GrimmFall: Toonami Rebirth

Episode 3

"TOM…TOM…Wake up you rust bucket."

TOM's visual sensors came back online and standing above him was a very familiar face on his visor screen. "Moltar? What are you doing here?"

"I'm not actually here. I am communicating with you over an FTL channel that was downloaded into your systems when you first took over as host." Moltar answered as TOM stood up. "You've been in some messed up stuff before, TOM but this takes the cake. Getting eaten alive by a blob, getting trashed by a space pirate that blew up the ship I bought for you and now this. Some little nerd taking your new ship for a joyride."

"You know about Control Freak?" TOM asked, looking around the hallway. "Is he still in the ship's systems?"

"No. As soon the ship came out of the wormhole he bailed out. I hacked in and introduced a little anti-virus of my own design. That's what you get for getting a new ship made by pirate drones. Must have been rough having to meld with his soul the whole time." Moltar commented.

"You have no idea. So why are you contacting me now? You told me to never go back to Planet Ghost again." TOM looked back at the previous host.

"You've been gone for a little while, TOM. When the Absolution vanished the producers contacted me again but when I refused to host again they asked if I could track you down. Took me a while and during that time Toonami took a nose dive." Moltar said as a new image appeared, showing a new TOM model. "Meet your successor."

"Why does he have a face?" TOM asked after looking over TOM 4's image.

"They wanted to make you more human but that turned out to be a big mistake. Toonami's popularity fell until it was finally cancelled." Moltar deleted the image.

TOM nearly fell over. "Cancelled?"

"Yep. They couldn't keep it running anymore with the declining popularity. Looks like I was too late." Moltar said, sounding a little sad. "We lost big time, TOM."

"Dang it!" TOM banged the wall. "I should have stopped Control Freak and maybe this wouldn't have happened."

What could he and SARA do now without Toonami?

What purpose did they have left?

"Yeah, maybe but that doesn't matter now. What matters now is that you get this ship back up and running and get our show back." Moltar replied.

TOM stared at Moltar's image. "What?"

"I've looked over the status of the universe you are in. You can find some good people to help you fix this ship of yours back up and then you work your mechanical butt to get Toonami back up and running." Moltar pointed at TOM. "You're the host, TOM so you figure out a way to get Toonami back."

"Why? Why don't you do it?" TOM asked.

"Because I am heading to my home planet and I'm not coming back. I am done with dealing with the producers. There's a golden lava lake with my name on it." Moltar gestured to himself with his thumb. "Going to go settle down and start a nice flaming family. You are the host now; it's your job to show everyone why Toonami will never die. So get yourself fixed up, your ship running and get the show back or go join your previous models in the junk heap."

"Hey." TOM protested but let up. "All right, since you put that way I'll find a way, you annoying hot head."

"Good. My work is done then." Moltar paused and chuckled. "And just so you know I always thought I was the better host. Good luck never being able to fill my boots, sucker." And with that Moltor signed off with a laugh.

"He always knew how to push my buttons." TOM muttered, chuckling a bit. "Well, good luck buddy. May your flame stay forever lit."

And in the meantime TOM had a show to save.

To all Toonami fans both new and the ones who grew up watching Toonami from the very beginning this is my tribute to C. Martin Croker, the voice actor for Moltar and Zorak on Space Ghost Coast to Coast and later voiced Moltar as the host of Toonami from 1997 to 1999.

They will never find anyone to fill your boots.