Star Johnson would be lying if he said he wasn't intimidated by the Dodgers-sized hare opposite him. Deep blue eyes were suddenly replaced with forest green and Johnson felt like the first time he formally met Duck Dodgers.
Johnson walked with purpose in the Protectorate base. He was called in by the President himself for a special task. He was proud and excited that the President had requested his assistance. He wondered what was in store for him.
He passed by other agents of the Protectorate who looked at him jealously. All he did was smile and continue walking towards the President's office.
But he never knew the moment he stepped through those doors, he would become those jealous agents.
" Ahh, Star Johnson. The Protectorate's greatest captain of the stars. Thank you for coming", Mr President said.
" It was my pleasure Mr President", Johnson said," So what's my mission?".
" Your mission is here already, Johnson. IQ, bring him in!", Mr President yelled.
Dr IQ High stepped into the room nervously and behind him...
Was a naked duck.
Johnson raised an eyebrow at the situation. He didn't understand what his mission was, was he protect the President or IQ, and who was that duck?
" Ah, there he is", Mr President said getting up from his seat.
Johnson fiddled with his fingers nervously with excitement. The president was coming towards him. He readied himself for some praise...
... And then the President just walked right past him towards the duck.
" Oh my lord, look at him! Completely healthy and alive! Well done, IQ. I think this is one fit for the field", Mr President said as he looked at the duck, who blankly stared at the man with disinterest.
Johnson was taken back by the duck's behavior. This was the President of Earth, whom people rarely get to see. How dare that duck just react with nonchalance.
" What's going on here?", Johnson asked impatiently, the duck working on his nerves.
" Oh yes, Johnson you're here. I forgot", Mr President said as he shook with excitement," Remember that experiment we were doing to release a subject from the ice".
" It's cryogenic sleep, Mr President", IQ said correctly.
" Whatever IQ", the President snapped before continuing," Anyway. The experiment was proven a success! In fact, the subject we released is right here. Captain Star Johnson... meet Duck Dodgers".
The duck in question finally looked at Johnson. The captain expected fear... maybe amazement. Especially since he was twice the duck's size. But what he wasn't expecting this.
" Great, another boysthcout. What isth it with you people and leotardsth?", Dodgers said as he judged Johnson's uniform.
Johnson and IQ was taken back in surprise while the President laughed.
" Boy, he sure is a funny one! I like him. Good thing we're keeping him", Mr President said, confusing Johnson further," Speaking of your mission, Johnson- actually... it's not really a mission but you can think of it as one!".
" What's going on, sir?", Johnson asked.
" Duck Dodgers here, will be a new agent for the Protectorate and I want you to help him", Mr President explained.
This confused Johnson further. Dodgers rolled his eyes and spoke up.
" Apparently, I'm sthupposthed to be getting a cadet? And a sthip... and that horrendousthly tight uniform", Dodgers listed off as he looked at IQ for confirmation.
" What? You're making him a captain!", Johnson exclaimed.
He was more than angry at the arrangement. It took him years from working as a Cadet to finally become Captain and this... duck got it handed to him on a silver platter.
" B-But what about training? He can't just be a captain!", Johnson argued.
" He'll learn while he works. It's called a learnership", Mr President said.
" But-"
" We're a man down, Johnson. Casey isn't coming back. We need Dodgers if those Martians start up again", Mr President explained sternly.
" Martiansth?", Dodgers said.
Johnson didn't miss the excitement in Dodgers' voice. Why would he be excited, martians were dangerous.
" So first thing, find Dodgers a cadet. Dodgers chooses who he wants and his first pick will be his permanent cadet. Understood?", Mr President asked.
Johnson sighed in defeat," Understood sir", he said.
" Good. I really didn't want to start a fight with one of my best agents. Come IQ, we've got things to discuss", Mr President said ushering Johnson out of his while Dodgers casually followed.
There was silence in the air between Dodgers and Johnson. Neither said anything. Johnson glanced at Dodgers who was glaring holes into floor beneath them.
Then Dodgers snorted," If you're the best agent then I don't want to see the worst one".
Johnson clenched his jaw and grabbed hold of Dodgers' scruff and pulled him to Johnson's eye level. Dodgers merely yelped before returning to a calm state.
" Look here, just because you got everything handed to you on a silver platter does not mean things will be easy here. Being an agent is difficult, and working with me is difficult. So don't think you can outbest me little duck".
Normal people would've shivered and pee in their pants. Johnson had gotten many clues from interrogations with his size and intimidating personality. But this duck... remained calm as if he wasn't scared at all. In fact, he started to grin. And then that grin turned into a laugh.
" You're funny, bub. A real comedian! Ever done comedy before in your life, kid? Because you'd be a riot at the clubs, big guy", Dodgers said as he got out of Johnson's grip," Oh... and by the way...".
Johnson was ripped to the floor by the duck's surprisingly strong arm, bringing him to Dodgers' eye level. It was there Johnson had noticed something different about Dodgers.
There was lunacy in the duck's eyes. A boatload of insanity and utter craziness. And a pinch of intelligence mixed with madness.
" If you grab me like that again, I'll cave ya sthkull stho far into ya body, no one will know whether that'sth ya phalangesth or fracturesth of ya sthkull. Got it, bub?", Dodgers said with a glare.
" Got it", Johnson said gulping.
" Good!", Dodgers said with a mad grin," Now c'mon bub, let'sth go find me a cadet".
That was the last time Dodgers ever threatened him in a brutal manner, and he was thankful for that. He didn't like that look in the duck's eyes. At least he knew one thing.
That duck was daft.
" Oi bub. It's not polite to stare doc"
Johnson snapped out of his daze to see Bugs staring at him questioningly. Why is it that whenever he looked at the hare, Dodgers was sitting right there with the same expression.
" Got something on ya mind, doc?", Bugs asked.
" You remind me of one of my colleagues", Johnson blurted out.
" Johnson", IQ hissed.
" Hold ya spit, lightbulb. I'd like to hear what the boyscout's got to say", Bugs hissed at IQ before turning to Johnson," Continue. What's ya 'colleague' like?".
" C-C-Cap'n Dodgers", Cadet spoke up.
This was his first time speaking since the hare arrived. He was basking in the hare's familiarity to his captain and avoiding the stares of the others around him. Even though Bugs was speaking to IQ majority of the time, all eyes were on Cadet, even Bugs had glanced once in a while at the pig, which unnerved him greatly.
" What?", Speedy spoke up.
" H-He's like my C-C-Cap'n", Cadet stuttered out.
" And ya captain's name is Dodgers...", Bugs said.
" That stupid duck. Why did we even split up?", Johnson said scowling.
" Wait, did you sthay 'duck'?!", Sylvester asked.
Everyone looked at Bugs who was frozen in his seat. He swallowed a lump in his throat, his eyes looking above at the ceiling and beyond that. His eyes watered, causing him to close them and look away. He wasn't going to let these maroons see him cry.
He let out a shaky breath," Dodgers... Like as in... Duck Dodgers...", he asked.
" Y-Y-Yes? D-Do you know him?", Cadet asked.
He didn't get an answer. The hare still looked at the ground. Everyone was silent. Then, the smallest sound of singing came from the rabbit.
" Overture... Curtain... Lights..."
XXX
Tyr'ahnee couldn't believe the levels of friendliness she was experiencing.
After the folks around her found out she was in the clear with Dodgers, or Daffy as they called him, they were quite hospitable with her and X-2, who too was struggling to grasp their friendliness and utter nonchalance at the fact they were Martians.
In truth, earthlings never did treat them kindly. Even during the time of the first treaty, there were riots. The only earthlings to actual treat them with real kindness and nonchalance was Dodgers when he was off-duty. He treated them as if they were individuals of the same kind, he didn't mind their presence and wasn't afraid of them at all. In fact, Tyr'ahnee had believed Dodgers wouldn't have sabotaged the pens the first time. But he did, and that had hurt her greatly.
Why did he do it? She wanted to know now more than ever. It wasn't fair that he had to hurt her and her people like that.
" So toots, we see ya eyin' our big brother over there", Foghorn said quietly," I'm not sure what he was doin' at wherever he met you lovely folks, but I can tell he's smitten with you too".
Tyr'ahnee was taken back. Dodgers, smitten with her, she had never heard such a preposterous thing.
" How would you know?", Tyr'ahnee asked.
" Because, I say, I know my brother. And we Looney Tunes, we have a special way of showin' our ladies that we care. And he's showin' all the signs", Foghorn said teasingly.
Tyr'ahnee looked at Dodgers, who she swore for a second was staring at her before his head snapped forward again.
" You'we making it pwetty obvious", Elmer said with a smirk.
" Sthup up, Elmer", Daffy muttered.
Daffy paused midstep. He could hear something, feel something beneath him. Then he heard it. The sound of someone singing. Someone he was very familiar with.
His singing was so sad in Daffy's mind. And then, he got an idea. An idea that would make for a very dramatic entrance.
" Thisth isth it, the night of nightsth"
Tyr'ahnee paused when she heard Dodgers singing. Despite the lisp, he had a decent singing voice.
" No more rehearsthing or nursthing a part-"
" -We know every part by heart"
" That's C-C-Cap'n Dodgers", Cadet whispered excitedly.
" How do you know?", IQ asked.
" H-H-He sings this song a lot while in the shower. K-Kinda stuck in my head now", Cadet explained.
" Overture, Curtain, Lights. This is it. We'll hit the heights", Bugs sang.
" And oh what heightsth we'll hit!"
The voice was haunting for the Looney Tunes. The lisp wanted to make some of them, even Gossamer and Nasty cry. Wile was bawling and Road Runner grew excited. Speedy looked up in hope, he hoped that really was Daffy... for Bugs' sake.
" On with the show, This is it"
There was silence and Bugs felt his heart crack a little. He knew he wasn't hallucinating because he knew everyone else heard the singing. But the silence was agonising. But then...
The door creaked as it was opened.
Daffy Duck stood in the doorway, facing what once was his past but his true present. Everyone had started to cry a little when they saw him.
Bugs got up from his chair and made his way over to Daffy. Daffy walked over with purpose as he met his little brother in the middle of the room.
" Daff... Daffy", Bugs choked out.
Daffy smiled," I'm sorry I missed ya birthday", he said sadly, opening his arms for a hug.
Bugs tackled him, but Daffy still maintained balance. He could tell he was sick, which had broke Daffy's heart a little. But what mattered now was that he was here, he would fix this fractured family of his.
Starting with Bugs.
" And oh what heightsth we'll hit. On with the show, This is it"
End of Chapter 7
This is a freaking rollercoaster of emotions in this chapter. Guys, Bugs and Daffy are finally reunited and the reunion is sweet and salty because of the tears.
- I don't know how Johnson and Dodgers officially met in canon, so I decided to make my own idea on how they met. I might do the same thing with Cadet and X-2, I'm not sure about IQ but we'll see how everything goes. I'm pretty sure the first time Tyr'ahnee and Dodgers formally met was in 'The trial of Duck Dodgers' but I might bring about a different first meeting...
- Daffy was sent into cryogenic sleep around the time of Bugs' birthday (hence the I'm sorry I missed your birthday)
- I love the Bugs Bunny show and the factor that Bugs and Daffy do a duet for the intro. I've decided 'This is it' was their song and if Daffy sings it, Bugs will just know and sing along.
-Daffy can tell the Looney Tunes are suffering separation issues (he probably noticed Porky nor Marvin weren't there). It's now his soleful duty to put the family back together.
Forgive me for the OOCness of the toons. It's supposed to be a super emotional moment. Remember to read and review and I hope you have a nice day/night. Bye!