I'm very happy with the feedback from last chapter. It was better than I expected for the first chapter of the new story. To those who are reading, I thank you so much. I'll churn out more and more. Here's chapter 2.

Chapter 2: Shatter

It was just one of those days

Bored out of their skulls and waiting for their call in with the studio head in order to receive their final paychecks, they flew over the lot to take a good last look at the place they had basically called home for the entirety of the show's run.

The Goodfeathers: Bobby, Pesto, and Squit, had been flying over every garage, car, trashcan, and bench for well over an hour. They hoped in vain that a carrier pigeon would hurry by and give them the news that they were finally ready to be paid. Of course, in all honesty, they weren't in too much of a hurry. None of them would admit it but with the finale for the cast and crew being over the horizon, they relished in being able to take this chance to look over the Warner Brothers lot one last time.

Pesto sputtered in mid-air and shivered something fierce for a good two seconds. The action was abrupt and spontaneous enough to warrant Bobby and Squit to stop flying and turn to him with questioning glances.

"What're you lookin' at?" Came an annoyed Pesto. It was a response you'd expect from him.

"You. That's the second time I've seen you just shiver and stop like that when we were out flying like this." Bobby remarked and flew to his friends' side with Squit right on his heels.

"It's not me. It's just an involuntary reflex I sometimes get when I feel uncomfortable." Pesto felt the need to correct him. He noticed Squit wasn't looking at them and instead had taken an interest in the monument below them.

It was the Water Tower.

"We fly by all the time so I've gotten used to it." Squit began voicing their collective thoughts. " But I keep forgetting that the air above this tower is always cold."

The remark garnered three seconds of silence between them. Thinking about it suddenly made them all feel it now.

"… Forget about it. I've got a game we can play." Pesto perked up and rushed forward.

"Whoa! Hey! Don't zip by like a storm hawk on me! What game?" Bobby shouted after him. Squit laughed and followed along as well.

They all felt considerably warmer as they left the Water Tower behind.

Cough. Sputter. Choke. Whimper.

That was the process Yakko was going through now as he lied on the dirt at the side of the long walk-way leading back to the Water Tower. It wasn't that far off. At least it wouldn't be to a regular person. For Yakko, it might as well have been on the other side of the world.

His coughing fit had started again as he had gone down the road to the store. When he had reached his destination, everything seemed relatively well. He had gone through the selection the store had offered and picked out what he thought would be best for his siblings. Making sure not to totally ignore anything healthy but also striving to keep close to the things he knew they would find delectable wasn't as hard a task as he thought it would be. After all, Yakko was a kid too. He didn't like anything too disgustingly healthy.

He paid for what he could and left the store with quite a bit of time to spare. The sun was setting, sure, but all in all, it wasn't too bad of a gap between when he left and his readiness to head on back.

That was before his coughing fit turned into a choking fit. The choking fit was a far worse offset from the coughing one as it left him unable to accurately draw in air for breathing sometimes. This was one of those cases where he felt that he couldn't afford to drop like a stone and wait it out like he had done before. However, because his luck was crappy, it also turned out to be one of those cases where his body wouldn't have given him a choice.

Yakko had forced himself to keep cycling on but the pain in his chest and the obstruction of air was unbearable. One more forceful push than necessary to reach an inch more dirt ahead than the spot he was currently at on his way home had caused him to topple over and hit the ground hard. He stayed there, coughing and choking, blissfully unaware of how many people were heartlessly passing him by without so much as a voice for concern.

Sunset turned into nighttime and by now, Yakko felt tortured. He had tried to get up several times only for him to topple back over and continue grasping for strength that wasn't there. It continued until finally he located some and was ready to go again. It wasn't too terribly late. He could still make it back home in time for dinner without his sibs worrying about what was taking him so long. He could manage to dodge the subject of his illness once again and keep them from being worried like before.

With that in mind and with painful tears strolling down his face, Yakko forced him and the bike back up and got into a pedaling position. He sighed heavily and looked ahead. His vision was so blurry. He knew it wasn't just from his tears this time too. Grunting with a huff of admirable effort, he pushed forward.

He stopped. He pushed forward again. And then he stopped again.

This was pathetic. He slapped his face and shook his head hard to clear the cobwebs before starting up and not allowing himself to stop. He pedaled and pedaled hard until eventually, he made his way back into the lot. Thunderous applause should've started before him as he reached his destination outside the water tower. To him, that feat was worthy of it.

As he skidded to a stop, he briefly looked around for any kind of obstruction to prop his newly acquired bicycle up against. Without giving it too much thought, he settled for keeping it on stand-by at the base of the tower. It's giant red legs would be enough to let people know that it was there's. Hopefully, the unspoken rule of "Don't cross the Warners" was still in effect enough not to warrant a possible theft.

Yakko managed to take in a deep breath. He couldn't explain it but being back at home had made him feel slightly better.

No time to dwell on weirdness like that though. He had dinner to deliver.

Yakko made his way up the ladder of the tower with surprising ease. He honestly couldn't believe he hadn't passed out half way up. Again, nothing he needed to think too hard about. These bouts with dizziness and fatigue were annoying but refreshingly they came in short bursts that allowed for him to complete whatever task he had been doing. Never mind that these dizzy spells were becoming more and more frequent. As the big brother, it was his job to handle it. He didn't need his siblings obsessing over his health. He just needed them to be well taken care of.

"Dottie, I'm home!" Yakko shouted inside the tower. His call echoed to the ears of both his sibs and made for quite the grand entrance of the youngest one first. This meant she was playfully peeved at Yakko for calling her "Dottie" just like he had expected her to be.

"I wonder why I haven't killed you yet." Dot spoke and followed him into the kitchen. Yakko laughed as he took the supplies out and began preparing an easily accessible dinner.

"Oh you know why. The loveable lug of the bunch just can't be swayed away by sisterly threats." The older brother's reply came rather sharply. Dot crossed her arms and sat down, seeming to have accepted that answer. She rarely ever talked back at him nowadays, even when they were just playing around. It was so depressing. He wished she would go back to how she usually was.

About have way through preparing a platter of pre-cooked chicken and potatoes, Yakko felt the need to act upon the fact that Wakko still hadn't come out to greet him. He knew in his gut that his bro had heard him come in.

"… Wakko!" Yakko began shouting. "Dinner!"

There wasn't a response in the form of words immediately. It wasn't until they heard the door creaking open and shutting behind itself that they were given something audible.

"Coming."

Wakko trudged in with his hands at his sides. His eyes were soulless and understandably tired. Still, they weren't expressing a desire to head back. Food was food and Wakko was always ready to eat.

Despite Wakko's uncomfortable entrance, Yakko managed to work up the courage to face his younger brother with a smile. Wakko looked at Yakko and felt the twinge of a cramped, awkward air about him. Those pathetic, hopeful eyes of his made Wakko sigh and sit down without a word.

They sat and chewed on their food in a silence that would've been unheard of months prior to the announcement of their show's cancellation. It wasn't the happy or relaxing kind of silence Yakko had heard their dear Dr. Scratchnsniff speak so fondly of on numerous occasions.

Yakko was a talker. He couldn't stand not speaking when he really wanted to. Looking at the faces of his siblings as he ate really made him want to talk but just reinforced why it'd probably be a terrible idea to try. Dot was shyly stealing glances to both her brothers as she pecked at her food wearily. Wakko had full blown dived in and swallowed chicken after potato after chicken in a steadfast process. His facial expression stayed streamlined and intolerable. It made Yakko flinch and grit his teeth behind closed lips. Even when he didn't have anything to say he was always trying to talk. That's why whenever he was stumped for what word he wanted to come out next, he'd always stretch out a huge "Ahhhhhh" to avoid having to close his mouth.

He had to say something. Anything!

"Still a quick eater I see." Yakko turned to his brother and let that sentence slip out. It pierced the silence like a spear to the stomach and made Dot shiver a bit. She couldn't explain to herself why.

"…" Wakko stopped eating for a millisecond and shifted his eyes toward his older brother. The look he was giving would've made a puppy hide under the covers in fear. For Yakko, it was expected, but that didn't mean he really welcomed it.

"You're not going to blame me if we run out of food again are you?" Wakko finally spoke. Yakko also hated it when Wakko's responses came with that bitter aftertaste.

"No. That's not what I was getting at. I'm just glad there's some things about you that haven't changed is all."

That could've been phrased better.

"Oh really? I've changed that much huh?" Wakko's speech was becoming much sterner. "I guess being told my career was being halted just throws me right the fuck off."

Obsessive language. This conversation was taking a dive and quick.

"There's no need to get angry. Or for you to curse. I was just-" Yakko began but was interrupted.

"Trying to make conversation? Hate to break it to you Yakko, but I'm not in the best mood for it right now. I doubt pointing out how much of a disturbing husk of my former self I've become is supposed to entice me to talk more." Wakko's voice got louder.

"That's not what I meant. I mean, I know I get on your case a lot but there's a good reason for it." Yakko's tone hinted at wanting to steer this conversation into a more positive direction. However, Wakko's astringent replies were making Yakko angry as well. It must've also shown in his voice as Wakko wasn't having that.

"A good reason hmm? You relish in the idea that I could behave and be just as good a butt kisser as you?"

"I do what I do to protect and provide for you guys! Why are you trying to make that sound like such a bad thing?"

"Because you always do when I try to take matters into my own hands!"

"Yeah! I do, because what you're doing is more harmful than not!"

They had started fighting. Yakko hadn't meant to but they had started and neither one could stop. Dot had closed her eyes tightly and resounded to keeping her head nodding downward.

The back and forth went on despite Dot's wish for it to disappear into a quiet chasm of unpleasantness and never be seen or heard from again. It was almost as if Yakko, just by talking to him, had set off some sort of trigger inside of Wakko that told him to completely denounce his older brother. She could steal hear it. It was still going on.

Wakko's rage wouldn't settle. He wasn't going to let Yakko get the better of him over this. He shot back comment after comment and made sure each one had some sort of seasoning to them that Yakko would hate. Eventually, it all came full-circle, back where they had started from and it was Wakko's turn to fire back.

"That approach of yours to just believe really hard in the power of hope and prosperity is what's leaving us in debt! Just grow up and do what we have to do in order to survive! Stop abiding by everyone else's rules when they're the ones screwing you over!"

Grow up? Despite everything else Wakko had said, Yakko let those two words flare harshly in his mind and clenched his fists as he graciously allowed those two simple words to take command of his emotions. He was going off the deep end.

"Grow up? You of all people are telling me to grow up? So taking a grown up stance against the poverty we're diving into is stealing, doubling our chance for arrest, and squandering our chances to keep money and food readily available for us? Huh? Is that what growing up is to you, you moron? You act like a worthless crimin-"

"LIKE A WHAT?" Wakko's loud, booming voice would've scared a flock of pigeons away. All at once what Yakko had been ready to call his brother and the magnitude of what such a claim would mean hit him dead on like an arrow piercing into his skull.

"L-Like a-"

"LIKE THIS!" Wakko promptly tossed the glass plate he was eating from at the wall behind Yakko. It shattered on impact which made Dot yelp lightly and Yakko flinch. "ACTING LIKE THAT? RIGHT?"

For the first time since this whole mess started, he was effectively afraid of his little brother.

"Acting like a what?" Wakko was standing up straight now, demanding an answer. Daring Yakko to finish his statement.

But Yakko was quiet now and staring down at his plate. He was doing whatever he could to keep from looking at Wakko's eyes. The heat surrounding him in the kitchen was unbearable all of a sudden. He'd probably start choking because of it if he wasn't feeling so tense.

Yakko heard the chair Wakko was sitting on hit the floor followed by damning, angry stomps back to his room. It was complete with the ever effective slamming of his bedroom door.

That sound signaled a return to the cold and dead atmosphere that had been plaguing the dinner table for an undetermined amount of time.

Yakko stared at his plate and shut his eyes. Squeezed them shut to be exact. He didn't need any tears coming on now. Especially considering how many he had caught a glimpse coming from Dot as she sat across from him.

She was shaking. She let out tiny little whimpers and gasps. She was scared. Of course she was scared. Yakko was scared too. What just happened was very scary.

Never in all their years had the threat of such violence stirred between them. The thought made Yakko bite his lip. He curled and uncurled his hands. He soaked in the light blubbering that Dot was doing. It was obvious she was trying desperately not to cry too hard. For his sake or hers, he couldn't tell. All he knew was that the fact that she was crying at all made him feel tremendously ashamed of himself.

He had been the one who initiated the talking. Maybe he didn't know where the talk would lead but he didn't expect another fight to happen so soon. It must've meant that Wakko was getting worse as the days drew on. Yet here he was, allowing Wakko to blow a gasket and frighten his little sister. What kind of older brother allows that? Hell, how'd he even let it get to this point?

However angry Wakko was, the fact of the matter to Yakko was that he had instigated that fight. Whether he wanted to or not, it happened the way it did because of him. He was convinced of that despite any of the other factors an onlooker could've pointed out in his defense.

He had used the word "Worthless". He had almost called him a "criminal". It was in the same realm as a mother calling her child a "Mistake" or an "abomination"to them.

He didn't care how mad, or maybe even how dangerous, Wakko was right now. He needed to set this right. He was going to apologize.

The instant Yakko moved to do so though, he felt himself let off a violent cough. He kept coughing and hacking until he was forced to go down on one knee to keep his body focused on remaining composed. Dot had already looked up at him when the first cough reached her eyes and scurried over to Yakko's side when more kept coming. She patted his back, rubbed it down, and even offered him a glass of water. Yakko was grateful for her concerned, almost motherly response. It made him feel warm on the inside. He desperately needed that feeling.

"Are you okay?" Dot asked with her cracked voice. She had definitely been doing some impressive holding back. Her eyes were bloodshot red and her face was wet all the way down to the chin. She was trying so hard to remain as calm as anyone could in this situation.

Unlike the supposed older brother who asserted that yelling and screaming was A-Okay. Was it possible for Yakko to feel even more like crap?

"I'm… going to be okay." Yakko had wanted to say that he was fine, but lying to her didn't fall within his interests at the moment. "Just let me go talk to Wakko."

Dot's face when he said that was a mix of confusion and worry. Her lip quivered as if she was getting ready to say something but it died down and instead Yakko was given a submissive nod. Yakko mentally thanked her for that.

He stood himself up completely now and wandered out of the kitchen and toward Wakko's room directly. He didn't blink. He didn't sigh. He just stopped and stared at the door for a few seconds.

His eyes widened and his ears perked up. He knew what the very faint sound on the other end was but he didn't think Wakko's next course of action would lead to that. Yakko didn't even bother knocking once he realized the reality of the situation though. The knob was turned and the door was opened, successfully allowing him inside with zero resistance.

He wasn't wrong. At the bedside he could see the corner of Wakko's eye staring right back at him while the rest of his face was buried within his pillow. His eyes were bloodshot and his face and pillow were drenched.

Yeah. He was definitely crying.

Wakko shut his eyes tightly and buried the rest of his face into the pillow as Yakko made his way over. He knew full well that despite the tears, Wakko's anger was still very fresh and hot. If the plate throwing from earlier was any indication, he would need to watch himself less he suffer an injury.

It disgusted him thinking about taking precaution against his little brother as if he were a dangerous maniac though.

Once Yakko reached the bedside he was met with a response so immediate that Yakko hadn't the time to even open his own mouth.

"Just go away."

That was it. Hearing it the way Wakko had said it made Yakko feel like his heart had been squeezed. He didn't even know how to go about this the right way. He figured it best to just say what he came here to say first so that if he was thrown out of the room he wouldn't have that as his biggest regret.

"I'm sorry."

Wakko was silent. He stayed silent for about 20 seconds before responding.

"You're sorry…" Wakko turned his head to face his big brother. His own bloodshot eyes locked with Yakko's and were stuck there. "… for what?"

Yakko looked down. "For… instigating that fight. That really wasn't my intention… It's just… I have this desire for talk. I can't not talk. You know how it is."

Wakko sighed rather heavily and sat up. His fur was a bit matted. "Yeah. I do."

"… Plus… You and me…" Yakko felt he was finally getting somewhere with him for some reason, despite the little amount of actual spoken words between them here. "… We haven't really been … close to one another for quite a long time. It wears a big brother out being so spurned."

Wakko's face lowered. He sat there quietly with his hands curled before looking at the side. A look of pure hatred washed over him. It scared Yakko and made him wonder if he had somehow screwed up again.

"I can't forgive them."

"Them who?" Yakko asked, already having an idea as to what his brother meant.

"Plotz. Those people at the studio. They took our show away. I loved… I loved that show." Wakko choked out. "And I… I wanted to make them pay for it. I still do."

Yakko normally would've interjected with a line about how that was wrong but he couldn't pass up on a chance to finally hear the motivations behind his brother's behavior.

"I figure… If I can sneak some way around them and make it so that they pay for what happens to us next than it'd be like getting even. Ya know?" Wakko spoke truthfully. He had no idea why he was suddenly pouring this out to his brother. Now that he had started, he couldn't stop though. "I don't have that much power and I usually end up getting caught anyway… so whatever I do doesn't work and… ultimately makes things worse for us… "

He had admitted it. He already knew it was wrong. So than why? Why couldn't he see that it was much better to put his revenge on the backburner for the sake of his siblings?

Yakko couldn't relay to his brother an accurate enough or fast enough response. Quite frankly, he was more than a little shocked at how vile Wakko's intentions truly were.

"… Your cheek is bleeding. I'm sorry." Wakko spoke up again. Yakko blinked in shock and touched the side of his face. He was indeed bleeding. A shard from that plate must've got him. It wasn't a very big cut but one look at Wakko's face after feeling it and Yakko knew that his brother was finally becoming unable to contain himself again.

"It's okay. We were both running on pure emotion back there-" Yakko began. He wanted to make sure Wakko stayed calm. However, the younger brother wouldn't have it.

"No! It's not okay." Wakko's voice cracked and he rubbed at his eyes as they began to dampen again. "I hurt you. I made you draw blood. All because I was mad that you weren't happy with my ideals. I feel even worse knowing that I still… I still can't get over it. I still want to make them pay..."

Hearing that didn't make Yakko any happier. He needed to remain stern despite Wakko's crying.

"Wakko… I know you loved our show but-"

"It's not just about that. I'm scared, okay! We're all on our way to becoming total bums. Forgotten about and tossed out on the street like an annoying memory. What are Buster, Babs, and the rest of the Tiny Toons gang doing now? They made like two or three cameos on our show but then disappeared shortly after we got to see them again. Have you seen them in anything else?"

"I-"

"NO! Of course you haven't! Their times came and went and now it's our turn!"

Wakko was hysterical now. The fear of the unknown was overwhelming him. Yakko needed to bring back the composure. As the older brother, it was his mission to try.

"Wakko. We're talented and we've got credentials. It's not like if our show is cancelled we immediately hop out onto the street corner and go begging for loose chance. We're at a stage in our lives where we need to stabilize ourselves and move on to bigger and better things." Yakko tried his best to explain.

"But I like doing THIS though! There's nothing else I think I'd be good at. And even if I was, it's not like we have any real chance." Wakko blurted out. He instantly regretted doing so though. The change in Yakko's facial expression was as immediate as his thoughtless response.

No real chance?

"… No real chance at what? Getting back on our feet?" Yakko asked, taken aback.

Wakko sat there quietly and looked down at his feet. Yakko recognized that as the stance of a person who had admitted something they didn't mean too. Yakko pressed on. He had to know if what Wakko had just said meant what he thought it did.

"I know you had your own reasoning for doing all this but… is part of that reasoning due to you not believing in my ability to get us out of this rut?" Yakko sounded like he had been smacked across the face.

Wakko's silence didn't help in the slightest.

"… You don't believe in me… at all?" The now solemn older brother muttered just loud enough for Wakko's ears to catch the question. After everything he's done and everything he's tried to do... did Wakko not support or believe in his brother or his efforts? Had he already given up on him?

When Wakko didn't answer for a considerable amount of time he eventually sighed and hopped off the bed. He made his way to the door, slumped a bit from an invisible weight on his shoulders, and turned just enough so that he could meet Yakko's heartbroken gaze.

"… I guess… I guess I don't…"

Wakko left the room entirely after that, having gone off to get some fresh air considering how understandably stuffy the water tower was suddenly feeling. Yakko didn't care though. He was frozen stiff, starring at the door as if it was melting.

The thought ran through his mind over and over before he found himself on his knees, still starring out ahead. His body was trembling hard.

He was doing this mostly for them. His brother and his sister were his driving force. Often he had wondered if trying to get them through this was a lost cause but he knew in his heart that his siblings believed in him. So long as they stuck together, supported each other, and believed in success he could see a brighter future ahead. It didn't matter how dim the light at the end of the tunnel was.

He figured Wakko's behavior had something to do with how bitter he had become toward the world but to find out that it was also because… he didn't believe Yakko could succeed at helping them or providing for them; stuff a good older brother should be able to do... was just...

... Earthshattering.

After about 10 minutes Dot wandered into the room. She must've seen Wakko come out but not Yakko and got worried when time passed with no sign of him. She stood there with a confused expression as Yakko simply stayed on his knees, now staring at the floor.

Dot felt instinct take over and she hurried to him, already at about eye level due to Yakko's squatting.

"… Y-Yakko? What's the matter?" Dot spoke calmly and curiously. Yakko just loomed his head up to meet her face to face. His mind was in a jumble. He didn't know what to think of himself anymore.

"… Have I been a good older brother to you?" Was his sudden question. It threw Dot for a loop. She didn't know where that had come from but knew it was on the heels of his and Wakko's discussion.

"Yes. Of course you have." Dot made sure to respond quickly enough, in order to make sure that he didn't think that she was thinking it over. She truly did think he had been and still is.

"You know I love you right? I'm trying hard for you and Wakko. I really am. If I fail it isn't because I didn't try. Honest." Yakko sounded so spastic. It was scary.

"Of course I know all that. And who says you're gonna fail! We'll make it through this. I know you, of all people, can get us back on our feet and then some! And I'm always here to help! So is Wakko! We believe in you so don't stop believing in yourself!" Dot was nearly hysterical.

Yakko managed a smile. He didn't know how but he managed one. She didn't know what Wakko had confessed to just earlier. However, it still comforted him hearing all that for some reason. He couldn't come up with a satisfactory reason as to why. Dot just had that air about her.

There wasn't any more talking. Yakko flung his arms around his baby sister and she did the same for him.

They sat there in silence, crying lightly into each other's shoulders. Neither of them knew for how long.

The daylight had come and gone and it was especially noticeable on the dankest side of Burbank. It was the area where the buildings weren't all that well kept and shady looking figures lurked around every corner. It certainly wasn't a place for children to be regularly exposed to, that's for sure. It's a good thing this area was rather small and secluded compared to the rest of the town.

In one particular alley, three hooded teens were gathered around a static ridden television set they had found sitting in the dumpster. After numerous attempts to get a clear picture they eventually decided it best to leave it there and head off.

"I can't wait to see Yakko tomorrow night."

"Don't get too excited. Odds are he still won't have the money."

"How poor can a guy who lives on the Warner Brothers lot be?"

"Damn poor. Apparently."

The voices of the people within the alleyway could be heard clearly by anyone who was curious enough to go and investigate. Too bad the people there weren't stupid. Diving too deep into the back alleys of any town can get you wrapped up in situations you're not supposed to be in.

Of course, even the smartest of people can find their way there if they're desperate and scared enough to resort to consulting the lowest common denominator for help. Doing so won't help you get back on top though. It just sinks your ship faster.

Yakko's ship couldn't afford to be sunk any faster…

The three of them exited the alley, leaving the clear echo of words given off by the cable-less, static television to itself.

" … the strangest incident investigators have seen in quite some… … three men… … used to work for Warner Broth… found be-headed… no evidence left behind…"