko turned to the reader and announced "Goodnight everybody!"
Turning back to her, he then said "I meant a milkshake" as Minerva giggled before saying "I know what you meant, silly. Of course."
As Yakko and Minerva walked over to the milkshake vendor, neither saw Wakko and Dot gagging at the sight, neither one having heard what they were saying but saw enough body moment to suggest it was similar to 'puppy love.'
"So that's why Yakko's been so happy lately."
Surprised, Wakko and Dot turned to find Slappy actually working a booth. Looking up, Wakko noticed the words "Walnut Milkshakes". "Good for him" Slappy muttered while adding "Now I know why they were casted as Hercules and Deianira in the last chapter."
"What are you doing here?" Dot asked before stating "You hate festivals, let alone parades." Slappy sighed before replying "Well, I wanted to make some extra cash so I invented Walnut Milkshakes."
The two Warners looked at each other before asking Slappy "Walnut Milkshakes?"
Slappy crossed her arms before replying "You got it. It's your basic milkshake mixed with the taste of walnuts."
Handing the two a glass each with the substance, Slappy told them "Here. On the house."
The two shrug their shoulders before drinking away.
Less than a moment later, finished, Slappy asked "So, how was it?" Dot, placing her glass on the table, replied "Meh" as Slappy rolls her eyes before turning to Wakko.
Wakko, in response, released a large burp heard by everyone.
"I'll take that as a success" Slappy soon stated, yet she then began to squint her eyes, having noticed something out of place.
"Hey, everything ok?" Dot asked, yet Slappy replied in a confused tone "Honestly, I don't know."
Squinting her eyes a little harder, she noticed what appeared to be someone fitting the description of Hello Nurse simply walking around all the vendor tables, yet not socializing with anyone nor saying anything.
Her clothes also were very different that how she usually looked.
"She looks like Hello Nurse" she muttered to herself, yet added "But there's something very wrong here."
Unfortunately for Slappy, as Hello Nurse turned to look at her, Slappy looked away.
Yet, she did see it.
Slappy saw her eyes, and it worried her.
"Hello? Slappy?" Wakko soon asked, adding "You ok? You looked like you saw Robin Hood: Men in Tights again." Slappy shivered, if not for more than a moment, before adding "I thought something was wrong."
The two could only look at Slappy, confused, as Slappy ripped the sign off her booth before beginning to pack her things away. Yet as she did, Slappy told them "Get your brother and get out of here. Something's about to happen." Stopping her actions, she turned to them and said "Something really bad."
Grabbing her things, Slappy quickly began to run towards her tree, hoping Skippy was still there.
"What was that about?" Wakko asked, yet Dot could only reply "Maybe Slappy's finally lost it."
"I HEARD THAT" they heard Slappy yell.
As for Hello Nurse, she knew Slappy saw her eyes as she spoke to no one in particular "Master Rocky, the toon known as Slappy has seen me. I believed I've been compromised."
"Naw, you did good enough" she heard Rocky speak to her telepathically, before he added "Just get ready. It's time to reveal my master plan."
"As you wish" Hello Nurse responded, as she stood there and waited.
In the very next second, every vendor who had a TV on suddenly found their shows jammed.
Everyone with a radio or iPhone found their entertainment jammed.
Every speaker near the area where the parade was being held hijacked, as someone with the voice of James Woods began to speak through it.
"Ladies and Gentlemen of Burbank, California and to the worthless humans of the world, I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Rocky and I'd like to say hello."
Meanwhile, all the way in Miami, inside a private military base Carlos and Little ran into the main control room as monitors began showing Rocky inside what looked like a corporate office.
"It's him" Little growled, as she wrapped her hands into fists before adding "That toon from before, but how did he get to Burbank so fast? If he was going by foot, shouldn't it have taken him a lot longer to get there?"
Carlos, his left arm in a sling following the events of Chapter 5, shook his head as he replied "A toon's physiology is much different from our own, and considering he absorbed Bugs and Mickey into his shoulders I'm surprised he didn't get there earlier."
Regardless, they began to listen to Rocky's rantings while Carlos used his right arm to pull out his phone.
"Let me begin with a little story…"
Back inside the corporate office of the CEO of Warner Brothers, Rocky stood in front of a set camera as he began his story.
"The year was 1958 and Warner Brothers decided to go into business with the Disney Corporation. They wanted to make the perfect toon that exemplified both companies and what they wanted in a toon, so a little bleach, some human spit, and the exact ink that created the Warners all blended into an unearthly concoction: Me!"
Opening his arms, Rocky spun around before continuing.
"However, the scientist who created me didn't consider what I wanted. My needs were unimportant in comparison to the icons of toons themselves, Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse, so I decided to do something about it. I revolted, telling them time and time again that I hated humans and toons were the superior race. So, they in turned locked me away, and for 60 years I was trapped in a container to spew over the hatred I had for humans, for Bugs, and for Mickey. And then, not 20 years ago, I made a new friend. You might have heard of him as he's the new CEO of Warner Brothers: Mr. Thaddeus Plotz!"
Rocky soon moved aside, revealing Plotz sitting in the same chair as his fingers were cupped together.
For everyone in Burbank, it was a nightmare revisited.
For Wakko and Dot, they were in terror as they began to run into the group of people, looking for Yakko and Minerva.
Likewise, the moment Plotz's name was mentioned, they quickly ran from the milkshake booth and ran into the crowd, looking for Yakko's siblings.
Once the four were together, Yakko held them close as Wakko and Dot began to cry in terror while Yakko whispered "It's ok. Everything's gonna be ok. I won't let him get you sibs. I promise."
Minerva, scared herself, joined the three Warners in their embrace as the people were slowly beginning to panic while trying not to start a riot.
Meanwhile, somewhere in Transylvania….
A large gathering of dead werewolf corpses were gathered as a woman with red hair and dressed in all black clothes, 2 golden swords strapped to her back and 2 Uzis pocketed to her sides, dropped a torch on them as the deceased werewolves began to burn.
"Damn wolves" the dhampir known as Sara spat before adding "Next time you want to massacre a village, make sure I'm not around."
Sara soon felt something in her pocket vibrate. Taking it out, she smiled as she saw Carlos' name on it.
"Aw, my hubby sent me a message" Sara said, opening the message.
Yet what the message had was a live video with the words "Danger! Come to Miami!"
That scared her as Sara began to watch the live video while flying off, heading to the nearest airport while the words "Keep Carlos and the kids safe" began to repeat in her heard.
She had already lost her grandchildren and daughter-in-law. She wasn't ready to lose anyone else.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Thaddeus Plotz and it's good to be back."
"In case you're wondering what happened to the previous CEO…" Plotz stopped and turned his eyes to his left before stating "…Well, let's just say he's on a permanent vacation."
The camera turned to the left as the CEO of Warner Brothers was no longer himself.
All that was left was a pile of black good suspiciously covered by his clothes.
Turning the camera back to Plotz, he soon said "But that's enough of the past. It's time to focus on the future, and to start we're setting some new rules that all toons must obey. First, unless married, no toons are allowed to date others while they are under contract. Second…"
At that moment, Rocky cut Plotz off by saying "Hold on a moment, Plotz. I'm sure everyone wants to hear your new rules, but before we do, here's something very interesting I found out." Grabbing a folder from off screen, Rocky opened it up as he asked Plotz "Did you know that superheroes are real nowadays?"
Shaking his head, Plotz replied "No, I never did. I thought they were just actors in costumes."
Now, it was Rocky's turn to shake his head as he said "Yep. Apparently, there are these heroes who call themselves the.." Adding into quotation marks "Justice League", Rocky continued by saying "..yet apparently, there's this guy named Zack Snyder who got their movie rights through some legal shenanigans and gave it to Warner Brothers." Plotz was a bit confused.
To him, business, toons, and money were easy to understand. Superheroes being real, however, was a whole new thing.
"Your point is?" Plotz asked, as Rocky smiled before replying "Well, I'll make it easy for everyone to understand."
In the very next second, Rocky snapped his fingers before the camera cut to just outside the Watchtower orbiting the Earth.
In the second after that, the entire world was in horror as the Watchtower began to fade away, turning into nothing more than space dust.
"OH MY GOD!" Carlos screamed in horror, dropping his phone.
"THAT BASTARD!" Little screamed, enraged yet shocked as she added "HE KILLED THEM! HE KILLED THE ENTIRE JUSTICE LEAGUE!"
Everyone in the control room was in horror as reports soon began to flood their servers of heroes that either were members of the League or were affiliated with them were also beginning to disappear.
To Little's horror, according to news reports in the town of Dakota, their heroes known as Static and Gear also disappeared.
In Go City, the same was said for Titans Tower and the Teen Titans. Gone in a moment's notice.
In the hidden Gorilla City in Africa, they all began to disappear one by one under the eyes of Solovar, who began to tear before he did so as well. Within minutes, the entire city turned to dust.
In Metropolis, a routine flight by Superman ended with everyone seeing him turn to dust.
Finally, in Gotham, as Batman listened in to the broadcast through earpiece inside his cowl, he also began to disappear as well.
Seeing Little hunched over, Carlos brought his head down as he quietly told her "Little, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry" while both of them tried not to cry.
"He killed them" Little whispered, the tears beginning to escape as she added "He just killed them without any remorse."
At the same time, at a cemetery in Miami, a lone figure began to walk towards 3 very special graves yet stopped.
Looking up, a blue humanoid bird wearing a black shirt and jeans felt it. He felt several disappearances occurring all at the same time.
The entire Justice League.
Static and Gear.
The Teen Titans.
Gone, as if erased from existence.
Almost dropping his flowers on the floor, Big the Bird could only ask himself "What the hell is going on? They just vanished."
Hearing the sounds of running feet, Big turned to see a man with a radio waving his free arm to him, shouting "MR. BIRD! PLEASE COME QUICK! YOU NEED TO HEAR THIS!"
Confused, Big went over to him as the man told him "Just listen. It's some lunatics. They said they killed the Justice League. All of them."
In shock, Big began to listen in.
"And no more Justice League" Rocky announced as he threw the paperwork into a nearby trash bin.
Plotz was simply speechless as Rocky continued.
"Oh, but that's not all folks. See, when we got out, I absorbed Bugs and Mickey into my body. What that means to all of you at home is simple: I have complete control of just about anything related to Warner Brothers and Disney."
Sarcastically pointing an ear at the camera, Rocky asked "Oh, you don't believe me?"
Taking a step back, Rocky soon announced "Well, let's see what all the Disney theme parks have to say."
Rocky soon snapped his fingers once again.
"He wouldn't" Big muttered, yet his gut told him what Rocky said was true.
A second later, he felt it and held his chest in pain.
At the same time, back in Burbank, Minerva asked Yakko "You don't think he would, would he?"
Turning to her, Yakko could only reply "Minerva, I don't know. I really don't."
"How many people go to Disney anyway?" Wakko asked, yet Dot replied "It's a big number."
Little did they know, but Hello Nurse was slowly inching her way to them.
"Sir", one of the soldiers in the control room stated before adding "Disneyland theme parks around the world are starting to disappear."
Carlos and Little, already in shock and horror, felt their hearts break as the screen began to show every Disneyland park disappearing.
In Florida.
In California.
In Hong Kong.
In Paris.
In Shanghai.
And finally, in Tokyo.
All of them, gone one after another.
"Oh god" Little muttered, horrified as she forced herself to sit on the floor before adding "Their monsters."
Back in Transylvania, Sara stopped as she neared the airport.
Hearing of the deaths of the entire Justice League didn't hurt her much. She knew Carlos' son had some issues with them following the death of his wife and children.
The Titans, Static and Gear, however, was another. She could only guess how he and Little felt.
The sudden disappearances of every Disney park and the people inside was enough to make her stop and hold her chest in pain. "All of those people" Sara muttered, closing her eyes to hold the tears back before adding "Gone. Possibly dead as well."
Growling, Sara continued her flight to the airport. She needed to return to the states.
"Damn the monsters that did this" she thought to herself, adding "If Big doesn't kill them, I'll gladly do it myself."
"Now don't worry folks" Rocky suddenly said to the camera, literally grinning, as he said "You're all probably wondering if they're all dead. Well, the answer is actually no."
This time, Plotz was confused as Rocky began to explain.
"See, while I took care of those heroes, I didn't kill them. I just moved them to an empty space, let's just say. I did the same thing with every Disney park and every person inside them."
While Rocky and Plotz didn't see it, the entire world gave a sigh of relief.
However, Rocky wasn't done.
"That being side, I'm willing to bring them all back….for a price."
Rocky then held up one finger and announced "One Million Dollars per person for every Disney attendee and employee."
He then held up 5 fingers and said "And Five Million for every hero."
He then motioned to Plotz, announcing "And all the money goes to Plotz."
Plotz was beginning to literally salivate just how much that was.
"As for me, there's still one last thing that needs to be done before we can end the reign of humanity and the beginning of a toon empire."
Rocky takes a moment to smile before telling the camera "Kids, bring me the Warners."
And just like that, the screen goes to black.
"You've got to be kidding me." Minerva muttered. The horror on her face was too much.
"He's sick" Yakko muttered, before correcting himself "No, Plotz and that new toon with them. They're both insane."
"By the way" Wakko suddenly said, a bit confused yet still terrified as he asked "Did he say kids?"
"Of course he did Wakko" they suddenly heard.
Looking up, they saw what looked like Hello Nurse as Wakko couldn't help but shout "HELLLO NURSE" before jumping into her arms as he told her "You make everything better."
Facepalming, Dot could only whisper "Boys, go fig."
However, Yakko suddenly ripped Wakko away from Hello Nurse, confusing the younger toon as he asked "Hey, what gives?"
Yakko, pointing at Hello Nurse, replied "Take a closer look sib."
Wakko, in turn, finally looked a little closer at Hello Nurse and finally got it.
Not only were her clothes different, but she had no pupils.
It was terrifying, of course, but not as much as the fact she didn't seem concerned at all.
"It seems you're not as stupid as you look Yakko" Hello Nurse quietly said, before beginning to speak up as she added "Then again, it took you this long just to notice I was here yet you think you're safe."
All four of them soon began to back away as Hello Nurse started walking towards them.
"You have no idea how wrong you are, for the fun is over and it's no longer time to laugh or feel joy. It's no longer time to frolic or smile."
To the surprise of the Warners, they suddenly heard the stringing of a guitar in the background.
They knew that something was about to happen, and it wasn't good.
"It is time…" Hello Nurse said, before throwing her head back and announcing "….TO DIE!"
A guitar and drums were soon heard as all four realized "We're in a musical number." As the music began, people suddenly began to run as Ralph began attacking random people while his hands had conveniently turned into a net and baton: one for hurting people and destroying anything around him while the net allowed him to capture much smaller toons before the nets came off, self-tying themselves and leaving the toons trapped before the net itself turned black and enveloped them. Meanwhile, Ralph's net hand would create a new net to repeat the process.
Suddenly, from the other side of the park they saw a creature that seemed to look like Baloney yet with a darker skin tone and glowing yellow eyes. Baloney roared before beginning to destroy vendor booths with his teeth, chewing them up, then spitting them out over his head as the remains landed on other toons.
Toons that were soon trapped by Ralph with his net.
Toons that were now being forced to change.
The Warners and Minerva were in horror, all before Hello Nurse began to sing.
(Hello Nurse)
Sorry to interrupt
But we've got bones to pluck
The time for chaos is long past overdue.
Death isn't optional
In fact, it's optimal.
Your time is up
And now we'll go through you.
As Ralph stopped in front of them, Hello Nurse continued.
We tried to cure you with tranquility
But now we'll take you with no more harmony.
Just uh….
To further the horror of the Warners, Ralph soon joined in on the chorus.
(Hello Nurse and Ralph, Chorus)
Join Us And Die (x3)
All you gotta do is…
Join Us And Die (x3)
All you gotta do is….
(Hello Nurse)
Here's how it's gonna go.
We're gonna kick your ass.
And then, we're gonna…
(Hello Nurse and Ralph)
FRIGGIN KICK YOUR ASS!
(Hello Nurse)
We're gonna inject with black goo
All over you and the toons
And then you bow down to Master Rocky.
It's a death-like process
That you have to see.
(Ralph)
Ahhhhh!
(Hello Nurse)
All of humanity
Has a front row seat
To Die!
(Chorus)
Join Us and Die (x3)
All You gotta do is….
Join Us and Die (x3)
All you gotta do is….
At that point, the music stopped as Hello Nurse and Ralph were flattened by an anvil.
Looking up, all four of them found Slappy standing on top of a tree, scissors in hand, as she shouted "YOU WANT AN INVITATION? RUN!"
Without a second thought, the Warners and Minerva began to run in the direction Slappy was heading all the while Hello Nurse and Ralph managed to begin lifting the anvil off of them.
All in all, as Plotz and Rocky watched on from the windows of the CEO office, to them it was the beginning of their empire.
All the while, standing in the shadows after entering the room was Dr. Scratchansniff no longer himself. Instead, his clothes and glasses were turned black all the while he simply stood there.
Listening.
Waiting for an order.
An order from his master.
As the Warners, Minerva, and Slappy ran into her tree home, she locked the door before beginning to barricade it with her chair, a dresser, and whatever else she could get her hands on.
Walking into the living room, Skippy asked "Aunt Slappy, what's going on?" as Slappy turned her head and replied "Skippy, I need you to go into my room and get the yellow box."
Confused, Skippy quickly noticed the fear on her aunt before asking her "The box that has the dirty secrets of the Looney Tunes?"
"No, the other one" Slappy replied.
"The one that has embarrassing pictures of the cast of Animaniacs from the Christmas party from last year?"
"No, the OTHER one."
"The one with your obsessions on a toon that lives in Florida, despite the media saying he's actually an alien?"
The Warners and Minerva looked at Slappy and raised an eyebrow while she paid no attention to them, replying "Yes, that one. Bring it down here now!"
As Skippy ran into her room, Slappy shouted "AND IT'S NOT AN OBSESSION! IT'S JUST FACTS EVERONE'S OVERLOOKED!"
Slappy soon turned her attention to the Warners, as all 3 of them asked one question each.
With Yakko, he asked "You know secrets about the Looney Tunes?"
With Wakko, he asked "You have embarrassing pictures of all of us from last Christmas?"
With Dot, she asked "There's a toon living in Florida? How come Bugs never told us that?"
As Skippy soon ran down the stairs with the box, Slappy replied "The first two questions aren't important, but we'll talk about that later. As for the third, that's more important."
Taking the box from Skippy, Slappy opened it and started looking for something as she continued on "Since the early 2000s, there were stories of a bird that looked like a toon fighting monsters and aliens and what-not. Personally, I thought that was a bunch of garbage until news reports started coming out, pictures of him finally being seen by the world."
Taking a few pictures out of the box, Slappy handed them to the Warners as they looked on.
Dot and Wakko recognized one of those pictures as a headline about a monster attack in Miami from back in Chapter 2.
Yakko, however, saw a clear picture of Big with local firefights in Miami and the terror began to rise in his body. He'd seen him before.
In the dream.
It was coming true.
"That's him" Slappy noted, noticing Yakko's attention to the photo before adding "That's the one they called Big. Kind of a silly name, but we're toons. Who's to judge?"
Finally finding what she was looking for, a small piece of paper with a number on it, Slappy continued "I've been trying to get Bugs to re-review his case. According to him, he's not a toon which I think is ridiculous. He's looks too much like a toon to be otherwise."
Meanwhile, Skippy simply rolled his eyes as he muttered "Here we go again." Looking at him, Minerva asked "Here what goes again?" Skippy turned to Minerva and replied "Aunt Slappy's obsession."
"Again, not an obsession" Slappy exclaims, referring to Skippy, as she announces "Under normal circumstances, I'd rather the mistake be corrected and he be brought here by the Looney Toons. Considering our current circumstances, however, I've got no choice." Slappy walks over to her phone as Skippy asks "Aunt Slappy, what are you doing?"
Watching Slappy begin to dial the number, Slappy replies "I'm bringing Big to Burbank the old-fashioned way." She smiles before adding "By phone, no less."
Meanwhile, back in Miami, Big flew into the main control room as Carlos and Little turned to see him ask "Dad, what the hell is going on?"
To Big's surprise, Carlos instead ran up to him and hugged him, stating "Oh thank god, he didn't take you. You're ok."
Shocked yet confused, Big patted his adopted father's back before saying "Yea dad, I'm ok. Besides, you know me and the League stopped getting along a long time ago. Now then…" Lightly pushing Carlos back, Big asked "What is going on here?"
Carlos soon responded "Well Big, remember that story me and Little told you after you came back from the world of Hercule City, as well as the one of Riders and Sentai?"
Big, still a bit confused, replied "Yea, you both told me that toons attacked the city then turned their attention to you and you were injured by Mickey Mouse, but that isn't possible. Toons aren't real."
"Well, now you've got proof" Little stated before adding "Toons ARE real and we've got one with the ideology of a monster."
"No, you don't" Big countered, adding "You have two, and they have more the ideology of spoiled brats." Big soon crossed his arms, as he asked "So, let's say I believe you two and that toons are real. How do we kill them?"
Little could only shrug her shoulders, not sure herself as she replied "Honestly, we've never been in this situation before. There's no telling what to do or how to put them down."
Carlos, however, answered with one word "Dip."
Looking at him confused, Carlos exclaimed "Dip was a chemical that was specifically made for the Who Framed Roger Rabbit movie from back in 1988. Problem was, the chemical was only supposed to be for show but from what I've researched, it actually ended up killing toons. Destroyed them completely down to the last subatomic molecule."
Big soon asked "So what happened to it?" Carlos sighed before replying "All the original copies of the film were confiscated from stores and anyone who had already bought one were lured into trading it in for cash. Those who didn't kept them safe because the original copies have a scene that explains the chemicals to make Dip. It's so hard to find today because that knowledge was banned from even the internet."
Little soon smiled, as she asked "And I'm willing to bet you kept yours, didn't you?"
Carlos, in turn, smiled as he replied "You know me well. I have my original VHS copy, so it won't take me long to learn the chemicals and make it." Big then asked "Can you weaponize it to use on Rocky?" Carlos nodded and replied "Your damn right I can."
All of a sudden, Big's cellphone began to ring. Taking it out of his pocket, he looked at the number it showed.
An unknown number from Burbank, California.
"A phone call from Burbank?" Big asked, a bit confused himself.
"That's exactly where all of this started" Little stated, as Big nodded before answering the call.
"Hello? Who is this?" Big asked.
To his surprise, the words "Got 'cha" were not expected.
Carlos and Little could only watch in horror as a gray hand suddenly grabbed Big and comically pulled him into his own cellphone, sucking it in until it hit the floor and hung up.
"What-NO!" Carlos shouted, picking up the phone while still in shock. "Can you trace the number? Maybe we can find out where in Burbank he went" Little pleaded as Carlos handed it to someone to begin a trace.
All they knew was that the number belonged to someone in Burbank.
Whoever it was, they had made the biggest mistake of their lives.
To Be Continued….
Extra Scene
"Hold on to your horses" Slappy said, apparently wearing a fishing hat as she added "This one's a fighter" as she began to pull something through the phone.
Or rather, someone.
"How long has she been at it?" Wakko asked, as Yakko pulled out a pocket watch from his toon space and replied "2 minutes."
"Really? Only two minutes?" Dot asked, noticing Skippy play with a yoyo while she muttered "It feels like a lifetime."
"Don't think I forgot how rude you were to Ski-WHOA" Slappy suddenly exclaimed, as she announced "Make some room, he's coming out."
Turning to the reader, the Warners couldn't help but jokingly announce "Goodnight everybody!"
"Here he comes!" Slappy announced, pulling for her life as the individual she had on the other line was suddenly yanked out of the phone and flew right into wall, crashing into a portrait of Slappy and Skippy during their filming of Animaniacs before falling onto a table that broke due to his weight.
"Holy cow, it worked" Slappy muttered, putting the phone back on the receiver before adding "I actually got him here."
As the figure, a humanoid blue bird in a black shirt and jeans began to sit up while he placed a hand on his forehead, Skippy could only drop his yoyo in shock while everyone just simply seemed stunned.
"Oh, my head" Big muttered, blinking a few times before removing his hand from his face and seeing in front of him the Warners, Skippy and Slappy Squirrel, and Minerva Mink as Wakko simply waved while saying "Hi."
To their surprise, Big simply asked "Who the hell are you guys, and where am I?"
Author's Notes
And there ends the chapter.
Hope you guys liked it. If not, as usual, I understand and will try to do better in future chapters.
That being said, before anyone asks and because I know someone will ask in the future, I got the idea to do the story, create Rocky, and write him in the way his character is after reading "Running Around in Circles" by DarkHouhoumon. While the story is dark and deals with some serious issues, I won't spoil it for anyone. It's dark, but it's enjoyable from beginning to end and I'd recommend it.
Also, the song Hello Nurse sings is actually from the live stage show "The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals" by Starkid Productions. You can find the whole show on YouTube. The song itself is called "Join Us And Die", but I changed a few words around to avoid the usage of the f-word since this is a T-Rated story while trying to keep the rhyming. I also made the choice to remove the 3rd verse of the song as I couldn't picture myself writing a scene where Hello Nurse and Ralph were physically assaulting any of the Warners or Minerva before kicking one of them below the belt.
And yes, the "Rocky Snaps his Fingers and poof" scenes are directly based off the scene when Thanos snaps his fingers in Avengers: Infinity War. The extra scene when Big meets the Warners, the Squirrels and Minerva was also based off a scene from that same movie, specifically when Thor met the Guardians of the Galaxy.
The scene where Slappy drags Big through the phone into her home in Burbank is actually based off a scene from "Space Jam" where the toons do the same thing to Michael Jordan at a golf course.
Finally, and I know someone will ask: The Big in this story is NOT from the Sonic games (different character altogether).
Anyway: Little, Carlos and Sara will return in a later chapter, but for now we've got Big and he'll be sticking around for a little while.
Next Time: Big is in Burbank, "Evolved" toons are preparing to attack Slappy's home, and the Warners are forced to say goodbye to some old friends.
Also next time (and I am sorry): character deaths.
Until next time….