Some Martians had managed to escape Mars before a sixth of it was blown up. However, there was an estimated two hundred Martians dead.

'It could have been a lot worse,' said Lola.

Marvin looked pained, but he wasn't down yet. He pulled himself together. 'Steer this pod towards Looney World,' he ordered his aide, who was in the cockpit. 'I'm forced to take drastic measures.'

'Daffy,' Lola said one word, but it was enough to set everyone off. Everyone in the pod took a moment to remember the unlikely hero.

All except one.

'What happened to Fudd?' Bugs asked.

Lola glared at him again. 'He might have escaped through a different pod, might have not.'

'Pity,' Bugs sighed. 'He was resourceful to the Global Mayor.'

'Bugs,' Lola said, 'show some respect.'

Bugs stayed silent for the rest of the journey.

Once the pod reached Looney World, it landed on a yellow field that was devoid of citizens. They got out.

'There was an acid storm right after we left, it seems,' Bugs observed.

'I'm going somewhere, Bugs. Would you be so kind as to join me?' Marvin asked.

'No thanks.'

'Sir,' Lola said, 'I'll stay with Bugs for a moment.'

Marvin nodded understandingly, and walked off, followed by his faithful aide.

'Well,' Lola said.

'Well what?'

'Have you considered what the Martina is saying might be true?'

'What gave you that impression?'

'You gave up trying to kill him, for one.'

'That was because I received new information. I will give that information to the global Mayor, have him evaluate it, and see whether he still wants me to continue the assignment.'

Lola hissed in frustration. 'And what about you, Bugs? Are you on the Martian's side?'

For the first time in a very long time, the corners of Bugs's mouth twitched.

'You're playing a foolish game, Lola,' he said, and started to walk away without saying goodbye.

'Wait,' Lola said, and Bugs turned. Lola threw a thick card into the air and Bugs caught it.

'My number and address,' Lola explained. 'If you need anything, you can always…see me.'

Bugs's mouth twitched upwards again, a true rarity. He turned his back on her and walked away without another word.

'More updates on the Mars situation – the missile, launched an hour ago, was not a direct hit, but Mars still sustained heavy damage. In a shocking twist, the Global Mayor was assaulted by Martian Loyalists, but luckily he was saved by three of RR's men. RR, otherwise known as Road Runner…'

Lola finished her shower and turned off the tv. What she and Marvin had discussed earlier left lingering doubts in her mind.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Could it be?

Lola rushed to the door and flung it open. There stood Bugs Bunny.

'Good evening Lola,' Bugs politely said, stepping inside. Lola was at a loss on what to say. Bugs walked past her into her living room and surveyed its surroundings.

'This place brings back memories,' he murmured.

Lola finally got around to saying something. 'So, what did the Global Mayor say?'

'I told him the Martian's true intention, and he called off the assignment. I don't know what he's going to do next, however.'

His gaze strayed to Lola's garden, carefully tended in her backyard. In fact, Lola's house was the only one in Looney world that did not have any smashed furniture or bloodstains. Remarkable, Bugs reflected.

'So the Global Mayor believes what the Martina is doing will save Looney World,' said Lola, sidling up to him, 'but do you?'

Silence.

'You must have come here for something, Bugs.'

More silence. Bugs turned his eyes to the koi pond. Fishes were swimming around and were not ripping each other apart. This was another world.

'I like this pond,' Lola said, 'to remind myself of what I'm fighting for.'

She waited for Bugs to say something, anything, but Bugs was still silent. Damn, this was frustrating. On impulse, Lola reached up and kissed her former lover lightly on the cheek.

And then, impossibly, he kissed back.

Two hours later of doing something unmentionable, Bugs and Lola lay in bed, panting.

Lola could hardly believe it. It was a long time since Bugs had done something with passion, but he had done so tonight. Could it possibly be, that after so many years, listening to the Martian had made Bugs change?

Could Bugs be reverting back to the good rabbit he once was?

For a while, both of them just lay there in silence. Then Bugs began to speak.

'Shorty,' he said. That was his son's name. 'Shorty was killed by someone. His killer is still alive. I want to kill him. But I can't. I can't.'

He sighed. 'Why am I even telling you this?'

'Because you're finally opening up,' Lola said, feeling joyous.

Abruptly, Bugs stood up, and began dressing himself. Lola followed suit, a little disappointed. But Bugs had made real progress. Who knew, maybe he'd come to her house more often. Slowly, he'd warm up to her. And then –

'Oops,' she said as she tripped on the hem of her bedsheet, and her head dropped an inch as she stumbled.

There was the sound of a gunshot. Heat creased her head. A bullet buried itself in the wall.

Shocked, Lola turned to see Bugs pointing his Eagle at her.

'I will try my best to make this quick,' he said in a deadened tone, and his finger tightened on the trigger.

Lola couldn't comprehend this. She simply couldn't. But when she saw the gun barrel pointing at her head, her survival instinct kicked in and she ran.

Four Hours ago.

'…and this the Martian thinks he can change this world,' Bugs finished his story and lapsed into silence. The Global Mayor Porky pig, looking shaken from his near death experience but otherwise capable, did not take long to reply.

'The Martian thinks he can change Looney World,' Porky said, getting up and looking out of the window. A scene of destruction greeted him.

'I'm giving you a new assignment,' Porky said. 'Eliminate Lola Bunny.'

He watched carefully for a change in Bugs's expression, but there was none. Of course there wouldn't be.

'May I ask why, sir?'

'The answer is obvious! She is blinded, blinded by the fact that the Martina and make a difference,' Porky swept his hand out in the partially dissolved street, where looters were already beginning to emerge. 'She will try her best to stop you from killing the Martian. There's only one way to get rid of her.'

Bugs nodded. 'I understand.'


Lola bounded down the corridor, crazed and disoriented. Bugs couldn't – he wasn't that kind of man, he couldn't –

A shot rang out and a bullet pierced the window above her, making it shatter. Broken glass fell in all directions. Some fell in front of her, she had no time to stop, shards of glass mercilessly pierced her feet as she ran.

She reached the garden, one simple vault over the fence would lead her back into the streets of Looney World, and she would be able to mingle with the crowd. But then Bugs appeared, his Eagle drawn.

Lola dived into the only hiding place she could think of – the koi pond. She plunged into the water and swam as deep as she could. More gunshots were heard, and koi all around her were instantly killed, blood formed in the water, as the koi perished, writhing crazily in their dying throes.

Suddenly she heard another splash. Bugs must have dived in. Or did he? Lola stayed under the water, heart pounding. The water was turning red, not only from the blood of the koi, but also her own.

'The Martian is blinded.' Porky continued, sounding as if he were ranting to himself. 'He is a idealist. Of course we all want the universe to be filled by kind and generous people, la la la, but it's the not the case.'

'Some people will turn to good. But the majority of people will turn to evil. Democracy wins. As long as there are two sides, good and evil, there will be conflict. Many people will be dead.'

'It's best to minimize casualties, Bugs. People are naturally evil. Let nature take its course. Trying to change nature will just bring about more deaths.'


Lola knew that Bugs was trying to fool her to swim to the surface and get out of the pond. There he would be waiting with his Eagle at the ready.

How could he be doing this? That was the questions that was running through Lola's head over and over. Perhaps this was someone else in disguise. Yes, that was it. That had to be it. It couldn't be her darling Bugs who would try to kill her.

But in her heart, she believed that was wrong.

All was quiet for now. Where was Bugs? Lola was running out of air, sooner or later she would have to surface. She looked round the bottom of the pond for any weapon – anything. But no luck.

It was no use. She had no air left, had to surface. She had to…

Lola broke the surface and inhaled a loud gasp of air, expecting to be shot immediately. But she wasn't, and when she looked around, there was no one there. That was when she noticed a lone Eagle lying on the ground, next to Bugs's familiar yellow suit.

Of course. Bugs had used reverse psychology – made her believe he hadn't jumped in, which in fact he had. In a flash Lola darted forward, grabbed the Eagle, and sprinted back to the pond.

Bugs Bunny's head broke the surface, and found himself looking down the barrel of his own gun. Lola was holding it, her hands shaking wildly.

'What are you waiting for?' Bugs said quietly. Lola's hands kept shaking, her fingers refusing to pull the trigger. In a flash Bugs took advantage of her hesitation, leaped out of the water, wrenched the gun from her hands and held it to her head.

Lola realized with a jolt that her death had come. She would die by the hand of her ex-boyfriend.

Bugs said, 'I'll allow you last words.'

'B-Bugs,' Lola said. 'c-ome…back.'

Bugs fired.

The bullet left the chamber.

Entered Lola's forehead.

Bugs stared down at the dead body. He stared at it for a very long time.

'People can become anything. They can become good, they can become evil.'

'They can change from good to evil, but no one can change from evil to good,' Porky stopped his rambling, and looked at Bugs. 'You seem to know this already.'

'I knew it a long time ago,' Bugs replied, standing up. 'Shall I perform the deed now?'

'That's it, Bugs?' Porky raised an eyebrow. 'No pleading for your girlfriend's life?'

'No,' Bugs said, 'I understand what needs to be done.'

He walked to the doors, and then turned back to Porky. 'I think I can summarize your long winded speech with just a few words though.'

'Oh?'

'It's a Looney World, and we're the Loonies.'

Having said that, Bugs left to perform his task.