Gotta find 'em! Gotta find 'em! Gotta find 'em!

That was the only thought echoing through Yakko's mind as he scampered through the walls of Fort Frolic. The city of Rapture wasn't lacking for ventilation shafts. When you're a city under the ocean, stuffy rooms are hard to fix. One couldn't just open a window. Therefore, the ventilation shafts were built extra large.

Ever since Wakko found him in Cohen's Collection, the brothers had made the inner walls their home. They never remained in one spot for too long. While Cohen and the splicers couldn't physically reach them within the walls, if they figured out where the Warners were hiding, the kids could be flushed out of the vents.

Yakko had no way of knowing where Wakko decided to hunker down, and it was easy to get lost within the ventilation system. The lighting was poor and the paths labyrinthine. Pausing to catch his breath, he pressed his ear to the side of the wall. He tapped shave and a haircut, and waited. When two-bits didn't answer, he clicked his tongue twice and kept moving forward. He repeated the pattern every few minutes.

That was how the Warners learned to survive while hiding in Rapture's walls. They kept their voices low and their ears sharp. Only venturing into the fort when they needed supplies, or when Dot was out gathering ADAM. Dot… Yakko would never forget the first time he saw Dot as a Gatherer, and the devastation that came when she didn't recognize him, or her own name. He recalled how he struggled to tell Wakko what had become of their sister, only for Wakko to reveal that he had already known. Eventually, the boys resolved that Dot was still family and they would continue to watch over her.

What an emotional day this had been! Just a few hours ago, Yakko had resigned himself to living in the walls with Wakko, watching over Dot until the end of time. It had begun like any other day, with Dot merrily stabbing corpses. Mister Bubbles would never let the boys get too close to her, so they could only watch and help from a distance. Yakko liked to think the Bouncer appreciated the help he and Wakko provided. The brothers had waited until the Protector began carrying their sister to a bronze vent, before they climbed into a separate vent. They had barely decided to call it a night when they heard Dot's screams and the gunshots. Yakko and Wakko had sped over to her, praying they weren't too late.

The thought of his sister in danger made Yakko double his pace. He was in such a frenzy he forgot to be alert for-

"OUCH!"

Yakko collided with something in the vents. Oh crud! He must have been crossing a Little Sister pathway. Yakko cursed his carelessness. The vents were the only true sanctuary for the Little Sisters, and now he just showed her that strangers could get into the one place they could feel safe without Mister Bubbles.

However, to Yakko's surprise, the girl remained quiet. She just knelt there, blocking his path. The Little Sister's silhouette was all he could make out in the dim light of the ventilation shaft. Was she navigating with her eyes closed? He couldn't make out her glowing eyes.

"Oops, uhh pardon me kiddo," Yakko chuckled sheepishly after a minute of awkward quiet, "didn't hear you come in." He was startled when she began to crawl towards him. "Who are you?" She asked, reaching out with curiosity. "You're not a Sister, are you?"

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," Yakko pondered his answer as he dodged her inquisitive fingers. Grateful she wasn't panicking, he replied with the air of a medieval knight. "Why, I am Sir Yaks-a-lot, the Yakking Wall-Dweller!" On a whim, he questioned her. "I seek my little brother, the Great Master Wak-a-mole, perchance you have laid vision on him?"

"Ummmm… No?" She sounded puzzled, but also intrigued. Perhaps he'd come on a bit too strong; but it was better to be thought weird than scary.

"I see. I thank you, good Miss, for your time." It had been a long shot anyway. "But I must hurry along; Wakko is waiting."

"Wakko? You know Wakko?" She excitedly reached out again and Yakko, not able to dodge, felt himself being pulled closer to her. Once they were face to face, the two could make out each other's features. The smiling girl could see the family resemblance and Yakko could see that her eyes were not glowing.

She's been healed! Yakko shook off his astonishment to smile sweetly. "I'm sure Wakko would love to meet you, Miss uhhhh-" He trailed off expectantly.

"I'm Leta!"

"Miss Leta, but he's a bit busy right now. We can meet up later, though?" Leta smiled brightly and gave Yakko a big hug. Yakko patted her back, whispering in her ear. "Okay, but I am in a hurry."

"Oh, I'm sorry." She quickly scooted over to let Yakko pass. "Bye, Sir Yaks-a-lot!"

"Fare thee well, Miss Leta!" And they both continued on their way.

The next time Yakko sent out a tap-tap-ta-tap-tap he heard the response. Following the echoing tap-tap, he finally found his brother and jumped him. Wakko clung to him like a baby koala. "Whoa!" exclaimed Wakko. "You okay? What happened?"

"I'm fine. Tell ya later. Where's Dot?"

Wakko pointed to the left and Yakko saw the sleeping form of their baby sister. Wakko had placed a small lantern by her ears and pillowed her head with his suit jacket. Yakko swiftly removed his own jacket to lay it on top of her.

The Warner brothers moved to sit next to Dot. "Any change?" Yakko hesitantly asked.

Wakko shook his head. "She's in deep."

Yakko looked at his sister, anxiety pooling in his stomach. Dot had to be the lightest sleeper among them. How many times had she woke them up in the middle of the night to recruit them in her crusade against whatever disturbed her 'beauty sleep'?

Too many, thought Yakko with a near chuckle. He raised both hands above her ears, about to clap when Wakko grabbed his arm. "I, uh, don't think that's a good idea, Yak."

Yakko scowled. "Wakko, c'mon. I don't care how mad she gets. It's been 13 years, I wanna see my sister!"

Wakko held up both hands in a calming gesture. "I know, I know, I wanna see her too." He looked down and fiddled with his tie. "I was gonna try that too, but…" Wakko trailed off, looking very uncomfortable.

"What? What happened?" Wakko's hesitance was disturbing Yakko, "Good grief, Wak, don't leave me hanging!"

"Ah, ya see, she was-"

An oozing sound interrupted them and they looked down to see marble-sized bubbles of black liquid floating off of Dot's body.

"Yeeeeaaaahhhh… that." When Wakko look to his brother, Yakko had turned completely white. Oh poo, I was afraid this would happen, thought Wakko, as he conjured an empty jar for Yakko. His older brother screamed into the jar for several minutes before quickly slapping on the lid and adding it to their vast collection. Yakko heaved deep breaths, but his color had not fully returned. Wakko patted his back. "That was my reaction, too."

Yakko's tongue had knotted itself again. "Blah blas blabbening? Blah blas blat bluff? Blis bleeb blick?"

Wakko shrugged, handing Yakko a glass of water. "I dunno, but it's been happening for a while now. I think it might be… ink?"

"Blaaaaiink?" Yakko went to poke one of the bubbles.

"Wait, don't touch 'em!"

"Bly blot?"

"I did that and my finger went tingly." Wakko wiggled his fingers "It's better now, but…"

Yakko had almost gotten the knot out of his tongue. He wanted to shout ink doesn't do that! However, he had to admit the liquid did look like a weird ink. Toons had an eye for that sort of thing.

Wakko scooted closer to his brother. "I know you're scared but this may not be… bad, exactly." At Yakko's incredulous look, he continued. "H-hear me out, bro!"

The younger boy spread out his arms. "I think it's a sign that she's getting better. I mean, look!" He pointed to the drips, which were dying down in number. "It's coming off her, right? Which means it's no longer in her body, right? So maybe, when enough comes off, she'll wake up!" He smiled up at Yakko, hoping he was reassured. Tongue finally untangled, Yakko gave the idea some thought.

"You really think so?" He gave a soft smile when Wakko nodded enthusiastically with his tongue sticking out the corner of his mouth.

"W-well, she should still see a doctor." The words were barely out of his mouth before he facepalmed. "I take it back, the last thing she needs is a doctor."

Wakko, cringing, nodded in agreement. They carried on with their vigil; the only sounds were Dot's soft snores and a muffled Rapture Reminder over the intercom.

Yakko observed that Wakko would occasionally bend his head closer to Dot with perked ears. At Yakko's questioning look, his brother explained. "I thought she might speak again."

"Speak? You mean like sleep talk?"

"Uh-huh, it can be hard to make out. I don't wanna miss anything, so shhhhhh!"

Dot started muttering. The boys eagerly strained their ears to hear her voice.

"Sooochong," she mumbled, sounding whiny, "where'z da kid?"

When she went back to snoring, Wakko elaborated. "Most of the time she talks about Gatherer stuff like 'Mr. Bubbles' or 'angels'." He scowled. "I think she was talking about Dr. Yi Suchong; she mentioned him a few times."

Yi Suchong. Yakko knew that name. He hoped that man had already died a violent death.

"She ever mention us?" Yakko asked after a brief pause.

Wakko shook his head. Yakko's crestfallen expression prompted Wakko to retort. "Yakko, that doesn't mean-"

Yakko interrupted him. "Yeah, I know it might not mean anything, but it's not exactly encouraging!"

Let's change the subject, thought Wakko. "Soooo anyway, why do you have that guy's camera?"

"Huh?" Yakko then remembered that he never returned the camera to Jack. "Oh yeah. Guess I should explain that."

He told Wakko of what happened in Fleet Hall.

"Was that the same splicer who-"

"Uh-huh."

"He's dead now?"

"Medium-rare."

"Good." Wakko cocked his head at Yakko. "Thought you would be happier about that."

Yakko became teary and brought out his photo of the beloved Jazzy Junior.

When Wakko saw it, he gasped, covering his mouth. "Oh no! Not Jazzy Junior!"

Yakko blinked away tears as he nodded. "She was so young, so beautiful!"

"Are you gonna be okay?" Wakko asked tearily as he hugged Yakko.

"This grief shall pass, brother mine, and I will be stronger for it." He wrapped his arms around his brother. "I will keep her memory close to my heart! Her spirit will never fade."

Serious again, Yakko explained why he still had the camera. When he'd finished, Wakko responded. "I don't get it."

"I doubt anyone gets Cohen, but it's what he wants, so…"

"No I mean," Wakko interrupted, "why doesn't he do it himself?"

The elder brother was momentarily confused by the question. He was about to point out that humans can't do what toons can do with cameras, but realized Wakko was referring to the killing of the other disciples.

"Honestly? I think that cuckoo's scared of Jack."

Wakko sat up straight. "Then you think he could get Cohen, too?"

Yakko was speechless. Cohen was one of the most powerful splicers in Rapture! Many splicers had tried and failed to kill the artist. In fact, Yakko was 80% certain that the statues that made up the Quadtych were among those who tried. Just because Jack was able to take down Dot's Mister Bubbles (Rest in Peace), at least 50 splicers, and another Mister Bubbles (no relation) all on his own … okay thinking about it like that… Jack was absolutely more than qualified. The man was lethal! Not only that, he was kind! Jack had protected the siblings several times in different ways.

Could Jack... Would Jack… be their last hope for freedom?

Yakko had to stop these thoughts. He couldn't let his guard down just because someone decided to be nice for a change. He made that mistake once already.

Plus, if Jack really was stronger than Cohen, what did that mean? Who was Jack?

All the while, Wakko had continued talking. "Just think, big brother! If this Jack guy kills ol' Sandy, we can finally take the Bathy to Neptune's Bounty! Okay, first he wants to make Ryan kick the bucket – which is fine by me, don't get me wrong – but after that, I bet we can find the submarine and finally get outta here! Maybe he'd want to come with us and-"

"We don't know that, Wakko!"

The younger brother blinked. "I mean, of course we'll ask him what he wants to do after Ryan."

"No, no, no, I mean," Yakko squeezed his eyes shut, "you really think we should be trusting a splicer? And don't even try to say he isn't!" He gripped Wakko by the shoulders, pulling him towards his face. "He shot bees out of his hands!"

"I never thought he wasn't a-"

"He may not look like one now, but it will only be a matter of time before he turns into a monster." Yakko began to pace back and forth. "And even if he doesn't, he could be lying to us, maybe it's all an act to get us to trust him, maybe he's already a monster, using a mask to lure us into a trap so he can hack us to bits!"

When Yakko turned to look back at his brother, he could see Wakko trembling, and his eyes were wide and haunted.

Oh, Fred and Ginger, Yakko thought, I'm such a stupid moron! "Oh, no! Wakko! I, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

Wakko broke into sobs and curled into a fetal position. He stayed like that for a few moments, before he felt his brother's hand gently rubbing his back. "Please don't cry, Wak. Your plan isn't bad, it could work. I… I just don't want us to get hurt again." Who was Yakko to make his brother feel hopeless when hope was all Wakko had to keep him going for the past few years.

Eventually, Wakko calmed down enough to give Yakko a fragile smile. "H-hey," the younger brother began, "you don't really believe Jack could be another lying liar who lies… do you?"

Yakko thought back through all his memories with Jack. The man's strength and kindness aside, Yakko's intuition told him there was something odd about the guy, like a puzzle piece that didn't fit. It wasn't just the lack of deformities and mental instability that came with splicing. Yakko couldn't put his finger on exactly what it was, but Jack seemed… foreign somehow. But did that make Jack a liar? He shook his head. "Well… no but… I thought if someone like him ever showed up, I'd feel braver – but I don't. I'm still scared, even though he practically fell out of the sky. It just seems too good to be true."

Wakko stood up and hugged his brother. "You know, good things can happen when you least expect it. It's called being lucky. They're also called miracles, and they are real." He smiled as he gave Yakko a squeeze, "I was able to find you, wasn't I?"

Yakko snorted and patted the red hat. "Careful bro, you sound like a Disney movie."

Wakko gave his best attempt at a laugh. "Better a Disney movie than a Sad Slacks."

The older brother let out a teary chuckle in return. How he wished he could have been there when Wakko finally escaped from that horrible woman. The war was just beginning and Wakko had to navigate it all on his own, witnessing old fans and coworkers slowly degrade into bloodthirsty monsters, or just die. Yakko wasn't sure he could have handled it as bravely as Wakko had. He sighed and sank down to hug his knees.

Wakko's grin fell away, when Yakko hardly reacted to the teasing. It felt horrible for Yakko to disappoint his brother like that, but perhaps it would be better to set his expectations straight. "Wakko, I'm sorry I'm not-"

Wakko slapped a paw over Yakko's mouth. "Na uh! Normally, I love hearing all sorts of nonsense, but not this kind." He shook his head, tsking. "I know that stupid artist has been screwing with your head and got you all confused, but he can't break ya! The idea is bullshit!"

The taller toon nearly swallowed his tongue at hearing Wakko curse for the first time ever.

Wakko nodded. "Oh yeah, I said it; glad you were paying attention, because I will not be saying it again." He stood up and proclaimed, "we're toons, Yakko. We squash and we stretch, but we never ever break." Wakko jumped in place. "That's what makes us so bouncy!"

Yakko smiled, looking up to his brother. "You always were the bounciest of us."

Wakko was surprised. "Aw, bro! You're bouncy too! We're all bouncy."

Yakko chuckled at his brother's humility. "Maybe I was, but I don't feel bouncy anymore."

Wakko shuddered, moving directly in front of Yakko. We've got to get you out of this place, big brother. "But you are! It's who we are!" Wakko cupped his brother's face. "Tell me your name."

"Yak… Yakko Warner."

"Now my name?"

"Wakko Warner."

He pointed to their sister. "Her name?"

"Dot Warner."

"Her full name?"

"Princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana-Fanna Bo Besca III." Yakko let himself smile as he recited the zany name in one uninterrupted breath.

Wakko became serious-er. "And who are we?"

"We're the-"

"Nope. Louder."

"What?!"

"I want you to shout it. We can move somewhere else if someone hears us. But I want you to shout it like we always did!"

Squeezing his eyes shut, Yakko took a deep breath and exclaimed, "WE'RE THE WARNER BROTHERS!"

Okay, Wakko thought, the outburst knocking him onto his back, maybe not that loud!

"An dah warmur sisser…"

The soft mumbling was barely caught by the two boys. They shared a glance before quickly crawling next to Dot. Leaning in close and Wakko began whispering. "Who's the cutest girl?"

A sleepy giggle answered, "I am!"

Yakko, voice shaking with anticipation, asked "Ca-can we call you D-Dottie?" He held his breath, hoping, praying with all his heart.

The response became stern. "Nooooo. Juss Dot. Call me Dottie and ya die."

They watched with bated breath, taking in every twitch and flick from her ears to her tail. Dot was squeezing her eyelids tight, but then she relaxed them, and her eyes slowly began to open.

It was not the glamorous Sleeping Beauty awakening she would have liked. She felt extremely groggy and lethargic, but the last thing she wanted was to go back to sleep. Especially not with those two faces in front of her.

"Ugh, what a night!" She gripped her head. "We really gotta cut down on the sugar before bedtime. Wakko, what did we eat last night? Or was it a scary movie? Did we watch a weird movie, Yakko? Hey!"

She was tackle-hugged by her brothers. Normally, she enjoyed Warner piles any day of the week, but she had been trying to get answers. Yakko hadn't appeared to be listening to her; in fact, he was crying! Wakko was burrowing his face into her shoulder, weeping. Dot could faintly hear him sobbing out, "I'm so sorry, Dot," over and over again. She and her brothers had a tendency to ham things up to lighten the mood, but this was a bit extreme for her tastes.

Dot was struggling to remember the punchline or the setup or whatever it was that brought them here, but the line between wakefulness and dreamland was fuzzier than usual. As she sorted through any and all memory, she became certain of one fact: they weren't in the Water Tower anymore.

"Where are we, guys?" Dot asked.

Her boys responded simultaneously. "Together!"

Dot could not stay mad.