The Comet Cometh Revisited

by iwolf208

Ace, Lexi, Duck, Slam, Tech, and Rev. You know them as the superheroes of Acmetropolis, but what were they like before the comet hit? What's the real story behind the Loonatics? (an in-depth expansion on the original epsiode...) **Ch. 6 & 7 featuring Ace Bunny!**

4. The Festival (pt 1)

How long's it been? Three months? Well, it was a slightly shorter wait than last time... but I definitely need to start working on my procrastination issues.

Anyway, here's the next chapter! One of the first things you might've noticed is that this chapter is actually shorter than the last two. No, I didn't keep my goal of making this chapter shorter... in fact, it's quite the opposite. This chapter ended up being so long that I felt it would be best for me to split it up into two parts, not only for the sake of length, but also because I've been really anxious to get something out to you guys for the past couple of weeks. As it is, I'm almost done with the full chapter, but it's still gonna take a few days. That being said, you can expect part two up somewhere between Friday and Sunday/Monday at the latest.

But hey, all of my future chapters were going to end up being split into two-part segments anyway, so this is like good practice for me =P

This chapter is basically set-up for everything that happens in the next chapter (mostly.) The Loonatics have split up into groups of two and are doing various things at the Festival. There's not a whole lot that happens plot-wise (most of that will come in during part two), but we do get to see some more character development. I honestly think this chapter could've come out a little better, but I'm mostly just happy that its out. I think part two is the better half of this little story arc though, if I do say so myself.

Also, be prepared for science. Just giving you guys fair warning...

I should probably stop rambling... enjoy the chapter!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything in relation to Loonatics Unleashed except for the plot of this story. Don't take me to court, you have no case.

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Ch. 4 – The Festival (pt. 1)

"So-are-ya-really-gonna-give-one-of-'em-a-call?"

Rev's question seemed to snap Tech out of his musings.

The two of them had reached the outskirts of an area known as The Circuit which was the designated section of the fairgrounds that housed all the various rides and attractions. They hadn't even reached the heart of the area, but already the grounds were alive with colors, music, and the exuberance of energetic youth. The atmosphere was certainly inviting, but as much as they would have loved to explore all of what The Circuit had to offer, the two Loonatics were on a mission. Somewhere in the midst of all this commotion, a spot sat reserved for a brand new ride, exclusive to this festival only – The Loona-Loop V3 – and it was their job to deliver it.

They were walking at a fairly relaxed pace even though they were technically running behind schedule. They would've been more rushed, but they were enjoying the sights around them as well as each other's company, and had been keeping up a steady conversation ever since they separated from the rest of the team. They could never seem to stay focused on any particular topic, but there were a few things that they spent a little more time on, such as what they needed to do upon the ride's delivery and what they could possibly do when they were finished. They spent some time talking about the ride itself once Rev not only pointed out how peculiar it was that Tech was carrying a shrunken-down version of a 50ft. Ferris Wheel in his backpack, but also wondered aloud how the machine could be kept safe while being carried around in such a manner (apparently, it was secured in a special carrying case.)

They also spent some time exchanging some of their experiences while signing autographs at the fan session, but their dialogue strangely hit a bit of a lull once Rev brought up the group of girls who had gone to see Tech, a few of them giving him their phone numbers. Tech impulsively pulled the pink piece of paper out of his pocket and ended up staring at it for a while, losing himself in his own thoughts. It took another question from Rev to snap him back to the conversation.

"Oh… uh… I – I don't know…" he finally replied after a second.

"Huh? What-do-ya-mean-you-don't-know?"

"I mean exactly what you think I mean. I was only half-serious when I asked for these…"

"Well-whether-or-not-you-wanted-them-you-got-'em-now-Tech-and-honestly-I-don't-get-why-sound-so-unsure-of-yourself-because-it-looked-to-me-like-those-girls-really-liked-you."

A small chuckle managed to escape the coyote, his cheeks reddening just a little. "I guess they did, didn't they…?"

"Absolutely! I-mean-if-I-were-you-I-wouldn't-even-think-of-passing-up-on-an-opportunity-like-this. It's-practically-a-sure-thing!"

"You're probably right, Rev… but…"

"But…"

Tech rubbed the back of his neck, "…I haven't really had a whole lot of experience with girls."

"What? Seriously?" Rev asked, a bit bewildered.

"I don't get why you're so surprised. You're talking to the guy who hardly had any friends growing up, remember? Why would you think my 'love life' would be any different?"

"I-don't-know… I-guess-I-just-figured-you-had-some-experience…"

"Oh no—no-no-no," Tech was quick to clear up, "don't get me wrong, I'm not completely hopeless or anything. I mean… I've dated a few girls in the past. It's just that none of them ever really seemed to work out…" His voice faltered by the end of what he said as he couldn't help but recall one person in particular, someone from his past who had once (and still has) had a big impact on his life. Unfortunately, like many others, that story hadn't ended on a particularly happy note. Of course, all of this happened a long time ago, and nowadays he tried to focus more on the pleasant memories and the positives that came out of it, rather than wallowing in what could have been.

As quickly as they had come, he pushed the thoughts out of his mind, hoping that nothing had shown on his face to give him away. He remembered talking to Rev a few times about it before, but even he didn't know every detail. It was unclear whether or not the runner managed to pick up on what might've been causing his friend's slight hesitation, but if he had, he chose to overlook it.

"Well… let's-think-about-it-this-way. How-long-has-it-been-since-you-last-went-out-with-someone?"

He had to think about that one, "…about… two years ago… which isn't that bad considering I've been pretty busy with this whole 'superhero' thing for the past year…"

Rev kept it to himself, but he found Tech's defensiveness amusing. "Then-you-just-have-to-ask-yourself-how-much-has-changed-since-then. Are-you-the-same-person-you-were-two-years-ago-Tech?"

"…no," He eventually admitted with a hint of realization, "I guess not."

"Then-what've-you-got-to-worry-about? Even-if-the-'old-you'-had-some-trouble-with-girls-that-doesn't-mean-that-the-'new-you'-has-to-be-the-same-way-in-fact-I-think-that-the-'new-you'-stands-a-much-better-chance-at-this-sort-of-thing-now-that-the-'new-you'-isn't-the-'old-you'-anymore."

Tech looked back down at his slip of paper, taking a moment to digest what Rev was trying to say. "I guess… Tara did seem kind of nice…"

Rev gave his friend a few exaggerated pats on the back, "That's-the-spirit-so-long-as-you-just-be-yourself-I'm-sure-you'll-have-no-trouble-at-all! What've-you-got-to-lose?"

His friend smiled softly back at him, "You know what, Rev? I think you just might've convinced me. I guess I can find some time to make a phone call or two in the next couple of days. Isn't that the rule?"

"Eh… something-like-that."

"Good, that'll give me plenty of time to figure out what to say."

"Don't-worry-it's-not-as-hard-as-you-think!"

"Says you…"

"Are-you-implying-something-Tech?" Rev accused playfully.

"No, of course not…" Tech teased back with a smirk.

"I'm-serious-though-it-really-is-easy-and-you-can-trust-me-on-that-one-for-sure-because-if-there's-anyone-you-should-ask-about-what-to-say-around-a-lady-it's-me!"

"Right… and why should I believe you?"

"Because-I-have-a-little-thing-called-experience."

"No offense Rev, but a hyperactive eighteen-year-old can only have so much experience."

"Well-no-offense-Tech-but-I-probably-have-more-experience-than-you…"

Tech found himself laughing before he could think of another comeback. He might've actually taken something like that personally if it had been anyone other than one of his own teammates. "It's hard to argue with logic like that…" Both of them laughed.

"I'm-mean-it-though," Rev said after a moment in a more genuine tone, "if-you-ever-feel-like-you-need-someone-to-talk-to-about-stuff-like-this-you-can-always-come-to-me-because-I'm-free-to-talk-whenever-wherever-and-however-anyone-wants-and-I-know-I-may-not-make-the-most-convincing-'Romeo'-but-I-do-know-a-thing-or-two-so-you-never-know-maybe-there's-a-way-I-can-help-you-out."

Tech didn't answer right away as he thought about Rev's proposal. On one hand, he couldn't help but feel that someone else (Ace, perhaps) might be a better person to approach for whatever "girl troubles" he might have. But on the other – perhaps more convincing – hand, he had to admit that he would probably find it easier to confide more fully in Rev. Before he could answer though, the runner had mistaken his silence for uncertainty and offered another suggestion.

"And-if-it-still-feels-like-you-need-some-help-trying-to-figure-out-what-to-say-I'd-be-more-than-happy-to-be-there-when-you-make-the-call-to-feed-you-lines-or-even-provide-moral-support-if-you-want."

Tech chuckled dismissively. He was willing to confide in someone who was four years younger than him, but he wasn't quite desperate… at least… not yet, anyway. "I appreciate the offer Rev, but I think this is one of those things that I should probably handle on my own."

"Eh… suit-yourself. But-you're-missing-out…"

The two of them continued to argue jokingly over this so-called "experience" that Rev may or may not have actually had for another minute or two before something in the distance ahead caught the runner's eye. "Hey-is-that-it-over-there?" he questioned aloud, pointing to a large-size clearing that sat several feet away.

He had been told that the area would be adorned with both a sign and a large banner, but it was difficult to see either of those things clearly at this distance, so he instead scanned the surroundings. To the left of the clearing, there stood a large imposing drop tower, complete with a handful of passengers screaming upon the ride's free fall. To the right and somewhat in front of the clearing stood a modestly-sized arena that held the bumper cars, covered with a patio-like roof and surrounded by various greenery and rest benches.

"It looks like it," he finally confirmed, seeing that the surroundings matched the description he had been given earlier. "Come on, we're already running late enough as it is." With that, the two of them picked up their pace into a steady jog as they advanced towards the clearing.

Once Tech had a better view, he got the confirmation he needed to know he was in the right place. Nestled in the right-most side of the clearing, sat a large, taped-off, rectangular plot of land where the ride was intended to be stationed. In front of the plot, a long, ribbon-like banner displayed the words "Future site of the Loona-Loop V3" which was also complimented by a nearby triangular green sign that read, "Brand new ride designed and built by Tech E. Coyote!" The banner and sign together also seemed to mark the front of a makeshift line of gathered people. Judging from the respectable size, they were most likely fans who were waiting eagerly to ride something that had been built by the team's very own technician. Once the two Loonatics passed by, the quiet murmuring amongst them began to steadily grow louder as some individuals started pointing them out.

Rev practically ate up the attention he was getting from them, smiling proudly and even waving at the ones who seemed the most bent on getting their attention. Tech felt a similar excitement, but tried his best to keep a lower profile. "How long have they been waiting?" he thought to himself. "Were they really that excited just to see what I came up with?" Such thoughts breathed an air of both curiosity and self-satisfaction into him, but he tried not to let it affect him too much. Instead he focused his attention somewhere more important. To the side of the reserved plot, there stood a sharply-dressed gentleman who was currently finishing up a conversation with a few of his own cohorts before he noticed the two of them. This was the man that they were supposed to meet.

"Well, it's about time…" the man began only half-seriously once Tech and Rev had caught up to him. He turned to the inventor, "You're thirty minutes late. What's with the hold-up?"

"My apologies, sir," Tech answered very formally, "but the autograph session ran longer than originally planned. We got here as soon as we could."

"Which-I'm-sure-you're-well-aware-of-seeing-as-how-you-were-right-there-with-us-which-really-makes-me-wonder-how-did-you-get-here-so-fast-to-be-the-one-waiting-on-us-since-you-couldn't-have-left-that-much-earlier-than-we-did-and-you-couldn't-have-been-walking-that-much-faster-than-us-even-though-we-really-weren't-walking-very-fast-ourselves-but-were-still-very-prompt!"

The two of them looked at Rev for a moment curiously before the man finally answered, "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Weren't-you-the-one-who-introduced-us-at-the-fan-session-just-a-moment-ago? Aren't-you-Mr.-Grant?"

The man furrowed his brow in confusion until clarity eventually relaxed his face. "Oh, now I see what the problem is…" he said as he let out a small chuckle.

"I-don't!"

"Rev," Tech explained, "the man who spoke onstage with us was Mr. Adam Grant. This is Mr. Joseph Grant, his twin brother. While Adam is the one in charge of planning most of the events and ceremonies, Joseph is the one managing all the rides and attractions. He's the one who called me yesterday asking me to build a ride for the festival."

"Ooohhhhhhhh… sorry-about-the-mix-up-sir-it's-just-that-I-didn't-know-who-you-were-and-to-be-honest-you-look-exactly-like-your-brother-which-makes-sense-since-you-guys-are-twins-except-for-the-fact-that-your-voice-is-a-little-deeper-and-now-that-I-mention-it-you-might-be-a-little-heavier -than-your-brother-which-isn't-to-say-that-you-look-fat-or-anything-it's-just-to-say-that—" In one quick motion, Tech halted the runaway flow of words by clamping the runner's beak shut with his hand.

To their relief, the manager simply laughed. "I see your reputation as a motor-mouth isn't without reason." Once his beak had been freed, he chuckled politely in response, slightly embarrassed. "Don't worry about it kid, I get that all the time," he offered as a consolation before returning to the original topic. "So anyway, Tech, I presume that even though I can't see it right now, you've brought your 'invention' with you…"

"Absolutely," he assured with a confident grin, "and you won't be disappointed sir, I can promise you that."

"Good, good…" Mr. Grant's features grew puzzled as if he was expecting some sort of explanation that Tech was supposed to enlighten him with. "So… where is it?"

"Oh, yes of course," Tech said as he started slipping off his backpack. "I've been keeping it nice and safe in here."

Mr. Grant was only further confused, "I'm not sure I follow…"

"Not to worry, just give us a minute to work our magic and everything will make sense." As he started to open his bag, he turned to his partner, "Rev…"

At the mention of his name, Rev sprung into an overplayed stance of attention, with his back straight, his chest puffed out slightly, and his hand raised in an observant salute. His eyes were beaming with both eagerness and a fierce determination. Tech pulled a measuring tape out from the bag and continued, "As quickly as you can, I need you to measure the dimensions of that rectangular plot over there and figure out where the exact center is."

"You-got-it-boss!" With that, Rev snatched the tool and zoomed out to the plot, beginning his work at lightning-fast speed. Meanwhile, Tech pulled a sleek, compact briefcase out of his backpack. Undoing the latches, he opened the case to reveal the shrunken Ferris wheel nestled securely in the indentions of its hard-foam molding. He carefully pulled it out to reveal that the miniature version only stood about six inches tall and couldn't have weighed more than ten pounds at most, with the base of the wheel fitting squarely in the palm of his hand. He gave it a good look-over to make sure that none of the pieces were missing.

Soon after, Rev raced back over to the coyote's side and, without a word, was handed the machine. Knowing exactly what to do next, he sped back over to the center of the plot and dropped to his knees. As carefully as he could, he set the wheel down in its assigned position, smoothing and leveling the dirt in some places to help hold it more securely in place. Once he was satisfied, he raced back to the sidelines. "All-set!" he chirped.

"Alright, everybody stand back!" Tech made sure to speak loud enough so that the people in line could hear him as well. He pulled the Molecular Reconstructor gun out from his backpack, applied some settings, and waited a second to allow the people closest to the ride to scoot back some before pointing the gun at the wheel and firing a golden stream of light. The wheel glew brightly for a moment before it slowly started expanding back into its original size, eventually matching the dimensions of the plot exactly. As the crowd reacted impressively, Tech disarmed the gun and placed it back into his backpack, switching it out for his Gravity Stabilization Gyro. Like before, he applied the desired settings and fired the weapon at the ride, barraging it with a series of white rings of energy. As the machine restored itself back to its original weight, a slight tremor spread throughout the ground as the base sunk down an inch or two, further cementing itself in place. With the ride's original properties restored, Tech gave the gyro a quick, triumphant twirl in his palm before placing it back into his backpack, which he swung back over his shoulder.

"Impressive Tech," Mr. Grant noted genuinely, "it's good to see that the short-notice time frame wasn't a problem for you."

"Not at all sir," he answered with another confident grin, "In fact, I think I do my best work when I'm on the clock."

Rev couldn't help but notice how self-confident Tech would suddenly present himself when talking about his work. It was amusing to say the least, considering how he had been acting just moments ago.

"Luckily for us..." the manager continued, "Now why don't we see if we can get this machine going? I must admit, I'm anxious to see it in action."

"You got it, sir!" he answered enthusiastically before turning back to his partner. "Rev, I've got one last job for you." The roadrunner threw up another salute. "I need you to fly around the wheel and check all of the pods and braces for any issues. You shouldn't find anything, but if you do, do whatever's necessary to fix them. Be as quick as you can, but not at the expense of a thorough inspection. Got it?"

Rev nodded his head affirmatively before taking off into the skies. While he was busy circling the pods, Tech walked over to the wheel and climbed up a small flight of stairs to reach the "control room" for the ride. It wasn't anything special, but it was the only part of the ride that had a roof above it, and the walls of the room stood only about three feet tall, making the entire area seem very open. He walked up to the large control panel and opened up the compartment underneath it to find his battery still hooked up inside. With the push of a button, the battery sprung to life, with its whistling hum and bright white light, signaling to him that the battery was still charged. Satisfied, he closed the door just as his friend flew into the control room to join him.

"Looks-like-everything's-all-ship-shape-Tech-except-it-did-seem-like-one-of-the-bolts-on-the-top-pod-was-a-little-loose-but-it-might've-just-been-me-being-paranoid-you-know-how-I-get-sometimes-but-nevertheless-I-made-sure-and-tightened-it-up-extra-extra-tight!" While he spoke, Rev tossed the wrench he had used up and down in his hand.

"Nice work, Rev," he commended before leaning over the control room walls and shouting to the manager on the ground below. "Alright, Mr. Grant... prepare to be amazed!" He turned back to the control panel and flipped a few switches before pulling the large green lever that would activate the ride…

But nothing happened.

The two Loonatics exchanged confused looks before Tech pulled the lever back into its original position, thinking that he may have just had the 'on' and 'off' positions mixed up, but nothing changed. He pulled the lever once again. Still, the ride remained lifeless.

"Maybe I just mixed up some of the other settings…" Tech rationalized. He experimented with a few different button and switch combinations, but he still couldn't produce any results. Something was definitely amiss.

"Tech," Mr. Grant called from below, "is everything okay in there?"

"D-don't worry," he was quick to reassure, "everything's fine. Just give us another minute or two…"
"What-do-you-think's-wrong-Tech?" Rev inquired.

"I don't understand, everything seemed to be working..."

"Did-we-forget-anything?"

"I doubt it. I did everything the exact same way I had done it this morning. It should've turned on…" Tech started to fumble around randomly with some of the buttons on the control panel. He found that he had an easier time sorting through his mind whenever his hands were busy with something, so playing with the unresponsive controls was helping him concentrate.

There was only a moment of silence before Rev noted something peculiar. "Wait-a-minute… you-don't-hear-anything-do-you?"

Tech perked his ears a bit, but couldn't pick up anything out of the ordinary. "I don't think so. Why?"

"Well-doesn't-the-battery-usually-make-a-humming-noise?" The realization spread across Tech's face before the runner had even done finished. It was such an obvious suggestion, but he hadn't considered it after watching it turn on himself. Still, there was little denying what he couldn't hear. He knelt back down to the compartment underneath and opened the doors to find the battery just sitting there, powerless. No light. No hum. Nothing. Ironically, finding out what the problem was only confused him further.

"This can't be right… it was working just fine a minute ago…"

"Looks-to-me-like-it-ran-out-of-charge," Rev suggested. He pointed to the battery's only visible sign of life: a dimly-lit indicator blinking the image of an empty yellow battery with a diagonal slash across it.

"Impossible," he dismissed. His tone was growing firmer as he struggled to come up with an explanation. "Batteries like these are designed to be self-sustaining. The charge I gave it back at the lab should've given it enough power to start itself up a hundred times, at least. There's no way it could have given out yet…"

"Maybe-it's-a-bad-battery…?" Rev was starting to feel a little insecure since all of his suggestions seemed so obvious. Judging by the look on Tech's face, the problem to had to be much more complex that the solutions he was pitching. Nonetheless, he felt obligated to contribute in some way.

"Not a chance…" Tech dismissed again, "this is a state-of-the-art piece of technology, and I never get anything less than top-quality products with Acme Techware. Besides, if the battery was really incapable of conserving a charge, it wouldn't have turned on in the first place." His hands continued to toy aimlessly at the control panel as he attempted to put the pieces together. "The issue must have occurred sometime as the power was being transferred over…"

"Maybe-it's-some-kind-of-wiring-problem-inside-the-ride-somewhere-because-let's-face-it-with-all-those-little-wires-and-settings-in-something-that-size-there's-bound-to-be-a-mistake-somewhere-even-someone-like-you-could-just-as-easily-overlooked-something…" Rev noted casually.

He kept his face turned away, but the coyote's expression narrowed a bit in an annoyed response. Like most people, he had a few pet peeves, but one of his bigger ones involved anybody undercutting his work. Considering how much time and effort he would devote to his inventions, he felt a lot of pride and personal attachment to everything he created. Consequentially, he had a tendency of becoming defensive when it came to criticism, especially when it seemed like such comments were less of an attempt at being constructive, and more of a jab at his personal intelligence. Coming from Rev, he knew that probably wasn't the case, but being accused of such a fundamental or "rookie" mistake didn't sit very well with him. "I don't think so, Rev…" he answered flatly.

Apparently, that's when Rev's mind burst into possibility. "Well-if-it's-not-in-the-ride-maybe-it-has-something-to-do-with-the-way-something's-wired-in-the-battery-itself-or-maybe-it's-just-not-hooked-in-right-so-the-charge-couldn't-pass-through-or-maybe-it-really-is-something-defective-in-the-battery-like-I-said-before-because-I'm-sure-that-even-you-could-agree-that-a-store-or-a-product-can't-be-perfect-100%-of-the-time-and-as-trustworthy-or-reliable-as-a-store-might-be-they're-not-above-the-inevitability-of-human-error-and-this-could-just-be-that-one-in-a-millionth-chance-that-we-got-the-bad-product-and-that-really-doesn't-mean-that-it's-anyone's-fault-or-anything-it-just-means-that—"

"REV, could you please just SHUT UP for a moment, so I can THINK?!" Tech impulsively burst, with his face still turned. He rarely ever lashed out at the bird, but his self-perpetuating chatter was really messing with his concentration.

The thick and uncomfortable silence that followed only lasted a moment before the inventor heard a single-word reply, "Sorry…" Looking back, it appeared as though Rev had retreated a step or two, clutching his hands down in front of his waist. His gaze was downwards toward the floor, but from what he could see, his eyes looked largely apologetic, and possibly a bit hurt as well. A small pang of guilt found its way through Tech's gut, but despite the protest in his conscience, he decided that it would be better for him to redirect his attention back to the problem while they momentarily had silence.

But for whatever reason, he found it even harder to focus now than while Rev was talking. After a moment or two his expression furrowed from a mix of frustration and concern as he let out an exasperated grunt. Why was it so hard for him to focus? Maybe it was seeing the coyote's visible frustration that pushed Rev to try and speak up again. "Uh… Tech…?" he spoke, his voice notably meeker and slower than usual, "I think I might have an idea… a-real-one-this-time…"

Tech sighed, releasing a deep and forfeiting breath, "Yeah? What is it…?"

"I was just thinking that… since-the-battery-is-a-Kinetic-Molecular-Energy-Generator-and-all… maybe-something-went-wrong-when-you-used-the-Molecular-Reconstructor-on-it…"

Another stint of silence pervaded the air as the realization finally dawned on him. "Wait a minute… that's it! I don't know how I could've missed that…" he exclaimed, growing more and more excited. "In order for these batteries to output massive amounts of energy, they have to rely on a reserve charge to kick-start the battery's processes, a charge that is stored within the atomic bonds and interactions of the molecules themselves. When I shrunk and expanded the ride, the battery was left plugged in and its size was altered with it. By altering its density, I inadvertently affected the original arrangement of these molecules, and thus, most of the charge was lost. Enough must have been lingering afterwards to start the battery, but there wasn't enough to effectively reproduce the massive power requirement the ride needed, causing the battery to die! Rev, you're a genius!"

The look of triumph and clarity on Tech's face didn't last long though, once he reminded himself of who had been the one to solve the problem. He decided that now was probably a good time to say something. "…umm… sorry for snapping at you…" he apologized, though a bit awkwardly, avoiding direct eye contact.

"That's-okay-Tech," Rev's voice was still a little soft, "I-know-that-you-can-get-kinda-stressed-out-sometimes-and-I'm-sure-that-me-going-on-and-on-about-stuff-wasn't-helping."

He was right of course, but it still bothered him that Rev felt the need to apologize at all. He almost felt like offering a second, firmer apology to accept more of the blame, but he decided against it. It was probably best to just drop the whole thing. "Well, at least we figured it out. The problem is… how do we fix it?"

"All-we-have-to-do-is-charge-it-up-again-right?"

"Basically… but it's gonna take a lot of juice to get it back to full power. Back at the lab, I had to tap into the tower's main power grid in order to charge it up fast enough. I'm not sure what we can use this time…"

Rev walked over to one of the walls and poked his head out, calling to Mr. Grant below. "Hey-do-you-know-if-you've-got-a-power-source-we-can-plug-something-into?"

"How much do you need?" he eventually called back.

"The biggest you've got," Tech broke in, poking his head out as well. "We're trying to restart a pretty heavy-duty battery."

The manager pulled a small computer tablet out of his pocket to look up some information. Considering his position, he was probably the best person for them to ask. "It looks like we've got one good-size generator on the other side of the carnival," he soon informed. "It says here it can pump out close to 40kV…"

Tech frowned, "You got anything bigger?"

He shook his head, "…It doesn't look like it. You'll have to go off the grounds for something like that."

"I was afraid of that…" Tech sighed, now speaking more to Rev than anyone else.

"Is-40kV-not-enough?"

"Well technically, we could charge the battery with that… but getting it up to 100% would take far too much time, more than we have. If we want to be timely, we're going to need something that can output at least a couple hundred kilovolts."

"Hey-you-know-what?" Rev began, "HQ-really-isn't-that-far-from-here-it's-just-a-few-miles-away-and-with-all-the-power-we've-got-there-it-would-only-take-a-couple-of-minutes-like-it-did-this-morning. I-bet-if-I-hurry-I-can-run-it-back-to-the-lab-real-real-quick-and-charge-it-up-there-and-then-bring-it-right-back-here-good-as-new!"

With his seemingly reasonable idea, he walked over to the battery and attempted to lift it, not anticipating just how heavy it was. He strained and exerted out loud as his skinny arms struggled to lift the machine off the ground, finally realizing why Tech always used his magnetism when moving it himself. Eventually he managed to grab hold of it, but the added weight reduced him to little more than a snail's pace as he slowly worked his way back to the one of the walls, barely keeping the battery above his knees. Once there, he readied his flight stance with the full intent of taking off toward HQ with the battery in tow, before he was surprised to feel the intense weight suddenly disappear just moments before he could leave the ground. He looked back and saw Tech, eyes glowing green, holding the battery in mid-air behind him. He had slipped it right out from under him.

"Maybe that's not such a good idea…" he judged as he rested the battery back on the floor between them.

"Then-what-else-can-we-do?"

"I don't know…" he contemplated, "I'd say that if we're out of options, we could easily just use the generator they have here. It'll take at least an hour to charge the battery, and even several minutes more just moving it back and forth, but it'll work. The thing is… we're behind schedule enough as it is… and I don't know about you, but I think most of the people here have been waiting long enough. I just can't help but think that there has to be a better way…"

The two of them stood in silence for a moment racking their brains for a more desirable solution. Looking at Tech, Rev could recognize the concern and subtle sense of urgency in his eyes, and knew that – at least to an extent – he was blaming himself for the battery's failure. It was spurring Rev to try and do whatever he could to help fix the predicament they had found themselves in. Luckily, after a moment, he realized that there probably was something he could do.

"Actually… I-think-I-have-one-last-idea-we-can-try," he proposed. Before Tech could inquire as to what his teammate had in mind, he had already begun sending another request to Mr. Grant.

"Do-you-at-least-have-an-exercise-bike-we-can-borrow?"

• • • • •

"Three... two... one... SMELL!"

With his signal, the mallard and the Tasmanian both stopped dead in their tracks and furiously sniffed the air around them. Their noses were engaged in a heated competition, sleuthing through both nearby and distant airspace in search of edible odors that – hopefully – the other would overlook. They were still a considerable distance away, but the enticing aromas of carnival food were already reaching them from the Food Court. Duck had a natural inclination to make almost anything into some kind of competition, and it was easier when he was with someone like Slam (or Rev, for that matter) who was usually willing to indulge him in his games.

"Alright… time!" Duck announced after a time. "What've ya got?"

"Awwt dawggz!" Slam bellowed.

"Hot dogs, really?" Duck scoffed, "you're gonna have to try harder than that. I got that one right away. Did you smell caramel apples?"

Not having identified a scent like that, Slam took a few good sniffs through the air to make sure that his feathered friend was being truthful; It surprised him how quickly he recognized the warm, sugary scent of freshly melted caramel once it had been pointed out. Since it hadn't escaped his opponent, it meant that the first point was his.

"Ookay, okay…" he admitted simply.

"A-ha, see what I mean? What else ya got?"

"Fennjraahs?"

"French fries?" he repeated. It took a few sniffs, but he eventually matched the scent. "Darn, I must've missed that one," he muttered, slightly discouraged to have his lead undermined. "Well, how about funnel cakes? You get that one?"

Slam nodded his head confidently. "Pizza?"

"Got that one… pickles?"

"Uh-huuh… bahbakyoo?"

"Barbecue?" Such a distinct and tangy aroma led the mallard to assume that Slam had to be bluffing, but a quick scan from his nose quickly told him otherwise. Duck mentally kicked himself for not sensing that one, seeming so obvious and distinct to him now. The devil must have picked up on his realization and let out an accomplished chuckle. Now he was in the lead.

"Fine, fine… I'll give you that one…" he responded with a voice that still retained its confidence even though he was inwardly starting to worry. He only had one last scent to offer, and it was his last shot to at least manage a tie. "How about… hamburgers!"

Slam's smile faded from hearing something he hadn't anticipated. He hoped it wouldn't turn up in his smell-check, but was met with disappointment. For him, it must have been hiding behind that strong odor of fresh barbecue he ended up focusing on. When it came to meats, Slam tended to become much less particular. He shook his head to show that he had been bested and Duck let out a small sigh of relief.

"Well, that's all I've got," Duck informed. "Did you find anything else?"

"Nu-uhh. Tie?"

"In your dreams… I say this calls for a tie-breaker!" Slam rolled his eyes. The hothead should have just settled for the tie.

"Here's what I'm thinking," Duck continued, "We can't smell anything else from here, right? So, let's keep moving with our noses peeled. Whoever can pick up a new smell first, that we can both agree on, is the winner! Sound like a plan?"

Slam snickered in anticipation to show his approval. It sounded easy enough.

"Good, now the tiebreaker starts in three… two… one… SMELL!" With that, Duck led their march onward, both of them focusing their full attention towards anything they could pull from the air.

Though they were both gunning to come out on top, it could be said that Duck was the one more hell-bent on winning their little skirmish. Tuning out his ears, keeping his hands free, stilling his tongue and even narrowing his field of vision, the mallard attempted to focus every ounce of sensory powers to his nostrils, knowing that was what it was going to take to outdo the gifted nose Slam possessed. Quite frankly, he thought it was a miracle that he even managed to tie with it in the first place… unless… he hadn't really been trying up until now. This new thought only pushed him harder, as he convinced himself that he couldn't justify losing when his opponent was even trying. Sure, it was just a game, but he wasn't going down that easily.

His nose continued to sort through the atmosphere around him, untangling each new mass of aromas and keeping tabs on what had already been identified. After a moment or two, something more relevant floated in his direction… a kind of meaty smell that he quickly recognized but couldn't name. Where had he smelt that before? As he kept walking, the aroma strengthened and new details emerged. It smelt rich… moist even… perhaps even a bit… salty. Mulling it over in his mind, he finally gave it a label: pork. He could pick up that smell anywhere, being one of only the handful of meats he wouldn't actually eat, recalling the more vegetarian nature of his species. He reasoned long ago that it was likely because the best – and only – friend he had as a kid happened to be a pig. Either way, he knew that pork on its own wouldn't be a good enough answer. He needed to be more specific…

By this point, he had practically slipped into a kind of trance, all his energy focused on finding any new shred of information. Slam was most likely hot on his heels, if not already one step ahead, and it was only a matter of time before his nose would make use of its prowess to beat him to the punch. Fortunately, a new cloud of air found its way to his nostrils, giving him exactly what he needed. He blurted out his conclusion before his opponent could.

"HONEY-GLAZED HAM! Take that, Slam… it looks like I win!" He proclaimed victoriously, whirling around to face the defeated player behind him while wearing a triumphant smirk of his own.

But he wasn't there.

"Slam?" he repeated, turning his head in every direction but failing to find his friend. "Slam, where are you?"

No matter which way he looked, he couldn't pick up any sign of him anywhere, which was surprising since he wasn't a very easy person to miss. In mild annoyance, Duck started walking back in the direction they had come.

"Where could that beast have possibly run off to?" he wondered.

•

"Oh, thank you so much for giving little ol' me a hand…" the old woman said sweetly, to which Slam just chuckled kindly.

She had interrupted him just seconds after he and Duck had begun their tie-breaker. She was a short, frail lady who had to at least be in her mid-eighties, wearing a colorful, yet faded springtime dress that covered most of her legs as well as a pair of delicate white slippers on her feet. Her hair was an aged mix of white and gray strands which had been pulled up into a small, neat little bun.

She caught his attention with a tap on his forearm (looking at her, she probably couldn't reach much higher) and asked if he – being the big, strapping young man he was – could do her a favor. Seeing as how he was in the middle of a game, he was still starving for something to eat, and Duck was still walking on ahead without noticing that his friend had stopped, he was a bit hesitant at first. But in the end, he couldn't say no to such a warm smile and a gentle voice, one that seemed to suggest that she was the kind of woman who would gladly reward you with a butterscotch candy for being a "good little boy." Sure enough, Danger didn't even notice him slip away.

She led him to a small booth just a few spots behind them, a humble little gift shop that displayed a variety of trinkets, crafts, and goodies, most of which looked like she had hand-made herself. She brought him out to the back of the booth where a small blue truck had been parked, its bed containing three large boxes of mystery items.

"My grandson loaded these into my car last night," she explained. "They're full of souvenirs that I haven't put out for sale yet. I've already unpacked all the smaller boxes, but I'm afraid these last three are just too heavy for me to move. You looked like a strong fellow when I saw you… would you mind moving these boxes into my booth so I can sort through them?"

"Mmm-hmmm," he grunted, happy to help.

"Oh good… thank you so much!" she replied cheerfully. "It's nice to see that a Loonatic is as nice in person as he seems on the news!"

Slam grinned at her before grabbing hold of one of the boxes, and was surprised at how heavy it was. It was nothing he couldn't handle, but it did suggest to him that perhaps the main reason she had asked him to help her out was because nobody else could do it themselves. Her grandson must've been pretty strong as well. Despite the extra effort though, he assisted the woman with ease and set the boxes on the ground inside the booth, right next to her counter in the back.

"I really appreciate all of your help, young man! I was afraid that all these little toys were going to have to stay in their boxes all day," she chuckled.

"Yuurwekuum," he grunted back, scratching the back of his head. He wouldn't have exactly considered the toys to be so "little" from how heavy the boxes were, but he was still glad to help.

"In fact," she continued, "as a reward for going out of your way just for me, I'll let you walk away with anything in the store. Anything that you like, for free!" she said, smiling gently.

Slam answered with an odd noise that mixed both surprise and intrigue. He took a quick look over all the shelves in the store and, though a few things caught his eye, there was only one thing that seemed to stand out over everything else. On the counter where the old lady stood, there rested a cylindrical wooden rack displaying a variety of rainbow-colored lollipops. Slam's eye went for the round ones on top, where the candy seemed to be as big around as his spread-open palm. Try as he could, Slam couldn't turn down oversized, sugary treats – especially cherry-flavored ones. He pointed it out casually with a decisive grunt.

The woman chuckled warmly, "You've got quite the eye, haven't you? I'd say I sell more of these than I do anything else, so I made sure to bring plenty." She plucked one of the pops from its peg and handed it to him. "Here you go!"

With another grin, he took the candy from her and started to unwrap it before an interruption burst itself into the scene.

"There you are, Slam!"

Slam turned to find Duck marching into the shop towards them, looking rather upset. "Do you know how long I've been trying to find you? Why weren't you around so I could officially win this stupid game?"

The Tasmanian groaned for a number of reasons. First, he had only been gone for a couple of minutes, and he was sure that Duck hadn't even noticed his absence through most of it. Second, he referred to the game as being "stupid" even though he was the one pushing them to play it. And lastly, he seemed to be more concerned with winning that "stupid game" of his than he was concerned about Slam's own well-being.

Duck quickly took notice of what was in the devil's hands. "You skip out on me just for some candy? I thought that's why we were going to the Food Court… to get some real food."

"Buuutthhaaaa..!" he motioned to the boxes and the woman, attempting to illustrate his point.

"Oh, I should probably explain," the lady began. She may not have known what Slam said, but she still understood the situation. "I gave your friend that lollipop as a reward for helping me move some boxes. I hope borrowing him for a few minutes didn't interfere with anything…"

Duck glanced back at his partner who affirmed her statement with a simple nod. He didn't really see any reason for either of them to be lying, and he supposed he couldn't get mad at Slam for being a good citizen. He decided to calm his voice.

"Whatever…" he dismissed to her, before turning back to Slam. "Anyway, let's get going. I really hate having to smell all this food knowing that none of it is going into my stomach…"

Slam followed the mallard as he swiftly exited the shop, but made sure to exchange a wave goodbye with the woman on his way out.

"You know Slam," Duck inquired after they started walking again, "how do you expect me to beat you fair and square when you're not even around to lose fair and square?"

Slam's only answer was an indecisive shrug. He was already too immersed into the sweet flavors of his newfound treat to feign interest in Duck's criticisms.

"But, now that you're back, I suppose we could always just start over… is that cool with you?"

"Mmm-hmm…"

"Alright, but you can't use honey-glazed ham, since that's the one I was gonna use!"

"Ookay…" he grunted while still slurping on his colorful sucker. Was he even really paying attention?

Duck grinned a little. "You know, Slam, if I were you I would've waited on that lollipop of yours. With the taste of candy in your mouth, it's gonna be a lot harder for you to –" The mallard was interrupted by a massive crunching noise. Looking up, he watched the Tasmanian pull a perfectly clean stick out of his mouth, having devoured the whole snack in one bite. "Nevermind…"

He gave Slam a second to pick his teeth before restarting the countdown, "Alright, we start the tiebreaker in three… two…"

Before he could finish, a voice coming from one of the surrounding booths interrupted them. "Hey Slam... over here!"

"Huh?" Duck questioned aloud. Looking around for the source, the two soon found a young teenage boy in a white hooded jacket standing in front of a ring toss booth, waving his arms in an attempt to get their attention. Slam immediately began walking in that direction and Duck sighed as he begrudgingly followed after his teammate, aggravated that their little competition was put on hold yet again.

"Whuuuzzit?" the devil asked curiously.

"Sorry to bother you right now, but as you can see… my dad and I could really use a hand right now…" The teen gestured to the scene in the booth itself where an older, more heavy-set man was straining to hold up a wooden shelf that had apparently sprung loose from its supports. Balancing precariously on top of the shelf was a variety of large and bulky items such as a novelty lamp, a portable stereo system, a gaming console, and a small television screen.

"What happened here?" Duck asked upon catching up to his partner.

"One of the screws must not have been screwed into the wall good enough. We were in the middle of someone's game when one of the braces holding up the shelf suddenly fell off the wall, and the board started falling over. With our luck, it had to be the highest shelf with all the expensive prizes on it. My dad managed to catch it before anything could fall off, but as you can probably tell… it's pretty heavy…"

"Oohhh…" Slam muttered in understanding.

"But it's a good thing I saw you walking by. You're the strongest one of the Loonatics, right Slam? Do you think you could help my dad hold up that shelf so I can put the brace back on? I'm sure it'd be easy for a guy like you!"

"Don't take this the wrong way, kid," Duck broke in before he could answer, "but I'm sure there are plenty of other people around here who can help you out. Besides, Slam and I are kinda in the middle of –" Before he could finish, Slam stopped him with a swift elbow to his side. "What?!"

"Dah..!" It was more of a grunt than an actual worded response, but he figured the scrupulous look he gave him sent his message across all the same.

Duck took another look at the scene. The kid's father was definitely struggling, as he was unable to even hold the shelf high enough on his own – let alone level enough – for the brace to be reattached properly. Even though he still didn't see why the boy was so set on getting Slam to help them, he felt like arguing against it would be pointless. Not to mention, it would make him look like an ass.

"Fine, whatever… just make it quick," he finally grumbled, folding his arms.

Slam tussled the feathers on top of duck's head a little, teasing him for the change of heart, before following the son into the booth. Sure enough, Slam only needed to use one of his hands to get the shelf back into alignment on the wall, and he even made use of his free hand to shuffle the prizes back into their original spots. While his father took a few relieved breaths of air, the boy quickly took to reapplying the bracket mount into a new, sturdier spot.

Even after testing the shelf a few times to make sure it would stay, the whole process only cost them a couple of minutes. After another set of thank-yous, the two Loonatics were back on track for the Food Court. Duck had initially intended to see if he could restart the competition again, but this time around, it seemed as if something else was on his mind.

"Seems like everyone's wanting a little help from you today, huh big guy?" he noted casually. Slam chuckled heartily. "I guess those muscles of yours can come in handy once in a while," he continued, "of course, I can't say how they stack up against my powers…"

Slam didn't feel like groaning out loud again.

"Yep," Duck contended, "apparently with all these needy people around here, I'll bet it's only a matter of time before somebody comes up and asks for my help for a change. You know… something you can't do…" Slam rolled his eyes. The fowl was even turning this into some kind of competition…

"Hey...!" a voice called out, almost on cue.

"Why, here comes somebody now…" the mallard pointed out anxiously. To their left, a young woman – around their own age – was making her way towards them.

"Hey, I'm glad I ran into you guys," she friendly began once she was talking-distance away, "if it's not too much to ask, me and my friends were hoping we could get some help with something."

"Absolutely ma'am," Duck answered her proudly, "what can I… the generous Danger Duck… help you with today?"

She tried to answer him as politely as she could, "Actually… we wanted to see if we could just borrow Slam for a second…"

"What?" Duck's face fell.

"Yeah," she continued, turning to the Tasmanian and perking up some, "we have this giant furnace-looking thing just sitting randomly in the back our booth. It's really getting in everyone's way, and nobody can seem to lift it. But you've got super strength, right? When I saw you walking by I figured I had to ask…"

"Uhh-huuh," he responded.

"So…" Duck asked with a hopeful, almost pleading voice, "are you sure you don't having anything I can do? You know… 'cause I'm so helpful and all…"

She thought about it for a second, "I don't think so, but I appreciate the offer!" She turned back to Slam, "So what do you say? You willing to give us a hand?"

Slam smiled with an affirming grunt. "Oh, thank you so much," she replied. "Come on, it's over this way."

"…okay then…" Duck added half-heartedly as she led him away, "I'll just… wait here, I guess."

With his arms still folded and an oddly pensive look on his face, he watched as the two of them walked over to a T-shirt booth where a good-sized group of boys and girls – roughly her same age – stood huddled round the large metal obstacle she had mentioned. He wasn't sure why he felt the need to do so, but he decidedly shuffled a few steps closer to the booth… just in case they changed their minds or something.

Coincidentally enough, just as Slam had begun to grab hold of the furnace, a man approached the scene, stopping at the shop entrance.

"Hey Slam," he called to the people inside, "when you get done with that, you think you could give me a hand over here? It'll only take a second."

The Tasmanian smiled politely and nodded his head, more than happy to lend another hand.

"…or…I could help you out…" Duck openly suggested, "I'm not really doing anything right now…" Despite his efforts to get his attention, the man failed to hear him before returning back to his own booth, leaving him to wonder if he had just been talking to himself. Being ignored was one of the things that annoyed him the most.

It was at that moment that Duck suddenly became very aware of his surroundings. A young couple came out of the booth next to theirs and headed in towards the scene, apparently eager for some assistance of the own from the big guy. In fact, it seemed like a few other small groups of people were also closing in on the area, and he became convinced that they were interested in similar things once he started to pick up on their whispering.

"Why don't you ask Slam?" he heard someone ask.

"I bet this would be a whole lot easier for a guy like him!" someone else commented, and inside Duck knew that Slam wouldn't have it in him to turn down any of them.

His expression started to narrow more and more in annoyance as it continued to seem like more and more people bypassed him in favor of his muscle-bound teammate. After a moment, he couldn't contain himself anymore.

"HELLO?! Danger Duck standing right here!" he burst out, grabbing the attention of almost everyone nearby. "Come on, is everyone just gonna keep buggin' Slam with more requests? I'm standing right here, you know... I can be helpful too! Is anyone willing to give me the time of day or what?"

By the end of his mini-rant, his voice had grown considerably louder, which stood at stark contrast to the vapid silence that lingered in the air now. All eyes were on him, everyone having dropped whatever they were doing to watch dumbfounded as Duck blew off steam. Out of them all, Slam was the most understanding towards his friend's feelings, but his expression looked just as confused as anyone else's. Duck was starting to second-guess his decision to shout, but he was still looking for somebody to answer him. "Well?" he demanded.

Breaching the silence, a new young man ran into the area, side-steeping the people in his way to reach the Loonatic. "Thank God I finally found you, Mr. Duck," he said while coming to a stop. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

Duck felt it appropriate once again to wear his typical proud grin. "Finally, some recognition!" he declared openly before turning his attention to his new guest. "And what can I, the incredible Danger Duck do for you today, sir?"

"We need your help to finish setting up a game down at our booth. It's just a couple of rows down… if you don't mind."

"Of course I don't mind!" Duck answered him with flare. "But, tell me… is this a job that only I would be able to do?"

"Well… no actually," he admitted truthfully, "but I think it's pretty safe to say that you'd probably be the best person for the job!"

"I'll take it!" he responded, visibly happy. "Now would you kindly take me to the fortunate place that requires my assistance?" he crooned.

"I can't thank you enough, Mr. Duck. It's just over this way…"

"Oh no, the pleasure is all mine…"

With that, the young visitor started walking back to where he had come from, bringing along with him the young Loonatic whose face boasted a triumphantly smug grin. Once they left, the crowd that had been so transfixed on him earlier seemed to suddenly lose interest as they each went back to their own business.

Slam was the last one to turn back to his own matters though, being a bit more perplexed than anyone else. Of course, he was quickly reminded that he still had a furnace to move and that there was apparently a whole lineup of other odd jobs set up for him once he was finished. With a shrug, he went back to his work.

He had plenty of time later to go and see what exactly Duck had gotten himself into.

• •

Slam handed the young man at the booth his money, receiving a set of three tennis balls in return.

"Wow, Mr. Slam, this is your third time in a row to play this game!" the booth operator noted happily.

"Uh-huh!" the devil grunted enthusiastically.

"I appreciate all your business, but I wouldn't want you to spend all your money on us…"

"I second that thought!" a voice called out to them, grabbing their attention. Just to the side of the booth, there sat a large plastic tank that was about halfway filled with water. A tarp covered a wall standing next to it, featuring a hand-painted bulls eye target that cleverly disguised a pressure switch. Inside the tank, just a few feet above the surface of the water, there rested a wooden board ready to swing away at the slightest activation of that switch.

Sitting on top of that board was Danger Duck, complete with a pouty expression on his face and feathers that were already dripping wet. This was his special job.

"I'm serious Slam," he continued with an annoyed tone, "why don't you go spend your money somewhere else and leave me alone for a while? Unlike most of the other people here, you haven't missed a shot yet…"

Slam only laughed, he had already paid his money.

"Sure, laugh about it now," Duck chided, "but you wouldn't think it was so funny if you were in here instead of me!"

"Oh I'm sure it's not so bad, Mr. Duck," the man replied to him, "it's just a little water. Besides, it's for a good cause and you're really helping us out!"

Duck scoffed, "Well you better consider yourself lucky that you're giving the profits to charity, or there would've been no way in hell I would've agreed to go along with this."

"Trust me, we consider ourselves very lucky…" he ensured him.

"Yeah, well… let's just hope this little bathtub game of yours actually turns a profit. I can only imagine how much renting something like this would've cost you..."

"Oh I don't think we have to worry about that, Mr. Duck. I've been running dunk tank stands for a few years now, and I've never seen any of my booths get this much business before!"

Slam made his way back into position at the front of the customer line, a line which had managed now to grow quite long with people eager to send their favorite Loonatic (or perhaps not-so-favorite…) for a swim. Positioning himself in front of the target, the Tasmanian took his stance and eyed the switch carefully, preparing to make his shot.

"You know what?" Duck muttered. "You're all despicable…!"

*Ding!*

The tennis ball hit its mark perfectly, sending the fowl for another dive.

• • • • •

With a releasing sigh, Ace folded the supersuit he had just changed out of as carefully as he could manage, and slipped it into his backpack. As dashing and slick as the suit was, it could feel a little constricting every now and then.

He turned and looked into a tall mirror that stood on one of the walls around him and assessed his new look. He was wearing a pair of worn light-blue jeans and a gray, hooded sweatshirt which only partially concealed a simple red T-shirt underneath. Topping it off, he sported a pair of brand new white and black sneakers as well a small, dark blue beanie over his head which tucked his ears in, forcing them to slip out through the back, reaching just past his shoulders. It wasn't really all that cold, so he had debated on both the beanie and the hoodie, but he had to admit that he liked the way they looked on him.

But then again, he had to remind himself that he technically wasn't trying to be himself at the moment, and that the person standing in the mirror was supposed to be someone else entirely. No, the person staring back at him wasn't Ace anymore... this person's name was Blaze Bunny, Ace's mild-mannered alter-ego!

Of course, he only called it that because it made it seem more interesting. In actuality, it was more like... a public identity, a second name that he could slip into anytime he felt the need to go more incognito. And, it certainly wasn't anything exclusive only to him... in fact, all of the Loonatics had one.

Due to circumstance, none of them ever really had the chance to maintain any sort of true mystery as to what their real identities were after receiving their powers. The team wouldn't meet up for the first time until a full two weeks after the comet strike, and by then almost all of them had their gifts exposed to the public eye in one way or another. As far as they knew, they had never had secret identities to begin with, so when they eventually formed the team, they opted to stick with their original names.

However, as time passed, the need for some kind of separation become more and more apparent. As both their exposure and general popularity grew, it seemed as though their lives as superheroes started tangling too much into their personal ones. The few times any of them would ever have the chance to visit family, meet old friends, or even simply go out in public, they were easily recognized, and usually bombarded with attention. Of course, when they were out of uniform, it was easier for them to blend in, but one use of their real names took away any advantage that gave them.

As a natural solution, Zadavia eventually assigned each of them an alias (a name which they got to choose for themselves) that they could use anytime they wanted to go out in public without drawing any extra attention. In fact, Zadavia had even gone as far as to set them each up with personal IDs, bank account information, and even public profiles and demographics that were linked to their aliases. In that sense, it was kind of like having an "alter ego."

Additionally, since it was just a name change, they could still be easily recognized by anyone they were already familiar with such as old friends, family members or other prior acquaintances. Of course, this also provided an opening for the more observant - or even obsessive - of their fans, but that was only a minor setback at best. For them, the purpose of the alias was to allow them to partake in everyday activities out in the general public relatively unnoticed. As far as they were concerned, it did that job just fine.

For that particular reason, Ace made sure to bring a change of clothes along with him to the festival, feeling that his upcoming meeting would be better if it were kept away from public intrusion. He probably could've gone with an outfit that was a little less typical of his natural taste - like his teammates would usually do - but he came up with the reasoning that both Ace and Blaze Bunny had similar tastes in style.

Satisfied with his appearance, Ace swung the navy backpack over his shoulder and exited through the door of his dressing room. He made his way through a small hallway containing several other rooms before finding the main entrance. Leaving the building, he walked all the way around to the other side where there was another entrance with a sign that read "Ladies." Ignoring the common courtesy of simply waiting outside for his companion to emerge on her own, he walked inside; He assumed that he wouldn't bother anyone if he just waited in the hallway.

The hallway itself forked in two directions and the bunny walked up to a door that stood a few spaces down to his right, marked with the number eight. This was the room she had told him she'd be in, right? He wasn't too sure, but a glowing red light beside the door knob let him know that the room was being used at least. Hesitantly, he gave the door a few gentle knocks before half-whispering something to the person inside. "Hey, Lex... you in there?"

There was a short pause before he heard anything in reply. "Yeah, it's me..." she answered in a half-hushed tone, "what do you want?"

"Oh good, it is you," Ace exclaimed. "Fer a second there, I was afraid I was botherin' somebody else..."

"Nope, it's just me you're bothering..." she sassed.

"Well that's good. I wouldn't want me ta be interruptin' anybody important..."

"What do you want, Blaze?" she asked flatly, remembering to use the alias when referring to him, even though he had forgotten to do so with her.

"How much longa do ya think yer gonna be? We don't have all tha time in tha world ya know..."

"Just because you can change in two minutes doesn't mean that I can too. Girls tend to take a little longer than guys do when getting ready. I figured you would've picked up on something like that by now."

"But we're already running late enough as it is..." he complained again. It was a legitimate concern for him, but it was easy to tell that he was more concerned with giving his partner a hard time than anything else.

"Well you were the one who wanted us to change and keep a low profile. If I knew that beforehand, I would've brought a change of clothes with me. As far as I'm concerned, it wasn't my fault we had to shop around here just so I could find something to wear."

"I guess that means it's also not yer fault that it took seven different shops fer ya ta finally settle on somethin'?"

"Exactly!"

Ace sighed, not really knowing how else to continue, and settled on playing the waiting game. After another minute or two of leaning against the dressing room door, arms crossed and fingers fidgeting, he felt it necessary to bother her a second time.

"Ya finishin' any time today, Lex?" he teased, but with an actual basis of real impatience.

"Calm down, I'm putting my suit away now," she reassured. "And could you quit leaning on the door so I can come out?"

"How'd ya know?"

"Your voice is bouncing off the door quite a bit. It wouldn't be doing that unless you were really close up. Plus the door clicked a little when you first leaned on it."

With an amusingly impressed grin on his face, he stood back upright and took a few steps back. "Geez, nuthin' gets past you, huh?"

The light on the door switched from red to green as the room unlocked and the door slowly started swinging open, revealing his newly dressed companion. She was in a pair of navy Capri pants along with a faded pink tank top that was covered by an open white jacket vest. Her sneakers were red with accents of white and the ribbon that tied her ears up had changed from a lime to a bright blue color. Additionally, she was wearing a hot-pink scrunchie bracelet on her left wrist as well as light gray backpack over her shoulder.

"So..." she began after standing for a moment in the doorway, "how do I look?"

Ace rubbed his chin, pretending to think about it. "Perfectly normal," he soon answered approvingly.

Lexi smiled, "Great, 'cuz that's just what I was going for!"

"Considerin' how long you were in there, I was expectin' somethin' a little... less normal."

"Oh please," she dismissed, "I didn't even take that long. And besides, wasn't the whole point of changing not to draw attention to ourselves?"

"Eh, whateva ya say, Lex."

"And that's another thing..." she added accusingly, "that's the third time you've called me that! I thought we were using our aliases."

"Right, right..." the leader acknowledged. Clearing his throat, he pretended to backtrack the moment and repeated his last line, this time with more correct wording. "Whateva ya say, Leslie..." He bowed with mock humility and motioned her to lead the way out of the building.

"That's more like it! If I can actually manage to remember to use your name, than the least you can do is remember to use mine."

"Oh yeah, tha onetime ya actually rememba..."

Lexi laughed, "I've told you before, I'm not all that good with names to begin with, let alone second ones. Besides, you're supposed to pick an alias that has the same first letter as your real name, like the rest of us did. That way, it's easier to remember."

"But Ace is already tha coolest name that starts with an 'A'," he boasted, "and it still sounds pretty similar..."

"Whatever Blaze... luckily for you I've been trying my best to finally get all our aliases down and I think I finally committed them all to memory...!"

"Is that so?" he schemed. "Well, whaddya say we take a little pop quiz then, shall we?"

Lexi groaned.

"What's Rev's alias?" he began.

"Oh, that one's easy... Rex!" she smiled simply, knowing that she was at least starting off with a right answer. She supposed that she could go ahead and humor him.

"Alright, here's anotha... Slam."

"Erm..." she mumbled uncertainly, "...oh, it's right on the tip of my tongue..."

"It's tha only name cooler than mine," he hinted.

Lexi snapped her fingers, "Steele!"

"Good, that's two down and two more ta go. What about Tech?"

She became quietly frustrated with herself that she had to think about it, yet again. "I think... is it... Trent?"

Ace nodded his head and Lexi brought her fist down in triumph. "Alright," he continued, "that just leaves... Duck."

"Oh yeah, I know that one... it's -" just as she was sure that she could answer, her mind suddenly went blank. She kept trying to jog her memory, but for whatever reason, she couldn't seem to come up with anything that sounded right. Had she really even had it in the first place? "...wait, no... maybe it's... dammit, I must've forgot! Is it some kind of really weird name that's probably hard to remember?"

Ace shrugged, trying not to give anything away.

"Wait... does he even have an alias? I don't think I've ever heard of him using one."

"Oh, ya know Duck," the leader explained, "he's always beggin' fer tha spotlight, so he doesn't like usin' it all that much. But ta answer yer questions, 'yes' he does use it from time ta time, 'no' it's not actually that weird, and I actually think it's pretty easy ta rememba..."

She mulled it over for another minute. "I've got nothing," she finally admitted.

"It's Dalton."

Lexi laughed, both from the realization and from the answer itself. "Oh yeah, I remember that now! Duck was the only one of us who didn't want the alias in the first place and refused to pick a name for himself. So, Zadavia just gave him one."

"I think that's anotha reason why he doesn't use it very much…"

"Poor Duck… I remember how much we made fun of him for it that day. I honestly don't know how I forgot about something like that…"

"Well, ya at least got four outta five right. Ya did better than I expected!"

Lexi smirked, "Yeah, but I should've gotten all five. If I were a better teammate I would've been able to say all of them on the spot months ago." Her voice was still light with jest, but Ace could tell that her words were at least stemming from an actual issue.

"Ta be fair," he consoled, "with our schedule, we hardly even get a chance ta go out on our own anymore. We don't really even use our aliases all that much. And tha few times we actually have a chance ta go out as a team, we usually end up droppin' tha names afta an hour or two… at least while we're just around eachotha."

"Hmmm, I guess you're right," she contemplated, earnestly taking his words to heart. "Maybe I've just gotten so used to everyone's real names that I've almost forgotten we even had aliases. Still, I don't think I'll be forgetting a name like Dalton anytime soon."

"I know I haven't!" Ace concluded with a mischievous grin. Poking fun at Duck's second name had lost a lot of its edge for most of the team, but Ace made it into a habit of his to make sure and bring it up on occasion – usually anytime he felt the mallard could benefit from being cut down to size. Yes, Zadavia had given him quite the leverage point with that one.

After a moment or two of walking, Lexi decided to return to a topic they had started on before they were sidetracked by the wardrobe changes. "So, remind me exactly where we're headed again."

"It's a place called Guzzlin' Gumbos. When I was readin' tha paper this morning, I saw an ad that said they were actually gonna have a booth set up here. I knew I had to stop by at some point."

"Isn't that the place you seem to like so much?"

"Yeah, you eva been?"

"Once or twice," she admitted, "though I don't remember it being anything special."

"Well, you've obviously neva tried their 'purée of carrot' soup."

"That's a pretty tricky dish to make. I've had it before at a couple of other places, and it's always tasted like watered-down mush."

"Not ta worry," he assured, "Guzzlin' Gumbos makes some o' tha best vegetable soups in all o' Acmetropolis, and that includes carrot purée!"

Though the two bunnies wouldn't call themselves true vegetarians, they were the two most vegetarian members on the team, second only to Rev. They weren't above occasionally eating some of the more common meats such as the ones you might find in a sandwich or on a pizza, but they would almost always choose a meatless alternative when given the option. Lexi herself wasn't particularly fond of soups, but she figured that she could probably enjoy a good carrot purée, if it was as good as Ace claimed.

But, aside from the food choice, there was something else about all of this that had her… intrigued. Actually, intrigued may not have been the best word… it was more like, bothered. It had come up for her as early as when the two of them had split off from their teammates, and knowing she had a tendency to over think things, she played it off as a simple overreaction. But realizing that they were getting closer and closer to their intended destination, she found the feeling to be a harder one to ignore. Deciding to settle her uncertainty once and for all, she finally sought out a concrete answer.

"So, uh… Blaze…"

"When it's just that two of us, ya can just call me 'Ace,' Lex. Tha names are mostly fer when we talk ta otha people."

"Right… so, Ace…" she repeated.

"Yep?"

"Can I ask you something? It might be kind of a personal question…"

"Sure, what's on ya mind?"

She paused for a second, thinking about how to word herself properly. "Why am I here?"

Ace stopped walking for a moment and turned to her. That certainly wasn't a question he was expecting. "Whaddya mean?"

"I mean…" she attempted to clarify, "you said that you were meeting up with someone, right? A girl..?"

"Yeah…" he answered, starting to have a vague idea of where this might be going.

"And… I figure that, whoever she is, she must be pretty special for you to want to go through the trouble of changing into casual clothes, let alone split up from the rest of the team."

"Uh-huh…"

"So, if that's all true, then that must mean this meeting is kind of personal for you. So why did you want to bring me along?" she finished, also finally working out the actual question for herself.

Ace chuckled good-humoredly, "Ya seriously askin' that?"

"Well yeah… kinda." Even though she was a little relieved to see that her leader was still in good spirits, she was also a little annoyed that he didn't seem to be taking her question seriously.

"Can't I just go out fer a meal with my good friend and trusted second-in-command without havin' a particular reason?"

"Not you, Ace…" she answered confidently. "I know you, and you never do anything just for the heck of it. You've always gotta have some kind of motive or reason for pretty much everything you do."

"Ya know this isn't a mission, Lex. It's dinner…"

"That doesn't matter…" she persisted, determined to get through his jokes, "it almost seems like you're meeting up for a date with someone. If that was the case, I could've just easily gone with Slam and Duck to the Food Court or something so you could have some privacy. I don't really see how I could be anything but a third wheel in a situation like this. So, I just wanna know why you feel the need to bring me along."

The air fell silent for a bit as it looked like Ace was busy trying to conjure up an appropriate response. Of course, she knew she had jumped the gun a bit by readily assuming that he had a girlfriend, but it was the easiest way she could think of to get her point across.

A third wheel. Over the years, that was a feeling she had truly come to detest. For as long as she'd known, Lexi had always been the type of person who would try and make herself seem as friendly and open as possible when around other people. She never knew why, she just figured that was the way you were supposed to act. Consequentially, the feeling of being more of an intrusion than a welcome presence became a very uncomfortable one for her... perhaps even a fear. Certainly, there were times when her desire to avoid this feeling would win over her usually warmer persona and cause her to become hesitant or under-confident.

Looking back, she could remember the consistently vibrant and positive spirit that she possessed as a kid and it made her realize just how much of an issue this had become for her over the years… the desire to fit in, to be accepted rather than rejected. Even though it had, in some way, affected her throughout her life, it wasn't until fairly recently that it became a real issue for her, but that was another story entirely, one she didn't always like to talk about. Joining the Loonatics had certainly had a more positive effect on her, as she felt she could be more like her warm and vibrant self when around her newfound friends (and being on a team of superheroes was certainly a confidence booster.) But still, she found it to be a personal conflict that continued even to this day and would for some time to come... one she worked harder at resolving with each passing day.

And here, Ace still hadn't even admitted who he was supposed to be seeing once they got there. Was it a family member? A friend? A crush? She knew there wasn't much basis in accusing him of meeting up for a date, but both his peculiar desire for privacy and his subtle sense of urgency seemed to make it the more likely answer. Could Ace really have a girlfriend? Thus far, he hadn't said anything to prove her otherwise.

Ace sighed, feeling somewhat defeated. "Alright, ya got me," he admitted, but with a vibe which implied that it wasn't a very big secret to begin with. "I was actually hopin' ta get yer opinion on somethin'."

"Hmm?" Lexi seemed somewhat puzzled.

Without another word, he reached into the pocket of his sweatshirt and pulled out a small, black rectangular box, which he handed it to her. She wasn't quite sure what to make of it, but seeing Ace gesture for her to open it up made it pretty clear. Curiously, she removed the top half of the box and was taken aback by what she saw inside.

It was a necklace that was composed of small triangular pieces of silver strung together by a thin silver chain. The necklace's centerpiece was a large diamond-shaped piece of silver decorated with two crescent-shaped silver pieces on either side of the diamond's top corner that vaguely resembled over-stylized wings. In the center of the main diamond, there sat a beautiful scarlet-red gemstone that was cut in the same shape as the silver it was embedded in. Additionally, an arrangement of eight small, circular diamond gems surrounded the ruby, with one outside each corner and side.

"Ace…" Lexi said after taking in the sight of the jewelry.

"Whaddya think?" he asked anxiously.

"…it's beautiful! How'd you manage to get something like this?"

"I've been savin' up fer a while now, both with some money I've kept safe fer a couple years now, and with tha little allowances we get from Zadavia every now and then fer food and clothes and stuff."

"So that's why it seems like you never want to spend any money."

Ace laughed, "Yeah."

"It must've taken you quite a while before you could afford something like this. Are those real gemstones?"

He threw her a smirk, "I'm glad ya think so, but I ain't made o' money. They're about as real as ya can get without having to sell off yer own foot."

"Well," Lexi concluded sweetly, "it still looks lovely…"

"I thought ya'd like it. You and her seem ta have similar tastes fer stuff like this…"

"So…" she began to ask, realizing what he meant, "this is for her?"

"Yep! Yesterday was her birthday, so I wanted to get her somethin' special. Now that I know that you like it, I just know that she's gonna love it!" he remarked while taking the box back from her and putting it back into his pocket.

"I'm sure she will…" she affirmed, her voice dropping slightly. Ace never did answer her question directly, but he didn't have to anymore. You don't give something like to someone who's just a friend. This had to be a date, and the bunny suddenly found herself feeling very uncomfortable. To think, she could be off stuffing her face full of carnival food with Slam and Duck right now, or even off helping Tech and Rev set up that Ferris wheel of theirs… but instead, she was stuck here, doomed to be the dreaded third wheel.

But whether or not Ace was aware of his friend's newfound discomfort, she was determined not to let it show too much. Whether she liked it or not, she was here, and it would be best if she tried to go along with the situation as best she could. She figured that she could fake a smile easily enough if she had to. If she had nowhere else to go, she at least didn't want to place any extra burden on Ace, or the girl he had with him… assuming this actually was a date. As sure as she was, she couldn't help but feel like there was something more going on that Ace wasn't letting her in on. In a way, she was still convinced that there had to be another reason he wanted to keep her around. But what could it be?

"Oh wait, there she is!" he finally announced after they had ended walking in silence for a moment or two. He promptly began walking ahead to the person he managed to spot in the crowd.

Lexi, on the other hand, ended up stopping dead in her tracks. This was it. She was finally going to see the one they had gone out their way to visit, the one Ace seemed so excited to meet… the girl he was giving that necklace to. Without really knowing why, she instinctively closed her eyes and turned her head slightly as if she wasn't ready to face her. She passively wondered why she felt as nervous as she did, which was a little more than she would usually get in these kinds of situations. Why was she so nervous?

She knew she couldn't stay like this forever though, and came to the conclusion that it would be better to force her eyes open sooner rather than later. But before she could, she found a phrase repeating itself over and over in the recesses of her mind, one that she was sure she'd probably feel ashamed for thinking of later…

"Please let her be ugly… please let her be ugly…"

Once her eyes had pried open enough to see, she took a look ahead and quickly found Ace who was currently wrapped up in a strong embrace with someone just a few feet away. The girl was an anthro bunny who stood a few inches shorter than he did and whose fur color was a slightly lighter shade of gray than his. Her straight hair barely fell past her shoulders and was blonde, though a darker shade than Lexi's, and seemed to be mixed with the occasional hints of brown. She was dressed in a jade-colored long sleeve shirt on top of a light green blouse that reached just past her knees. But aside from all of that, there was one feature in particular that seemed to grab her attention most of all…

She looked older… in fact, quite a bit older than Ace…

The two of them released each other from their hug and Ace turned back towards Lexi before ushering the woman over in her direction. Lexi was now profoundly confused. Unless Ace was into the whole "cougar" thing (which she was sure he wasn't), the woman looked far too old to be his girlfriend. In fact, she looked like she could even pass for his mother…

"Lexi," he began upon reaching her, apparently deciding not to use her alias, "there's someone I'd like ya ta meet. This here is Ms. Pamela Bunny… my mom!"

Lexi's mind had gone so quiet that she was sure that she had all but forgotten how to think.

"Ooooohhhhhhhhhhhh…" her brain finally managed to piece together. Of course Ace was meeting his mom… would he really have time for a girlfriend when he was the leader of a crime-fighting team of superheroes? She should've known better, and now she only felt profoundly stupid. Relief flooded across her disposition as she offered the two of them a smile.

But, before she greeted them, she came across another realization… one that wasn't quite so pleasant…

"Dammit, Ace… you were leading me along this whole time on purpose, weren't you?"

---

Yayy, you're done!

Well that's it for part one of what was originally supposed to be all of Ch. 4. In the next part, we will get to see what Tech and Rev come up with to restart the Loona-Loop... we'll get to see what other messes Duck and Slam can get themselves into... and we'll have the opportunity to finally meet Ace's mom. What fun! Anyway, like I said, I should have part two up within about a week from now and it should only be slightly longer than this one. Even with all my college work and stuff, I feel confident about making this deadline...

So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please leave me a review if you don't mind as I LOVE any kind of feedback (it makes me feel special...) Thanks to everyone who is reading my story, and I hope that one of these future chapters will blow your mind! o.O hehe

Anyway, I should probably wrap up these author's notes, I still have Organic Chemistry homework to do... XP

Keep your eyes peeled for part two and I will see you guys later!