Disclaimer: I do not own Animaniacs. Yakko, Wakko and Dot and all of the other characters belong to their own respective owners.I claim no rights to any of this. This was made purely for entertainment. No profit is made off of this.
Animaniacs Return
Chapter Eighteen: Court
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The Warners rubbed their hands anxiously. Today was the big day.
"Today's the big day." Dot smiled. "It's the biiig enchilada!"
"That sounds good." Wakko couldn't help but comment.
"I don't think I'll touch that one right now." Yakko smiled. "But yep! It's the big day." He looked at himself. He was pretending to look like Zenny while Dot and Wakko were pretending to be Iri and Aroma. That way they could still watch in the courtroom.
"It is." The CEO came and stood beside them. "A very big day and I am taking a very huge gamble on keeping you out. Do not make me regret this."
Yakko, Wakko and Dot all shook their heads. Everything had to be alright. As long as they worked on the cartoon and behaved, they'd have support. Something they didn't have as much of last time they were in that situation. The biggest reason their case would work too was that their 'victim' refused to testify. She didn't want to be anywhere near them again.
Lucky for them.
The copies acted like perfect angels in front of the judge. Polite, sweet, everything.
Judge Laos scratched his head slightly after 'Yakko' finished his last speech. "Well...you sound okay. Better, I guess. But-" The judge pointed to the doors in the back of the courtroom. "Let's just have a refreshing reminder of why you were separated in the first place before I make a decision shall we?"
Oh no! The Warners all froze as they watched the young woman, who had been found in the truck in the case, walk up to the front of the room.
Okay, okay! So she changed her mind. Don't panic. Dot tried to tell herself as she recounted everything that happened that night.
"It was sadistic! They weren't playing around, I don't care what anyone says!" The victim shouted as she pointed at the 'Warners'. "It was them! They tied me up, they laughed cruelly, they said they'd drive me all around in the back until I finally suffocated!" She clutched as her chest as she started to cry. "They are completely psycho. I don't care how much time goes by..."
The real Warners looked at each other in fright as they looked back at the woman.
The woman had a complete look of fright toward the 'Warners'. "...I'll never forget. They wanted to kill me...f-for fun!"
"..." 'Yakko' didn't know what to say. What was he supposed to say to that? He knew the real Warners quite well but the look in her eyes...
Something definitely happened. Something that just didn't look like the Warners would get a second chance.
The Judge looked at the 'Warners' seriously. "Obviously you see how I want to judge. You got off easy last time. Just being separated was not the worse thing that could have happened. It was the least that could happen!" He held up his gavel. "And I would have to be as crazy as you to let you stay out there together wouldn't I?"
"But we've been great! We haven't done anything wrong!" 'Dot' protested. "It's wrong! Please? Y-you just can't do this!"
"Oh? Convince me otherwise." The judge dared her.
"But..." 'Wakko' interrupted. "But if we were dangerous, we'd have gone after her after the first trial! We never did though!"
Three simultaneous slaps on the face could be heard in the back.
'Wakko' froze. "...did we?"
The judge pointed his gavel at the 'Warners'. "You've just confirmed my suspicions! You aren't the real Warners!" He looked back at the real Warners. "You are!"
The Warners looked guilty as they quickly changed back to their real selves.
"Uhhh!" Yakko pointed at the CEO beside him. "He said we had to do it! We wanted to represent ourselves!"
"Yeah!" Dot and Wakko agreed.
The CEO frowned. "What about-"
"Changed his mind. Going into an art major instead." The judge answered. "Besides, after hearing the victim's statement again, I think I'd still reject it."
"But-but-but!" Dot started to panic. "But she wasn't even supposed to testify!"
"I agree! This will not go down without a fight." The CEO complained to the judge. "We were unprepared for her. She was not supposed to be present!"
"She changed her mind." The Judge replied seriously. "I would not have such an extreme case as this and not have her present if I could."
"But..." Wakko looked between his siblings and then back at the judge. "Our show though!"
"Yeah," Yakko backed him up, "we can't do it if we can't be near each other anymore. Everything'll be ruined." He looked over at the CEO. "We're your main stars, do something!"
The CEO groaned. "...like what?"
"I don't know, think of something." Dot yelled at him. "Hello?"
"If it were Plotz, he'd do something." Wakko crossed his arms.
"Yeah," Yakko agreed, "Plotz took that extreme case and kept us from going into an asylum. Now you, you haven't made any headway at all!"
"He is not in control of this situation." The judge replied as the victim started to leave the witness stand. "I am."
"..." The CEO groaned. "...I was afraid this would happen."
"What? What happened to 'hey, we've got this case licked!'huh?" Yakko growled at him.
"You can't do the show without us!" Dot pleaded him. "Come on! Help us out, pleeease?"
"I don't..." Wakko looked at the ground. "I don't wanna go back there again. I don't!" He looked at the CEO pleadingly as well. "We belong here!"
"You must have some kind of heart." Yakko looked toward the judge. "Or...maybe a quarter of a real heart. Somewhere around there."
"Yakko!" 'Dot' scolded him. "Now's not the time for games."
"Gee, ya think? I'm just about to get booted out again!" He whined as he looked around himself. Armed guards were standing ready against them. He looked over at the CEO. "You don't have a show without us! Show some backbone and do something! Anything!"
"Would you stop yelling at me?" The CEO growled. What was he gonna do? He looked over at the 'Warners'. For the longest time they had fooled the judge. "Maybe..." Before he could finish his thought though the Warners were already being grabbed.
"This can't be happening! I don't wanna go back!" Wakko yelled as he kicked repeatedly trying to get out of the guards arms. "No more Tar-mart!"
"No way! This isn't right!" Dot gritted her teeth as she kicked in her guards arms. "We're the Warner Trio! TRIO!"
"Hellooooo judge and co!"
Everyone stopped fighting and bickering when they saw who walked through the doors. Renraw? "I am guessing I missed a lot, huh?" he smiled. "Did my invitation get lost in the mail?"
"Get out!" Zenny demanded as he pointed at Renraw. "The situation here is bad enough."
"You'd like that wouldn't you?" Renraw shook his head sadly. "Aww Zenny. How could you?" Renraw walked over to the Warners. "It's alright fellas, let me talk to your judge. I'm really good with these situations." He grinned as he walked to the front.
"Your honor. The Warners have claimed for a long time they didn't do this." Renraw began. "Now, you know last time the evidence just wasn't strong enough to put them away. Sure you've got one girl but that's it." He held up a folder. "I don't think they were represented to their full potential last time." He slid it over to the judge and grinned. "Let's talk this over?"
The judge looked at him strangely as he took the folder and looked at it. He quickly shutted it. "...I'm listening."
"Give us just 'til the end of the show's season." Renraw smiled nicely. "We will have evidence to prove to you that it was someone else, not the Warners. Or if it was, then it will be the end of the season and the contracts'll be over. No season interruption. What do you say? Judge?" Renraw grinned again.
The Warners all watched in amazement as the judge slowly nodded his head.
"...fine." The judge agreed. "You had better have really good proof." He took his gavel and held it in the air. "The day after your last episode you will come back with undeniable proof or the Warners will be separated. Court adjourned!" He yelled as he banged his gavel on the desk.
"REN!" The Warners quickly ran over to their friend as the guards let them go.
"You're a life saver!" Wakko grinned.
"No kidding! Without you we would have been toast," Yakko chuckled in delight.
"Yeah! And not just the golden brown, the burnt kind." Dot added as she hugged Renraw.
Zenny ran over and stopped in front of Renraw. What? With the Warners out of the way, Renraw could have easily tried to take a position in the show. He could have gotten around to Aroma much easier. It just would have been...easier. "Why did you do that? Why did you help them?"
"Zenarooney." Ren just shook his head. "Hey, I know you didn't want me involved. Things were looking really great but..." He just sighed. "You know, the pay of being a main star is more than a double but this was going too far."
"What?" Iri frowned. "We never said anything about that!"
"...can't we all be friends yet?" Renraw asked gently. "Why do you guys have to try to take over by yourselves? The tower's big enough for all of us and so's the show."
"We didn't try to take over. The Warners asked us to play them here." Zenny tried to cover himself. "We weren't thinking about taking over their spot."
"Oh really? Come on." Renraw looked over at Yakko. "I know you're smart and you were caught up in the moment. But ya gotta think what you just asked of them."
Yakko looked at Renraw questioningly.
"It wasn't too hard to convince them to take your place on the stand, was it?" Renraw pointed out. "And with the CEO watching them all act at once? Look at Mr. CEO. Yakk."
Yakko, Wakko and Dot all looked over at the CEO.
He just smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "They acted amazing, didn't they? I thought I always needed to have the real you's but their acting has greatly improved."
The Warners jaws dropped.
"Obviously the originals are best." The CEO added. "Only...if anything happened..." He started to smile.
"What? Nuh uh!" Zenny and his sisters shook their heads.
"We aren't trying to become the stars!" Iri looked over desperately at Wakko. "Don't believe him. Please? Renraw isn't what he appears to be!"
"Gee. Ya mean he didn't just save us from being split apart?" Yakko interrupted before Wakko could say anything. "He had a real good chance of getting his own spotlight and instead he helped us. Yeah, he's not what he appears to be at all."
"But you all totally had all the cards to take over!" Dot cried out as she pointed at them.
"You asked us!" Iri protested.
"And you agreed pretty quick. Especially after being thrown out of the tower!" Dot added.
"Alright alright, hang on. Hold up a second." Yakko changed into a referee and blew a whistle. "This game is going out of bounds."
Zenny sighed and rolled his eyes. "Forget this. I don't know what game he's playing, but I'm not a part of it." He started to walk out the door.
"Well I'm not a part of it either." Iri agreed. She looked over at Wakko. "You believe, don't you Wakko?"
"Well, I-"
"Oh please, they are all guilty." Dot interrupted Wakko. "Don't trust her Wakko!" She glared at Iri. "She's just playing you. That's probably the reason she is still going out with you."
Iri gave her an irritated look. "I am not going out anymore."
"I never said that." Wakko glared at Dot. "The last one was a thank you get together. You know, for playing us?"
"Did you thank her enough then?" Dot glared at him back.
"Whoah, ho! Sibs!" Yakko pushed himself between Wakko and Dot. "Time out already!"
"Yeah, don't worry about it." Renraw agreed with Yakko. "Cartoons make mistakes, don't hold it against them Dot."
Yakko gave Renraw a funny look. "That's not what I meant."
"Whatever." Dot crossed her arms. "You guys are all being ridiculous." She pointed to Aroma and Iri. "I know it's them, it makes sense! Why else would they continue to go out with the two of you?" She uncrossed her arms. "All of them are just shutting other cartoons up."
"Other cartoons?" Yakko raised an eyebrow. "What other cartoons? There is no one else but Zenny."
"Yeah, Zenny." Wakko agreed. "So, what are you talking about?"
Dot didn't answer, just quickly grabbed Ren. "Let's just get out of here, they aren't being reasonable."
Yakko and Wakko both looked displeased as she started to leave with Ren. They were almost separated and she just runs off like that?
Aroma slowly came over to Yakko. "I'm sorry about this."
"Don't worry, I know things aren't like they appear." Yakko smiled at her.
"Oh! I'm sorry too!" Wakko grinned over at Iri. "I'm really sorry! So I better make it up to you. I'll take you out for an apology dinner."
Iri gave him a funny smirk.
Wakko looked over at Yakko almost giddy. "Well? Aren't you gonna take Aroma out for an apology dinner?"
"Nah, we don't really go out on dates anymore." Yakko replied casually.
"But it's not a date. It's an apology dinner." Wakko explained a bit confused. Why wasn't his brother using the gimmick?
"Alright, I need to get going." Iri insisted. "Wakko if you insist on an apology dinner, try showing up Saturday."
"Okay." Wakko smiled at her and waved goodbye.
Aroma waved her hand very casually and smiled at Yakko as she passed by.
Wakko scratched his head and looked at Yakko. "What's going on?"
"Nothing." Yakko said, in an almost distasteful manner as they walked outside.
"What do you mean?" Wakko whined. "Did you already use up all your dates?"
"Oh heck yeah, long time ago." Yakko informed him. "Zenny kept setting up more dates too."
"He did?" Wakko smiled. "Then what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong." Yakko frowned. "And considering our victory today we should be going out for pizza, but oh no, good old 'Dottie' had to take off."
Wait. Wakko stopped to think. Yakko's mind was still on Dot's reaction? "Yakko, this isn't like you. Why aren't you thinking about the girl?"
"Why should I be?" Yakko rolled his eyes. "Wakko, you don't get it. I'm not dwelling on her because there's nothing to dwell on. No matter how many times we go out, I'd never get a kiss or anything like that." He just shrugged his shoulders. "I stopped impressing her a long time ago. We just go out as friends."
"Huh?" Wakko looked at him strangely. "You mean you still go out?"
"As friends, duh." Yakko smiled as they started to walk. "Shoot some pool, annoy some other cartoons, play paddleball, stuff like that."
"Wait! She annoys cartoons with you?" Wakko seemed shocked. "Aroma? Therapy?"
Yakko snickered. "Oh yeah, you should see her. She doesn't use the direct approach like us when she makes 'special friends' but..." he waved it off. "Eh, what are we doing? Let's go find Dot already. We're all celebrating together whether she likes it or not."
"Oh." Wakko nodded. He understood now. "What do you think about the whole thing that happened though? With Ren?"
"Oh hey, welcome back to reality." Yakko teased him. "I thought you'd be stuck in girlland all day." He started to walk. "I don't know. I mean what he did was great, but I just don't completely trust him. I don't distrust him either though! I mean all Zenny wants is for Renraw to get pissed off and screw up his good standing."
"He hasn't done anything?" Wakko asked.
"Not a thing." Yakko insisted. "Doesn't even seem to care about my deal with Aroma at all."
"Yeah, plus the trial thing." Wakko agreed. He looked over at Yakko. "So what has Aroma told you about him?"
Yakko just shrugged his shoulders again. "She doesn't talk about it much. I know pretty much what every one else knows."
"Yeah. Do you think Dot is gonna be mad about us not believing Ren?" Wakko asked. "She got really pissed about it before."
"Don't worry about that. She seems to get pissed everytime Zenny's involved for some dumb reason." Yakko answered back. "She'll calm down soon."
"How could you let those copies get away with that?"
"...or not." Yakko finished as he smiled behind himself to his sister. "Yo Dot!"
Dot was crossing her arms. "You just left me and Ren hanging! You are such jerks! How could you side with those girls? Just because you like them doesn't make them right! You know it! You guys are complete morons!"
Wakko and Yakko just continued to smile at her. "...pizza?"
"Pizza?" Dot's anger suddenly flushed away. "I want pepperoni with sausage."
"What no supreme?" Yakko asked her. "Gotta get your vegetables in you know."
"Yeah, you should eat more healthy, like us." Wakko added. "We're having ultimate supremes with extra everything."
"...I remember getting pizza..."
The Warners turned around and saw Squit the goodfeather.
"...with a little bird seed on it. I found it and brought it to Sasha..." Squit started to walk away gloomily.
The Warners shrugged their shoulders and started to walk away themselves.
"Sasha..." Squit looked up at the sky. "Oh my love? How can you still be-"
"Cooin with that bird! Night and day! Bada bing, I oughtta rip his wings off!"
Squit looked back and saw Bobby.
"Lana was always supposed to be mine...always..." Bobby moaned. "Why'd she have ta do this to me? What did I ever do?"
"It's what we didn't do." Squit answered back. He cooed softly. "I thought by now Sasha would have seen the light."
"They aren't gonna come back unless we agree to make them egg hatchers." Pesto flew in close for a landing. "It doesn't matter what I do, Kiki's still determined never to come back to me. So...why can't I get her out of my head?"
"It has been awhile." Squit agreed. He looked up at the light post he was leaning against. "I just can't seem to forget her. Especially today."
"Wha-what?" Pesto faked his innocence. "What do ya mean Squit?"
"You know what he means." Bobby pointed at the light post. "Mr. No Romance, you ended up here too."
"We always took them here to celebrate the anniversary of when we first met." Squit said out loud as he looked at a highwire above them. It wasn't anything as great as Scorcese's head it was just a random place where he'd met the bird of his dreams. "Year after year...this would be our...uhhh..."
"What are you, a nimrod?" Pesto groaned. "Of course it would be our-! Uhhh..."
"Oh no!" Bobby slapped his wing in his face. "We don't even know how many years it was, do we?"
"It was like 15! Or maybe 16?" Pesto asked.
"Felt like it was in the 20's." Squit remarked.
"No, couldn't be more than 10 or so." Bobby added. "Right?"
The goodfeathers suddenly all felt very ashamed. They couldn't even remember the exact year they first met the girlfeathers...
"It was...I know it had to be in the 90's." Pesto reckoned. "We were prowling around, so it must have been the 90's."
"We weren't prowling." Squit disagreed. "We weren't together, we sort of all ended up on the high wires somehow."
"No, we were together as a team when we first met them." Bobby disagreed. "Right?"
"You're pulling my beak here!" Pesto yelled at them. "No way, I remember! We were prowling!"
"No, we met them separately!" Squit disagreed. "Right?" He groaned. "Oh Sasha would kill me if she knew I didn't even remember how we met."
"Look, does it matter anymore?" Bobby growled. "They aren't even ours. Remember?"
Pesto and Squit stopped arguing. Bobby was right, it was pointless. It didn't matter that they didn't remember the details. It didn't even matter what year they met.
None of it mattered anymore...