They weren't kidding when they said the reboot was going out with a bang, I should've known it'd be literal.
I've loved Animaniacs ever since I was a toddler in the late 90's, and the reboot came back at a very dark time in my life and made me laugh when I needed to the most. Hearing that not only was the reboot ending, but that the crew didn't know it was cancelled until it was too late to make a proper finale, broke my heart. I have not given up on there being more content one day (ya gotta cheer up, and never ever give up hope!) but until that day and just to give some kind of closure, I decided to DIY my own finale!
Considering how fast I came up with the intro chapter, there shouldn't be any super long delays between chapters.
The smell of singed fur and faint aftertaste of giant Adirondack chair wood bellowed out of the elevator in the Warner Bros. Head Office. Three beloved toons (or Cartoonicus Characterus for the more sesquipedalian folks) marched out of the soot filled elevator and left a blackened trail on their way to see the CEO.
"Why didn't you say anything about not getting picked up for more seasons before rehearsal?" The youngest Warner pointed a finger at her eldest brother.
"Why didn't they warn us during rehearsal there would be a real explosion?" The middle sibling complained. If he had known the meteor explosion would be real and not CGI, he would have brought tiny hot dogs to roast in the flames!
Upon reaching the door to their destination, Yakko addressed the younger Warner's once more "Now we have done this before, we are going to have a nice friendly chat with our dear friend Nora and discuss our future at the studio. So let's all be on our best behavior."
Wakko and Dot nodded while Yakko delicately put his hands on the door… and all three of them brought out mallets to break down said door in one fell swoop.
The breaking of the one thing blocking Nora out from the outside world made her flinch as she power walked on her treadmill. "You three!" She paused her exercise machine, doing a brief jump as it stopped and landing on her feet like she had done an Olympic dismount. "I thought you would be on your best behavior considering what this is about!"
"We are-" Yakko tossed the hammer away, a scream could be briefly heard "We didn't use dynamite."
Taking a seat at her desk, Nora watched as the toons hopped, cartwheeled and just flat out teleported to the three seats in front of her. Despite the subject matter, the Warners seemed pretty relaxed. "If we can begin without any more zany shenanigans." The CEO pulled down a chart on the wall. "As you've known for a few days now-"
"A few days?!" Dot eyed Yakko, who guiltily shrugged.
"-the likelihood of Animaniacs continuing for another season is… hmm about as likely as Danny Devito getting a starring role in a superhero film." Nora continued, ignoring the interruption through gritted teeth. "It's not impossible, but it would be embarrassing after marketing this as the final season. Studios rarely go back on their word."
The Warner's eyed the camera suspiciously. "We get it. Our chances are slim to none." Dot rolled her eyes and huffed.
Wakko wasn't too deterred. "Never say never, and remember; none of this is canon."
Nora raised an eyebrow and looked just behind the trio. "What about that, then?" There was a large medieval cannon on the opposite end of the room. The fuse had already been lit, and a cannonball had launched through the window. A pained 'Froynlaven!' could be heard in the distance.
"I said no shenanigans!" Nora reminded the three before regaining her poised posture. "So with your contracts ending, that brings us to your future at the studio."
The eldest Warner smirked, "If I recall correctly when we were 're-animated'; it was agreed that we would not be put into suspended animation again and that we could remain in the tower as long as we keep the collateral damage to a minimum." Spielberg had been furious when he found out Plotz had them suspended after the end of the original series, and it took years of convincing for them to be revived. Given their reputation and lack of projects, the board of WB saw no reason to re-animate them until the reboot.
"Yes, about that…" Nora's expression fell, and so did a pit in all three siblings' stomachs. "Unfortunately, that deal was only a spoken agreement between Mr. Spielberg and the THEN board of directors. When we merged with Discovery after Ralph's time running the studio, there was a change in management. They don't want to honor the deal." Nora told them bluntly.
All composure and assurance the Warners had when they came in the room vanished, and an icy grip took hold. "No-nononono-NO! They can't do that! They can't suspend us again!" Dot hyperventilated.
Wakko teared up and curled his legs to his chest. Whimpering as he recalled the non-feeling of basically being dead for two decades. He'd rather be locked in the tower again than be suspended; they all would!
Yakko was momentarily stunned, but put on a determined face for his sibs. Literally, he pulled a determined-looking face out and placed it on his stunned one. "Out of the question, Norita! We Warner's won't go down without a fight!" 'Not again' he added inwardly.
"I know, unfortunately." Nora pinched the bridge of her nose. "And while I cannot guarantee anything at the moment, they are still debating on whether to suspend you or not once again."
There it was! A chance! It wasn't set in stone just yet! The stone still lay uncarved in a ditch somewhere! The oldest Warner leaned out of his chair and held onto the desk. "So, how do we sway their decision?"
Nora pushed him back with her pen. "The deadline is in a week. Do something to prove you're worth keeping around and you'll be spared. And if you fail…" for the first time since they met her, the CEO looked genuinely remorseful "Reboots don't often come a second time. The suspended animation might be permanent."
"Way to raise the stakes." Dot muttered.
"I know-" Wakko nodded, holding a scrapbook open on his lap "They grow up so fast!" He teared up seeing the pictures he had taken with a chunk of steak. Changing its diapers, taking it to the park, parent teacher conference, and finally the dinner plate where he ate it.
"So-" the leader of the animated maniacs crossed one leg over the other as he sat back down. "We have one week to pull off some sort of grand finale that will satisfy not only the fans but the corporate bigwigs who will inflict a fate worse than death upon us if we fail… sounds like a good enough plot to me!" He shook the hand of the CEO, officially sealing the deal.
With their business done for the moment, Nora looked at them with disinterest once again. "Now if you three could leave my office without damaging it again, Pinky and the Brain need to come in for their meeting." She waved at the zany kids to go away.
"Will do!"
"Can't promise anything!"
"Bye Mrs. Lady!"
Each of the Warners waved goodbye. They made use of the broken window and leapt out of it. Landing on the ground with a "Boingy-Boingy-Boingy!" They boing'd all the way back to the water tower. Coming inside and closing the door behind them, the three Warners were alone with no prying eyes. No one to judge the two youngest for how they were about to react.
"They're going to suspend us forever!?" The Warner sister gasped, freaking out on the outside like she had been on the inside during the meeting. She paced in frantic circles around Wakko, who had pulled his face into his sweater so his siblings wouldn't see him cry. How he wished he was brave enough to not get teary-eyed thinking about the last time they were suspended. It wasn't funny. It wasn't funny at all. If only they could have just been locked away again.
Being locked in the water tower had been upsetting at first, but within a week, the trio had turned their prison into a home. Because the eldest of them had stepped up to make everything brighter. He made the lonely dark room a blank canvas for them to work on. He kept the spirits of his sibs up when they were frightened and worried. And just like he had done all those decades ago, Yakko once again stepped in to be the support his siblings needed.
"Wakko-" The middle sibling felt a gloved hand gently lift his chin up from under his sweater. "Dot-" the youngest stopped her pacing as she felt a weight gently hold her arm. The two looked to see Yakko smiling at them, his trademark confident smirk and a protective, yet loving, gleam in his eyes. "We are the Warners. There's nothing we can't do when we're together! They played dirty last time, and it's not going to happen again. We'll show those humor-deficient board members why we deserve to stay or die trying!"
A smile reappeared on Wakko's face. "Or try dying!"
Dot perked up as well. "Or do some tie-dyeing!" She finished the quote Yakko had said back in one of their early episodes.
"That's the spirit! It's one for all and all for Warners!" Yakko rallied his sibs, who cheered with him. With his siblings' worries quenched for the moment, Yakko ruffled the fur on top of their heads and let their laughter soothe his own pounding heart. He could not let them be suspended ever again. He wouldn't fail them again.
It would never be his fault ever again.