A/N:
Another chapter, another day. So Yakko's reaction to R.J's offer? Lets see… And to answer a question, he let him go because security was coming and also if he didn't let him go where would out story be? XD
Oh and just to say, I'm really sorry if I offended any My Little Pony fans out there with Yakko's brony comment. It was just something I thought Yakko would say, it does not show my personal opinion at all. In fact I kind of like the show, I'm not a brony/pegasister, but I think it's cute and funny. So I'm sorry if I offended anyone, it was just a comment that I figured Yakko would say on the topic. And about the shipping thing again, you are allowed to think what you like, lol, opinions are free after all XD
*Yakko's POV*
"Tell me you're joking."
I smirked at kiddo, "Many a time sure, but once in a blue moon I'm serious." Technically it wasn't even a full moon last night but there you go.
Oh come on, you thought I was going to go off on my own looking for the guy without telling the gang and most likely getting myself erased while the others come looking for me only to suffer the same fate? Pfft, you need to have a little more faith in me! Honestly I don't know where you get this careless and wild image of me. Hehe… Laughter to indicate moving on from a subject…
Yeah I went right back and told them everything that had happened. After some more shut-eye that is. Oh give me a break, better late than never, and remember the last time I woke up kiddo? I don't fancy another pop to the jaw thanks all the same. So I waited till everyone was awake and spilled the beans; onto some toast and then told them about R.J over breakfast. They weren't really happy that I'd waited so long but at least they were in the loop now, right?
"Ow-hey!"
"Are you insane; what if it'd been a trap?"
I rubbed the back of my head where kiddo had none to softly smacked me and scowled, "I think that's a new record. You actually waited till after I finished talking before making with the violence… Oh come on, I'm not a moron. He needs us for something he's cooking up and clearly he needs more time. He's not gonna nab one of us too soon now is he?" I rolled my eyes.
"That's comforting…"
"She's got a point though." Dot folded her arms, "And going without your own siblings? Yakko! I'm surprised at you!"
"Yeah, or you could've just woken me up at least." Wakko added with fake moodiness.
"No one can wake you up!" Red smirked.
Slugger arched an eyebrow, shaking his head which either meant he was annoyed or about to question something. Possibly both, "I'm confused, wh-"
"What else is new?" Dot asked dryly.
Ignoring that, he continued, "Where did he say he was going to be waiting?"
Good question, "Apparently somewhere we've all been not that long ago including him where…" I gave kiddo a knowing look, "…where tempers were lost."
She lowered her eyes in either guilt or thought, it could go either way for her. The sibs and sub-sibs looked at each other and shrugged. Well it wasn't my place to say and frankly it's not that important come to think of it. It didn't change kiddo, just gave her a line not to cross. Heck we've all got one.
"Loose ends, place we've been before… You don't think he means that old warehouse do you?" she asked.
Red instinctively rubbed here arm where she'd been given the old jab with a needle, "I don't want us to go back there again."
"Who does?" Dot asked, "With or without that yutz being there."
"He's like a wasp in a window." Wakko smirked.
"Yep," I agreed, "Fast and unpredictable but cornered and easy to swat."
Slugger rolled his eyes, "I would have gone with an annoying pain in the -"
"Goodnight everybody!"
You know what? That didn't come from me. I looked at the culprit with playful warning as the sibs sniggered, "What have I told you about stealing people's material, Little Red?"
"Check for copyright first." She quoted, giving a smug grin, "And you don't have it."
"She's got you there." Dot nodded.
If that's the game we're gonna play, "Do you know what copyright is?"
"Maybe…" Red pouted.
"You still don't have it." Slugger pointed out.
It was little times like that I felt slightly victimised… Oh you know I'm just messing around! Little banter was a great way to lift the mood. Not unlike a movie involving James Wan is bound to spin the gag reflex. To be honest I kinda figured that warehouse was going to be involved in this. It didn't exactly take a genius now did it. Hmm, R.J's slipping in his riddles. But then again he's pretty good at secrecy.
Kiddo smiled a little at the play-argument we were having but it didn't last long before she was calculating again. Hey I know what her birthday present's going to be! She looked towards the door and seemed to be having one of those inner arguments that I'm pretty sure had just become habit. I snapped my fingers in front of her eyes and brought her back to reality. She flinched and gave me a quizzical look before shrugging.
"I think we should tell Jack." She muttered.
Dot rolled her eyes, "You're going soft on him."
"What? No, I'm just saying. He came around here yesterday to tell us when R.J had been seen, why not return the favour? Not to mention I won't hear the end of it if there's anymore secrets added to the list."
"Sure, that's the reason." I mused, eyebrows on the move.
Oh come on, you know I'm not a big fan of the guy but I have reasons. Actually I don't hate the guy, I see him as a challenge. Think about it. He rarely reacts to anything us toons do so we can't exactly be put under 'special friend'; but he reacts just enough to give us a hint of satisfaction. And so did that make it mine and the sibs job to try and crack this nut? Yes, yes it is. Rhetorical questions, you gotta love them. So my point, the guy took longer to wind up and I guarantee the day he snaps is going to be a memorable day for us all. And if that included humouring kiddo every now and again, why not? It's what we do.
"Think what you want, frankly there's more important things to think about." Kiddo retorted, folding her arms, "Wouldn't you agree?"
"Point taken, kiddo, lead the way."
*Talia's POV*
I didn't know why I was going out of my way to tell Jack about what Yakko saw. Come to think of it I was annoyed like hell at the fact that he went running off in the middle of the night to what could have been a trap! Sure he had a point; R.J was stalling for something. He did need more time and that's why he was beating around the bush and sending us on wild goose-chase. But that didn't mean that I still felt a sickening twinge when Yakko told us this morning. What if R.J had grabbed him, or followed him back? What if it was one of the others who'd gone? What if he'd gotten to the others at Slappy's? For gods sake, Talia, it didn't happen so what's the point in rambling what if's all the time when they didn't happen! You know what you have to do and how to do it. And you should really stop referring to yourself mentally in second person… Oh hell I couldn't risk losing anyone again. I really couldn't…
And so I guess that telling Jack just added that little bit of security. Not just in the physical sense of hiring guards because that hasn't exactly gone according to plan. And in a weird way I feel like I owe Jack something. It wasn't just for telling us about R.J even if it didn't help us at all, but also because he came rushing in for us the minute he first found out that R.J was on the lot. Yes, I was still angry with him for the secret keeping and keeping our files like that on the system. But at the same time, I could see that he was trying to make an effort. And so he should. So why shouldn't I?
We didn't really want to go sneaking into the studio with the toons, even with the use of plot holes. It was too risky and frankly it seemed that the best place to be for safety right now was in the Tower. So I called Jack on my cell and waited for him to arrive. In the meantime, I tried to lighten the mood but it wasn't easy. Well, okay it was I mean look who I was with! Let's just say by the time Jack had finally arrived I was rock-climbing. I'm serious; all I said was that after this mess had cleared up I needed to get a better grip on things! Next thing I know I've got a harness around my waist that according to the Warner's I tooned up myself. I went along with it, it was good to have a bit of a distraction. Even if it didn't last long.
"Uh, is this a bad time?"
My foot slipped and I skidded a few meters downwards before regaining control, I looked down and saw Jack looking bemused in the doorway, "That depends on your definition…"
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, looking at the mixture of expressions, "Great, what's happened this time?"
"Thanks for the faith…" I deadpanned, lowering to the ground and detaching the harness, "But you've got a point."
We gathered before him and Yakko retold his story and weirdly enough Jack almost had the same reaction as me, minus the light smack upside the head that is. Same questions and demands, but avoiding the 'what if's' a hell of a lot better than I did. And he came to the same conclusion as us too.
"You don't think he's talking about that old warehouse, do you?"
"Wow, you're quick today." Yakko smirked.
"So what do we do about this? You're not suggesting we go looking for him?"
"I don't know, maybe?" I shrugged, "What else are we meant to do?"
"Call the police?"
I clapped condescendingly, "Great idea, why didn't I think of that? Oh yeah that's right! Because bringing the police and most likely the press to a warehouse filled with toon-based experimentation equipment, lead them to a guy who can give us away with one word and then answer a bunch of questions that will lead them back here to toon central seems like a bad idea!"
He opened his mouth to argue, but hesitated, "Okay, fair point… So what do you suggest?"
He's asking me? "I don't know…"
Honestly I really didn't. Part of me wanted to just keep avoiding the subject and let R.J give out his riddles until he grows bred, but I also knew that would never happen. It would just be a lifelong game of cat and mouse. Yet another part of me wanted to go storming to the warehouse and end this. But I couldn't, he'd have us right where he wanted us. God why couldn't anything just go right for once? But a choice had to be made and frankly I was going to hate which ever one was made. But really, when you compare a life looking over your shoulder or facing a problem head on, it balanced out.
"I don't want to go back to that place again." Poppy muttered, looking fearful.
"Like I said before, you won't have to." I said calmly.
"I take it that doesn't go for the rest of us?" Dot asked sarcastically.
"You don't have to either, none of you have to. But…"
"You, as our noble leader who suffers greatly with hero-complex, must go forth alone?" Yakko announced with an arch of an eyebrow.
Why don't people get that it's not a hero complex or being noble, it's just me trying to do something that'll give us a bit of security in the future. I gave him a look which said just that and he rolled his eyes. I wasn't sure how long we were there planning. In fact I don't even think you'd be able to call it planning. More like open discussion that should be aimed at future ideas but instead lead to a mass of disagreements. But in the end, I guess me must have tired ourselves out. But at least by that point we managed to have some idea of what we were going to do.
"I don't get why you all get to wonder off and I'm stuck with Poppy in the town…" Flynn grumbled.
"I'm not risking him touching you again." I said firmly.
"Yeah, and look who gets to be the man in charge again!" Yakko winked, leaning on his shoulder.
"You know that won't work on me this time, right?"
"You know that he'll keep using it, right?" Wakko grinned.
"I'll have the toon-aware security keep a distance behind us." Jack nodded, "If anything happens they'll be close enough to stop it."
"Right…" I muttered, a momentary flash of black blinding me before blinking it away, "Sooner rather than later, right…"
A/N:
And they're off… Until next time guys XD