Hey guys I'm baaaack! YAY! I'll keep this short:
You guys are awesome, please enjoy some virtual waffles, Italians are epic dancers. Random much?
Oh yes, and ENJOY!
Operation: Val Chapter 23
On the whole ride back to the tower Val made sure to sit as far away from Jinx as physically possible. She could tell from the way the older toon was stealing glances that she had some ugly plans in mind that Val didn't want to be a part of.
After Yakko got pulled over by a cop (who just happened to be a Hello Nurse look alike…yeah we can figure out where it goes from there) and they all got questioned at the station and finally ended up breaking out from a highly guarded federal prison in Russia, they all went home for a cheeseburger dinner and a good night's sleep.
Wakko sat across from his family and friends, just finishing his fifth burger. "That was fun. I loved playing jailhouse breakout!"
Jinx just sat there, only vaguely bothered at how that whole event had escalated so quickly. Her cousin was the absolute opposite however, practically exploding with questions.
"How was that even POSSIBLE?! We were just on our way here, picked up by the police, dragged to court, and then sent off for prison in a foreign country only to escape and run back here in…" she paused to look at her watch.
"FIFTEEN MINUTES?!" she just gaped as the Warners looked at her, mouths stuffed with supper, then shrugged and continued eating.
"We've done better." Yakko got up and wiped his mouth before picking up dishes. He rolled his eyes as Val just gaped.
"Think Val. We're toons. A regular cartoon air time is rounded 15 minutes including credits and such. In that time we manage to complete any number of tasks from bothering Dracula to being hunted by foreign cops to going into outer space and back. It's all a matter of toon relativity."
Jinx studied him, swiftly taking notes under the table as Val just shook her head in wonder before going back to her burger, not noticing her cousin glaring at her.
Dispose of her quickly…before they realize. I'll frame it as a simple excuse of having some family business to attend to, resulting in her leaving. They won't know any different.
"Oh Val, can we talk in the other room? I have girl stuff to discuss." She got up and Dot beamed.
"Hey can't I come to? I'm a way better girl than Val." Her smile faded as Jinx shook her head, a soft smile on her face.
"It's family business. I'm afraid something serious has come up and Val and I must discuss it in a private setting." She smiled coolly at her younger cousin who seemed to be having trouble swallowing her burger.
"I-uh I'm just gonna finish eating. And besides, there isn't anything you can't tell me that we can't share in front of our friends here." She gestured to the Warners who smiled at her and then looked at Jinx who rested her hands on her hips.
"Now Val if I didn't know any better I'd say you were afraid of speaking alone to me." She smirked, knowing well her prototype's weakness.
"I am not afraid." Val scowled, falling for the taunting instantly. She got up and marched to their bedroom, making sure she got there first just to prove she was more unafraid then Jinx…not realizing she was an open target in that position until it was far too late.
The door closed with a soft click and then Val felt a rush of weight throwing her to the ground from behind.
"HE-! MMMPHH!" she squirmed as Jinx flipped her in less than a second and had a hand pressed firmly against her mouth.
"Stop struggling and die with honor." She reached in her back pocket with her free hand as Val's mind tried to comprehend what she just heard.
Die….DID SHE JUST SAY DIE?! WHAT THE FU-
Val's mind wiped as she was greeted with the barrel inches from her face. She squeaked in shock and then struggled all the harder but Jinx's grip held firm like steel as her finger touched the trigger of the DIP gun.
"I am required by orders to give all official updates to the Doctor. Is there a final request you wish to have me repeat in the moment of updating?" her grip on Val's mouth loosened so she could speak and transferred to her scrawny shoulder to keep her pinned.
Val's now red face just gaped for a moment before she sputtered and shrieked. "Y-you're completely INSANE!"
Jinx hesitated. "Wait, was that directed toward me directly or for me to pass on to the Doctor? Please be more specific."
In that moment of hesitation Jinx saved herself, Val managed to get her anger up as the shock of the situation faded. Her hair ignited in flame and her skin became scorching hot as she tore Jinx's hand off her shoulder and kicked her in the face with the heel on her converse.
The kick sent Jinx sprawling into Dot's dresser, scattering makeup and perfume everywhere. Before the assassin could correct her mistake and strike back, the four foot tall ball of rage was on her, throwing punches and pies and anvils, the works.
"YOU CAN'T KILL ME! I'M BETTER THAN YOU! DAD WAS WRONG DAMMNIT! I AM. BETTER!"
She kept repeating herself incoherently as her arms whipped millions of items from her hammerspace, her mind just a blur of rage at herself for letting her plans become such a failure and hatred at this 'bee with an itch' for breaking into her life and trying to be something better than her and reminding her that her father had never thought she was good enough.
But I WILL BE DAD! I'LL PROVE TO YOU I'M BEST!
Her thoughts echoed as her hands slowed, growing tired. There was a mountain of junk now replacing where Dot's dresser had been. Buses and planes and giant rubber ducks stacked on top of skyscrapers now crumbled to ruins and cake shops with pastries scattered in various places. A toilet was tilting precariously on top and it was this that Jinx popped her head out of, bruises and toon-enlarged bumps on her head.
Val just smirked, feeling accomplished. "What a fitting throne for her highness." Her grin left when she saw Jinx's eyes spark with a similar flame that Val had let engulf her person before fading away from force.
"Uh oh…" Val sprinted for the door.
Jinx jumped out of the toilet and shook herself dry before marching over to Val and grabbing her by her throat and dragging her back as she kicked and beat against her cousin furiously. Unfortunately Val had let all of her rage out and was getting tired, just as Jinx had suspected she would.
"The better toon is the one that can space out her attacks V.A.L. You are no longer of use to me." Jinx held Val up to her eye level, making the much smaller girl's feet lift off the ground as she kicked and whimpered as the tightened grip on her neck made it hard to breathe.
Jinx pressed the cold barrel of the gun against Val's exposed belly and Val heard the click meaning it was about to be unloaded. The smell of chemicals and hopelessness filled her nose and Val began to cry. No not just cry, sob. Sob like a lost child with no idea where her parents are. Sob like someone who knew she had nowhere to go. Val couldn't take it anymore and she started to blurt everything out in a rush of frantic last words, tears and snot running down her face making it hard to understand her well.
"I-I just wanted to make m-my daddy love me!I didn't wanna kill anyone an' I didn't wanna fight you! I just wan-wanted him to let me in!"
She met Jinx's hard blue eyes and knew she didn't care about any of this and was just waiting for the gun to unlock and finish the job. Val shuddered as she spoke what she guessed was her last words.
"What did I do wrong?"
And then it was over.
…
How did the Warners not hear that whole struggle you ask? Well that was because they were outside playing tag in the lot because they grew bored of waiting for the cousins to finish their "family matters".
"You're it!" Dot laughed as she pounced on Wakko who pouted, his hat slipping over his eyes as he stamped his fuzzy foot in indignation.
"But I was it last time!"
"Maybe you shouldn't be so slow then!" Dot smirked and skipped off as her older brother pouted, his arms crossed as he waited the designated five seconds before running off and looking for his big brother.
Yakko hasn't even been it yet. It's HIS turn! Wakko bounced around a corner and grinned as he tackled a figure to the ground.
"GOTCHA!" he beamed…until he saw that he was holding a trash can. How did I mess THAT one up?
Wakko wandered around the lot until he saw Yakko sitting against the back of a building, facing the water tower as the sunset reflected off its shiny exterior. Wakko had to take a second just to love his home all the more before he bounded over on all fours, paused to make sure Yakko wasn't a trash can, and then smacked him to the ground.
"You're IT!" he laughed as Yakko flopped silently and started to bleed feathers all over the ground.
Wait FEATHERS?! Yakko isn't a bird! ….right? I don't think so. I'm not a bird I don't think so he can be- WAIT YAKKO'S HURT!
"YAKKO?!" Wakko shook his limp brother, accidentally spilling more feathers on the ground. Wakko's panic was suddenly overcome by frigid shock as a bucket of ice water was dumped on him from above. Wakko looked up to see his real big brother grinning at him from the roof, a bucket in hand.
"Gotcha!" He laughed as Wakko looked down to see the Yakko he thought was real was actually a deco stuffed with feathers, a goofy smiley face doodled on with a marker.
He shook himself dry and bounced up to meet Yakko, forgetting about the game now that he knew Yakko was safe and not a bird.
He smiled as Yakko ruffled his hat and sprawled on the roof with a sigh. "Gotta tell ya Wak, life's been pretty good lately. I mean usually that means a dreaded forewarning for the main hero of a story but things are pretty cool so I doubt it." Yakko and Wakko both paused dramatically with smiles on their faces as ominous music began playing and lightning struck in the background.
"What terrible weather we're having." Yakko smirked as he rested back and looked at the tower. He paused, giving his usually silent younger brother an opportunity to jump in, and then continued.
"How long does it take to have a family meeting? Ours are pretty much three minutes of us throwing stuff at each other until the only guy or gal not knocked out is right." He paused yet again.
"You can contribute if you want to Wak." He looked at his younger brother who let out a slight belch and a grin, showing he was still listening. Yakko rolled his eyes.
"Perfect. Anyways, I'm liking the new additions to the fam. Jinx is a mega hottie and I can just see us getting more "acquainted". Unless you called dibs little bro, in which case I shall sword fight you for her." He smirked.
"And Val….." he took a deep breath. "Well she's no hottie like her older cousin. And she's not exactly nice. Or pretty. Or blonde. But she's fun to pick on ya know?"
"I liked having an ice cream fight with her." Wakko smiled, causing Yakko to smack himself in shock, nearly falling off the roof in his over dramatic fashion.
"Praise the holy creators he speaks!"
Wakko frowned softly, earning a gentle push to the face.
"Just kidding little sib relax. Yeah….Val's just kinda special….like good special and bad special all mixed into a burrito of some kind." He smiled softly and Wakko rolled his eyes.
"Looks like you have another 'World Famous Crush'."
Yakko side glanced at him. "Exsqueeze me?"
"You know, when you flirt so much you actually fall for a girl? Like that roller skater lady and the waitress at that barbeque restaurant?"
Now it was Yakko's turn to pout. "To be fair that roller skater was gorgeous AND flexible and the waitress gave us some wicked good deals on our steaks."
"So what is it about Val that's so special?" Wakko raised a brow and then smirked when he saw Yakko's white face ever so gradually turn a pink color.
"She challenges me. I love gorgeous women Wak, you know that. But I get sick of 'em. That's kind of why I jump around a lot. You know, besides just because it's fun and stuff. Maybe it would've been cool if Val was just as sexy as those models but you know how it goes. Ugly girls get brains and personality….not that I'm calling Val ugly! I mean, let's just say that I've grown to really appreciate the subtlety of her looks… It's like she's only ugly until you get to know her, ya know?"
"You're just thinking of this now?" Wakko was seriously confused as to why his brother was suddenly so interested in a girl he absolutely hated two weeks ago.
Yakko smirked. "Nah it's been a growing thing. I guess I do have another 'World Famous Crush' as you put it. Just DON'T tell Dot! You know she'll blab to the whole country and beyond if she found out-"
"TOO LATE!" Dot beamed from behind them as she held up a camcorder that had been recording the previous conversation.
"To the internet!" she danced away as Yakko sprinted after her.
"DOT! PRINCESS ANGELINA GET BACK HERE!" the two brothers chased their little sister as he raced back to the tower to share the news and embarrass her big brother.
Meanwhile…
"What did I do wrong?"
Those words.
Why were they so…familiar?...
…
"B-but Dad…what did I do wrong?" the ponytailed girl blinked as innocently as ever, not yet grasping her situation, binds tightening around her wrists as she spoke.
"Shut up."
And that was all he said before she was screaming….her mind fading….will drifting….until…..u-until….
"A-Agh!" Jinx dropped the gun as a searing pain erupted in her skull, the strong thick sent of ink thinner flooding her nostrils and she stopped trying to think, stopped trying to feel. The mission.
Val stopped sobbing when she saw Jinx's hand slip and she tumbled to the ground as she watched her cousin, the cold composure on her perfect face actually faltering…showing…what?
Val couldn't guess because within an instant it was gone and Jinx was normal again.
"We take them to the mansion tomorrow."
"But-"
"Unless you want me to kill you now and deal with them myself."
That shut Val up pretty fast. She sat awkwardly as Jinx picked the gun up from the floor, polished and pocketed it, and turned to her.
"I have completed my analysis. I will inform the Doctor of the appropriate way to eliminate the targets and we will be on our way. Inform the targets that we will be arriving."
Val's mind cleared enough for her to ask. "How….?"
"Be creative. You must have learned something from them." Jinx sat down on the bed, faced away from Val, and massaged her temples softly. Val took that as the perfect sign that she had overstayed her welcome and she scrambled out of the room, her heart thudding like a rabbit's.
She was going to kill me…s-she could've ended me right there. And it all would've been over. I wouldn't have anything. My memories, the people I met….I wouldn't even remember them.
And then Val thought of something she really couldn't afford to be thinking of. That's how the Warners will feel tomorrow…..
And instantly, a rush of nausea flooded her. She sat down shakily on the couch as she heard laughter from Dot as she scrambled up the ladder. It was bad, it was awful, but now that the train of thought had started, it couldn't be stopped.
She'll never laugh again.
Dot slammed open the door and Wakko chased her in, grinning.
They'll never run again.
Yakko chased them in, his eyes locking with hers yet her mind remained distant.
He'll never see again.
Dot was screaming something at her but she couldn't hear, the roaring in her ears growing until there was nothing but that crashing sound.
They won't exist again….
After tomorrow….
And all was black.
…
Dot blinked, having just spilled Yakko's little secret and was now looking at Val's unconscious body on the ground.
"Well….she took that well."
And that's where I leave you for now. Hate me yet or what? I hope you enjoyed! I'll be updating before Friday so keep a look out. Thanks!