Disclaimer: I do not own Animaniacs, it belongs to Steven Spielberg, Warner Brothers Studio, et al. I claim no rights to any of this, it was made purely for entertainment and for writing practice. No profit is made off of this.
Animaniacs Return
Chapter 35: New Game
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Yakko crept up to the Hollywood sign. He was running out of time. What he was going to do could possibly get him in trouble and he may be sent to jail, or worse. Sent away from his brother and sister forever.
He had tried the short way, but the answer to where he could be lied in the Hollywood sign. He set up Slappy Squirrel there, he had that Roger Rabbit dip there, and he even rolled Aroma off there. There would be police 'do not cross' tape all over, and there would probably be investigators or guards making sure no one got near.
When he got near enough to the entrance he only saw one guard. He easily slipped past him and went deeper inside. Once he reached the bridge, he looked down and saw the prism dip below. So toxic, it looked like no one could figure out how to move it yet. Alright, Yakko, it's all on the line. If you're caught red-handed in this place, things aren't gonna turn out good. I need to move fast. Think fast.
Squirrel. Art O' Reilly. Dip. Needle. Squirrel. Creator of insane guy. Dip. Needle. Dip. Needle. Come on, put it together! Warren framed Slappy Squirrel to make her look like she was a ruse. Snappy came back. Sky's cast was dipped. Yakko grabbed his head. Come on, think! Aroma doesn't have long! He gripped the bars in front of him tightly. "I can't..."
"Halt!"
Yakko looked back at the guard. Pinpoint verification, he couldn't blame it on his copy, it was in jail. He was about to bolt, when-
"There you go, sir!" Warren ran behind the guard, pushed him forward and into the dip. "Happy landing!" He waved at the screaming officer. He caught his gaze along with Yakko, and his mouth fell into a deep smirk. "Yakko Warner, not a nice thing you did."
"Warren!" Yakko grabbed him by his collar.
"Ooh, ooh, easy, Yakko, don't kill me!" Warren yelled. "I don't want to be dipped! Mercy!"
"You're not going to trick me," Yakko demanded. "Give me the cure."
"Well, don't you know what it is?" Warren gestured below. "It's part of that dip stabilized with my exact ink brand. In other words, if you throw me in, you have your cure. But you wouldn't do that, right? You'd never kill another cartoon, would you?"
"Don't play around," Yakko warned him. "I'm usually in the mood for playing, but not today."
"I'm serious." Warren gestured below. "In order to save her, you have to kill me. But you could never do that. Not even for the girl you secretly like a little more than a friend? Right? Mercy!"
"You are completely psycho, you want me to take you out?" Yakko didn't know how to take this. What was he supposed to do? "I'm not-"
"Accepting mercy? Please Yakko, don't take me out like that guard!" Warren pleaded again. "If there were any other cure, I'd give it to you! What are you doing? What is that?"
"What?" Yakko watched as Warren stabbed his leg with a needle. "What are you doing?" he said, so surprised he lost his grip.
"Please no, you stabbed me!" Warren rubbed his hands against his leg and showed ink on his hands. "I'm going to die. You're the one behind it all, aren't you? No, no, what are you doing?"
Yakko watched as Warren fell backwards down the bridge into the dip.
This guy is brilliant but suicidal? No way, I don't buy it. It must have been a copy. Trying to set me up. There's gotta be a recorder around here somewhere...
Why would Warren do that? The top leader, the big Kahuna behind everything, choose that? To try and take down Yakko's reputation via some stupid recorder? No way, too small. Didn't make sense. Warren's death. Sky's casts death. Slappy being framed for murder of herself. Nothing made sense... "It wouldn't end like this...there must be someone else..."
Then, it clicked.
Snappy's return-Sky's cast-Slappy's incarceration-the answer was right there!
"Oh holy hell..." Yakko's jaw dropped. "...Slappy really is Midge."
"So, someone genuinely figured it out."
Yakko looked up above the bridge he was on. In a tiny pocket in the cave rested a squirrel a little older than Snappy. "You vindictive...the squirrels? It was all about the squirrels?!" He yelled. "Why drag my family into your little shenanigans all these years!"
"Because Animaniacs was her show at the time," The squirrel frowned. "I was trying to get her back. Midge was...she was somethin' special. That girl had a fire burning so bright within her, no one could catch her. I tried constantly to get a date and all I'd get was a- 'Ah, bugger off.' I was no competition. Hell, Snappy didn't even remember me when he was trying to think of animators, did he? Art O' Reilly, the only one? Yeah right! What about Scraggy? Oh yeah, I know, right outside. Didn't even notice."
He hopped down. "I set out to create copies of all the characters on the show, but the studio was hiring more cartoon artists to make 'new' versions. Made it a little harder to get the records for creations. You know, exact line height, exact ink brand. Warren wasn't accepted though, so I hopped him first. Not hard, my special little needle makes ink identifying easy. Once I had his copy, it was only a matter of time before he was taking the risks to sneak me information. Before I knew it, I had every copy available." He laughed. "You know, I always wondered why villains in the plots of a movie divulged every secret all at once. Now I know. Because they can BRAG." He pointed at Yakko. "You didn't know for years you were manipulated by nothing but a little brown squirrel!"
Yakko hopped onto the bridge as copies of Newt and the Mime tried to grab him. "The mime too? You were bored."
"Oh, by the way. I know what you came for. I always knew you would be the one." Scraggy held a syringe in his hand. "The one stupid enough to risk it all, just to save the one you loved. Whether it was your sister or that other girl, I knew you'd come and you'd come alone. The big brother, protecting his family. Or the concerned friend hiding his feelings."
"No joking around," Yakko stood up on the rail, keeping his balance from ending up in the nasty prism below. "What do you want?"
"Midge." Scraggy muttered. "I want what I can't have."
I don't believe this. Everything we've been through. All the leads, all the lies, Renraw, Warren, and this? It was all about the damn squirrels. "Sure, okay. Why don't I try to set you two up on a date below a tree with falling leaves and you can watch the sunset together?"
"Don't mess with me!" Scraggy yelled. "You should know better than anyone not to tease me right now. I want Midge, but I can't have her. I never could, even when she was Midge. Even after the real Slappy Squirrel's death, I couldn't have her. I really couldn't have her then, uncalculated mistake. Once she signed contracts as Slappy Squirrel I could never step forward with who she was, she'd go to prison."
"You really thought it through back then. What changed?" Yakko asked.
"I could watch her back then. Just a ways away, I could spy on my beloved. Even in another form, I could still see how limber and alive she was inside. But once she got a hit role on Animaniacs? The show that gave her a caring cast, 24 hour surveillance, and kept outsiders away? Ever tried to walk in on this lot without being a character? It's not pretty," the squirrel muttered. "Then even when the show was canceled, she didn't leave her studio home. It was a home, to her and her 'nephew'. And now, after years of being gone you all decide to bring Animaniacs back with Animaniacs Return. Like a bad dream, you won't stay away! But it doesn't matter," he muttered, "she's gone. Her mind has been Slappy so long, Midge no longer exists. It's only a crabby, old, cane-walking, tired old soul. So why did I exact revenge against you all again?" He growled. "Because I'm pissed, that's why!"
"Hey." Yakko crossed his arms. "Inward expression would have been better than outward expression. Seek therapy, don't murder the cast. Now, Aroma!"
"You want Aroma back, as much as I want Midge," Scraggy dared him. "Do you love her as much as I wanted Midge?"
"Just tell me where the cure is," Yakko muttered. "Creepy little squirrel, the game's over. There's no court that's really going to believe a little recording tape. It could be anyone's voice."
"You're right," Scraggy smiled. "That's why you're going to hand it over yourself after you kill Aroma Therapy's copy."
"...pardon?" Yakko's eyebrow cocked up. "What?"
"An exchange, nitwit, that's how it stops. I've got powerful components in there that can't be matched up in any other way. You're not going to find a universal cure." Scraggy grinned even wider. "Ever notice you didn't see Sasha's copy? Ever wonder why?"
"You murdered the copy?" Yakko gawked. "Your own creation?"
"The copies are made from the same ink brand, the same size, the same weight, the same drawing paper. Every factor matches up. All you do is throw them into a medium sized pot of that goozey prism dip, and voila. Animaniacs stew," Scraggy replied.
"You...you sick freak." Yakko almost lost his balance on the beam. "You'd make me do that to save her? Why?"
"Because you won't! As I have lost Midge through time, so will you lose because of your weakness." Scraggy warned him. "There's no way out of this. In fact," He looked at his watch, "I think the authorities should be here soon. Especially since I lied about that recorder thing. It was actually a live phone call." He laughed, "So run, run little toon if you really don't want to go to jail like 'Slappy' did. Lose everything you ever had...again."
Yakko looked at the dip below him. "If you didn't want her to be Slappy, then why'd you mess with her? When did you do it, in the hospital?"
"I wanted her to not know who she was! I was going to be the sweet squirrel that helped her gain back her memory. Snappy was gone and Skippy was just born. We could have been a happy family," Scraggy muttered. "Instead when I left after dealing with Slappy Squirrel and then I came back, 'Slappy' was alive and Midge died in childbirth."
"Hm," Yakko cracked a smile, "that squirrel could always get out of a jam." He looked at the prism dip below. "So, what about Aroma? All those years with Warren?"
"Oh, Warren got a little bit more of my personality," Scraggy replied. "He was my first real copy design. Had a lot more of my heart, so when he found his special girl, I guess he went a little overboard. His games bugged me though, loved to play nothing but games. All the games were all him, really."
" Yakko looked below him at the dip. So Warren's copy was the brilliant one. That's why half the stuff never made sense. He was obeying his master. Creator syndrome, no doubt Scraggy added that in. All Scraggy had been was an upset squirrel who stumbled upon that dip. Probably while learning how to create his first cartoons. If the ink and dip were related, then the needle shots made sense too.
"There is no other ending for you," Scraggy announced. "You'll lose your family and Aroma. You'll lose everything as I have. Yakko Warner, a failure. The Warner Brothers and their Sister Dot. Tricked for so long, and ultimately beaten." He smiled wickedly. "By one measly brown squirrel."
"Not quite."
Yakko moved as he saw Scraggy barreling toward him. He looked back just in time to hear Scraggy scream on the way down. He looked at the cartoon who had pushed him, also currently looking down.
The cartoon looked back at Yakko. "He made me a little too like him." Warren pulled his hands back, "I didn't do that with my own copy."
"I knew it," Yakko shook his head. "I knew you wouldn't jump off like that. What happened to your creator syndrome?"
"It's a tough disease to beat," Warren answered, "but you can only put up with a dumb squirrel for so long. Damn squirrels." He looked over at Yakko. "You still better run. Oh, wait. Yeah, that's right. You aren't going to, you need to save Aroma." He whistled and Aroma's copy appeared at his side almost instantly. "Hey, Aroma?"
"Yes?" Aroma's copy smiled at Warren.
"Jump into that dip behind you," Warren commanded. Aroma's copy giggled and took the plunge. "I made creations too. Creator syndrome, hell of a thing to beat." He tossed Yakko an empty syringe. "You better go collect it fast before anything vital from her melts away."
Yakko looked at the syringe. "...why are you doing this?"
"Because I won," Warren replied. "You're going to jail, and I don't really want my prize dying. It doesn't matter whether or not Renraw liked her. Ever. Aroma and I have a connection. As soon as you're gone, I'll take her at some point. Use Scraggy's cue with the amnesia," He laughed. "Oh but instead of pointing her back the right way and living happily ever after, I'll transform her into my prize for good, and make sure she never stands up to me again. Only way to take the crap out of the genes."
Yakko bunched up his eyebrows and almost growled, "genes?"
"Yeah. Our little 'species', whatever you want to call us, way too much comedy. Way too funny. Way too pathetic." Warren crossed his arms. "Even our copies suck, I was lucky to get to be the way I turned out. I can't accomplish that and Scraggy couldn't duplicate it. So, there's only one thing left: Take out every one of us, one by one, and save Aroma for myself. I'll make sure the next generations aren't botched."
Yakko pointed his finger at Warren as his teeth pushed themselves together, almost grinding. "You...you knew. You planned this from the beginning?"
"Aroma's probably got five minutes. You've probably got one minute before authorities are bombarding this place," Warren reminded him. "Contemplate all you want, but the future is up to you. If you let Aroma die, I'll go after another one. Maybe...even your sister?" He stopped to look at his watch. "Now you've got exactly four minutes to-"
When he looked back up, Yakko was gone.
--------------------------------
Aroma tried to stay strong as she walked down the road. She trudged by Rita and Runt, she walked by ACME labs and she had even passed the squirrels place. She was reaching the limits as she looked at a sign that said 'Leaving Burbank'. She looked out forward, realizing she should have tried discovering the world much sooner. Now her body barely strolled.
What would it be like on the other side? Would her conscience stop existing? Would she become a ghost? The afterlife secret would be revealed to her soon. She wished she didn't have to learn the secr-"OW!"
She looked down and saw Yakko jamming a needle in her leg. A familiar needle. The cure? Aroma felt her head start to swoon.
Yakko stood up beside her, and although his face showed traces of joy, something was definitely wrong. "You're gonna live." He quickly looked around himself. "Aroma, I can't stay and we're in some serious danger. "
"Danger?" Aroma asked. "I don't understand."
"I went to the Hollywood sign to find out what was going on," Yakko began. "The culprit was a squirrel named Scraggy who was obsessed with Midge. Turns out Slappy Squirrel really was her, and he became obsessed with the show. Now that it's returned, he's really mad. He set me up, but Warren threw him off into the dip." He grabbed her shoulder seriously, "he's after all of us. He wants to...well, he's going to knock off every one of us except you. He wants to use you to change our 'species'. Make the next generation like him."
"What?" Aroma gasped swiftly. "I don't-I don't understand everything you're saying. A squirrel? Knocking us off?"
"Warren's completely in charge," Yakko explained, "but the authorities are after me because they think I killed Warren. Which didn't make sense, but now they've got-"
Yakko and Aroma watched as the sound of sirens flooded the air, and vague red lights could be seen in the distance.
"All of Burbank will be after you," Aroma muttered, "Yakko, you shouldn't have come after me."
"If I didn't you weren't going to make it," Yakko looked back at the lights. "I have to get to Wakko and Dot." He looked down at the road. "I screwed up our last chance at freedom. At least mine."
"Get out, get going," Aroma urged him.
"If I take off with them, then what about your fam?" Yakko reasoned. "You copies are okay, I admit, but you aren't powerful cartoons like us. Warren will pick you off one by one if we leave."
"If you stay, you and your family are in trouble," Aroma reminded him. "You'll lose them, for good this time."
Yakko watched as the red lights grew closer. "The longer I stick around here the more risk there is to Wakko and Dot. I've gotta go after them." He looked over at Aroma who was biting her lip. "Sorry."
"Yakko...thanks for saving my life. No matter what, at least I have more time." Aroma put her hand on his shoulder. "Go with your brother and sister, protect your family. All of you are a trio, when one of you is separated; you're at your weakest. Escape, and come back if you figure something out. I'll protect my family the only way I can."
"I don't like the sound of this," Yakko whined. "What are you going to do?"
"Your family, Yakko. Go." Aroma pointed towards the town.
Yakko kicked the ground and crossed his arms. "You....you're gonna give in, aren't you?"
"For my family's protection," Aroma answered. "Wakko and Dot will be gone, the rest of us will be brothers and sisters. All but Renraw. Yakko, could you take Renraw with you?"
"Because he's a target?" Yakko raised his eyebrow. "Do I have too?"
"Once you're all gone, Renraw will be the only male I'm not related to." Aroma rubbed her feet on the ground. "I think if you think about it..."
Yakko slapped his face and rubbed his hands downward. "Yeah, I get it! Okay! Fine!" He rubbed his chin vigorously. "I'll get my family, I'll bring him and you can sacrifice yourself for the greater good. Great plan!" He yelled.
"We don't have anything else. I need to protect them, and you need to protect yours," Aroma insisted. "Go. I'm sure you know where they go in times of trouble."
"Yeah, I know." Yakko jerked his hands behind his head, then crossed them again, then crossed his feet, before finally pointing. "Don't do anything you'll regret, don't move too fast, and don't let him think he's completely conquered his 'prize'." Before he could think of what he was doing, he grabbed her hand. "I'm not leaving you here with a psychotic killer. I-" Yakko held his breath. "I....I-I-I..." His voice slid all over the place in different tones. "...I'm glad you're alive."
"I am too," Aroma remarked. "Go get your family."
"Well, I am, but that's not." Yakko slapped his face. "...just come with us?"
"All of us on the run? We'll really stick it out, and my side of the family will slow you down." Aroma reminded him. "We don't move as quick or think as quick. We're not as good. Plus Slappy Squirrel, you know what happens next when a cartoon loses creator syndrome. So, you better go, and take care. We'll be alright."
"Slappy. You're right," Yakko bonked his head, "she'll be his target first to get the feeling of Scraggy completely out of his head." He looked back at Aroma. "Okay...this day really sucks. Me taking off with Wakko and Dot, leaving you here to deal with Warren and making sure he doesn't hurt Slappy or your family? He always knew it! He always knew the way the game would play out." He sighed and looked up at the sky. "He always wins." He watched as Sasha and Squit flew above him, both sharing a gentle kiss. "...except that one time." Yakko declared as he thought of the copy of squit who had dropped the extra syringe. Just mess one thing up in a game...
"New plan," he said as he grabbed Aroma by her hand. "We're going to play a new game! Everything keeps spinning in the right direction for that idiot. It's high time we take him out of the driver's seat."
"Change the game?" Aroma asked, "but how?"
"By taking the risk that we can't, and he knows that we can't." Yakko smiled. "Head to the tower Aroma, stand in front of the mantel where Cher is and then yell out..."
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"Okay, is everyone present?" Plotz asked as he shuffled papers.
Slappy crossed her arms as best she could in a pair of handcuffs. At least with Plotz leading, she'd have a better chance of getting out. Well, she thought she did until Yakko Warner burst through the open window in the meeting room. Anything with the main stars never turned out well.
"Hey! Hi Plotzy," Yakko waved at Plotz. "T.P., got some new problems. Got framed for murder, a murderer is on the loose, we're targets for eradication, oh and some other stuff. Talk to you later. Need the squirrel right now though."
Plotz groaned. "What are you yabbering about?"
"Slappy Squirrel," Yakko looked over at Slappy. "Care to talk while we're running for our lives?"
"Here's a better idea," Slappy scowled. "Leave. You main cast idiots always leave trouble behind."
"Well I could but, in all good conscience, I just can't," Yakko declared. "You're heads next on the 'to kill' list for the psycho."
Slappy groaned and was about to tell him where he could shove it until she looked deep into his eyes. There was no joking around in those pupils.
"I think it's high time you know the truth about whose put you here. Don't you?" Yakko reasoned.
"This squirrel isn't going anywhere!" An annoying guard yelled. Yakko wasted no time and easily got the cuffs off Slappy.
"Come on, move faster!" Yakko complained as he headed out the window.
"You try moving as fast when you're as old as me!" Slappy complained as she made a slow getaway after Yakko took care of the guards.
'Eh, if only she knew.' Yakko helped to pull her out of the window. "Next stop, Skippy's."
-----------------------
Dot tapped her foot in boredom as she held her suitcase in hand. Aroma didn't get to explain much, apparently her brother was in too much of a hurry. But if Yakko didn't have time to yak about something properly, and he made Aroma yell out 'time out' in their hiding spot when things got rough? Something big was going on. Her and Wakko easily packed up. It took a little more time to get Zen, Renraw and Iri to go along until they couldn't convince Aroma to stay.
Which was good. If Yakko said move, then there was little doubt it was the smart thing to do. As she watched Yakko running toward them though she saw Slappy, Snappy, and Skippy all trying to keep up. "What's up with the tagalongs?" Dot asked.
"Don't ask me," Slappy huffed. "Making an old squirrel run like that, oy! This better not come bite me back in the butt."
"You got your money together?" Yakko asked. "Credit cards, everything. This isn't going to be cheap."
"We're just going to pack up for a vacation?" Zen shrugged. "I know you're spontaneous, but this is a little overboard. Especially now that you found Aroma's cure, shouldn't we be-oh, I don't know-taking her to a hospital to have them look her over? How do we know whatever you did worked?"
"It just did," Yakko looked over at Aroma. "You'll be okay." He cracked a smile. "Bet you didn't think you'd be flying today huh? You're leaving Burbank alright, but not to die. Makes it more fun that way."
Dot noticed Yakko wasn't looking Aroma square in the eyes. Whatever hell he brought upon them to save her must have been big. Yet her big goofy brother was still hiding everything from her. And from Aroma's awkwardness of thinking she was going to die, to suddenly knowing she was going to live, her gestures were a little unsure of themselves too. "I've got some saved up but I never got paid for the first season."
"We did," Zen handed Yakko his money."I don't know if we have enough for us and three squirrels though," he sighed. "It's not smart. If you're in trouble, you should be running with just your family."
"Which is exactly what he wants. Nope, it's all or nothing this time." Yakko insisted. "Better to take a big risk, than follow his game. Do we have enough for Europe? Foreign country would work well."
"Europe? I'm going to Europe?" Slappy groaned. "I ain't going to Europe! The studio's my home not some foreign country."
"Studio's going to be jailing you for a long time," Yakko answered. "Like I said, if you want to know who's been messin' with ya, just stick..." Yakko raised his eyebrow at Renraw. "With me." Renraw was moving closer to Aroma in distance. "She almost died, what are you doing?"
Dot just looked at Renraw. It was obvious what he was trying to do.
"Comfort," Renraw set his hand upon her shoulder. "It must be hard for you, Aroma. Near death, and it all comes back as a second chance. Your mind must be spinning. Here, hold my hand." He took Aroma's hand in hers. "I'm glad you're alright."
"Renraw, back off my sister." Zen frowned. "Now's not the time."
"It's okay, Zen." Aroma said as she held Renraw's hand back. "I understand."
"We could talk more later? Privately?" Renraw asked.
"Yeah, no, I don't think so-" Yakko said in a huff as he broke the hand-holding. "No privacy time on a plane, which is where we're going. Get some different outfits on, get your fake id's out, Wakko, Dot, Share your I.D.'s around and everyone put on their acting faces. We're breaking out of America."
"So..." Dot groaned as she looked over the seat at Yakko and Wakko. Her brother was currently explaining what had just happened, and it didn't sound like they'd be coming back soon. "Almost out, Yakko. We were almost out of the courts."
"Going back to the sign? You knew the authorities would be there," Wakko agreed.
"I had to check." Yakko gritted his teeth. "I had to risk it, how else were we going to save Aroma?"
"I still say idiot," Dot complained. "You were supposed to be saying your final goodbyes, not going off and ruining the future for everyone."
"If I hadn't, she'd be dead." Yakko reminded them. Again.
"Yeah, sure, but why did you have to go?" Wakko reminded him. "Iri and Zenny were here, and they had nothing on them that could backfire." He crossed his arms. "You ruined everything. If we get caught, we'll never get a second chance now." He glanced back at his brother sourly. "Because you had to play hero."
"I couldn't ask them to risk it," Yakko said for the hundredth time. "They aren't as fast, and they aren't as experienced. What if Iri got hurt, huh? Did ya ever think about your little kissee face getting hurt?" Yakko watched his expression. "Yeah, I didn't think so. Look, no biggie. We'll get jobs, we'll talk it out and we'll eventually figure out a plan and go back. Us three thinkers always figure it out. We're just more pressed for time."
"Because everyone thinks you murdered someone," Dot pointed out as she sighed. "Wish we could have made Europe. Liar."
"At least we get to travel in first class," Wakko reminded her. "Maybe we could have made it if we didn't have the squirrels. Speaking of which, what about them?"
Yakko opened the curtains between first and second class. "Bickering about peanuts."
"I mean, when are you going to tell Slappy?" Wakko asked. "When we land? Yakko?"
"What the hell is Renraw doing in Zenny's seat?" Yakko said as he kept looking back. Renraw and Aroma were talking. She wasn't backing away or looking out the window, and he was holding her hand again.
Dot crossed his arms. "Maybe he got bored. Who knows? Can we get back to the issue here? It's Friday. Our next shoot is Wednesday. If we don't solve the problem, Animaniacs Return is gone and so is our chance at freedom."
"We've already talked about it," Yakko answered. "Hey, where'd Rita and Runt go?"
"Storage," Dot said. "We barely have enough money for a start as it is. They'll be fine."
"You should really talk to Slappy," Wakko insisted. "Or Snappy. Both maybe?"
"Why me? You know it all," Yakko pointed at Wakko. "In fact, you're the one who talked to them both before. You even believed Snappy for a short while, right?" Yakko stood up. "You connect better. I'll get Slappy up here, and take her seat. Dot, take over Snappy's next when he's up for his game of Shocking Truth, " he said as he got up and went into second class.
Wakko groaned. "But Yakko always takes care of this kind of serious thing."
"Yakko's mind is currently occupied by Renraw getting close to Aroma." Dot rolled her eyes. "Dunce. For once, I can't argue with Renraw. Guy's waited a long time for him and he never pulled a move." She looked over at Wakko. "Hate to be you. I'll be towards the front 'til your done."
Wakko groaned but watched as Slappy Squirrel bitterly came through the curtains. "...hi?"
"What'dya want already?" Slappy asked, cranky as usual.
"Well, um," Wakko rubbed his head. "...You're Midge."
Slappy scoffed, "not you too. Oy, even the main cast? I'm tellin' ya, it's a lie!"
"No," Wakko crossed his arms, trying to look serious. "The one responsible for everything is called Scraggy. He really used to like Midge. Do you remember him?"
"How would I remember him?" Slappy groaned.
"Slappy Squirrel, he's the one responsible for Skippy's cast," Wakko muttered.
That statement made Slappy sit up straight. "Keep talking."
"A long time ago, Scraggy liked Midge. Midge didn't care though, and married Snappy. Then when Snappy left and she moved in with Slappy, he tried to move in on her. He did something that caused amnesia, and he took care of Slappy too." Wakko stopped to make sure she was still listening. "Slappy must have had an idea about what was happening. Maybe she was still conscious when he said something, no one knows. She took her hat and placed it on you."
"Aha!" Slappy held her finger up. "If I was Midge and just had a hat slapped on my head, I would've been young!"
"Not exactly," Wakko answered. "Scraggy had done something to your mind, causing amnesia. It might have had suggestive brainwashing. Slappy Squirrel could have told you what happened and what to do, and you might have done it but not remembered it."
"....bull honky," Slappy muttered, "ain't no way I'm really Midge."
"Scraggy's been exacting revenge for some time. Against us, against you, against everyone in the cast." Wakko finished. "He even tried killing Aroma and Dot, but they're fine and we're safe. Except, that Scraggy was the one who created Warren. Warren finished him, and now he's after all of us. Especially you, to get rid of his creator syndrome once and for all." He watched Slappy's reaction. "It's true."
"I ain't Midge!" Slappy yelled once again. "I ain't Midge. I ain't Skippy's mom. I took care of Midge. Look at me, I'm old! I move like I'm old, I talk like I'm old, and you know what? In case you didn't know, I do that because I'm old!"
"You're Midge," Wakko tried again. "You're never going to remember being Slappy Squirrel because you aren't her. Everything will always be memorized facts."
"Shutup! You don't know what you're talking about," Slappy insisted as she got up. "I'm Slappy Squirrel!" She pointed to herself before she grabbed her cane, straightened her hat on her head, and headed back to second class. "You! Get out of my chair! I ain't in a good mood and I'll blast you to kingdom come, airplane or not!"
Wakko covered his face. Yeah, this whole plan was about to crumble. He watched as Yakko came back in. "I didn't think it was possible, but she's extra grumpy. She didn't believe it either."
"Who would?" Yakko looked back toward second class. "I still barely believe it." He shrugged his shoulders. "Snappy always knew. Speaking of which, I'll get him for ya."
"Yakko?" Wakko groaned. "Can't you do it? You'll do better. Renraw's not going to start dating her here. She's still with Newt."
"I know she's still with Newt," Yakko answered. "Of course she's with that dog. Newt. Like I forgot? I just like the back, more sociable. Besides, Snappy will be easy. You'll probably just hear a giant I told you so."
A few minutes later after explanation....
"I told you so!" Snappy snapped his fingers and pointed at Wakko. "I knew it, I always knew it. Slappy is Midge."
"Yeah, but she doesn't believe that," Wakko reminded him.
"She never would. Scraggy, though?" Snappy's eyebrows bunched up. "That damn little squirrel. He was after Midge for years. Creepy guy. Actually, he's the only reason we ever went out," He smiled. "Back then, he was almost like a simpering puppy, always hangin' on. Figured he was harmless, never even remembered him. But yeah...Midge grabbed me one day, kissed me roughly, and told him I was with her and to shove it." He twirled his cane around in the aisle. "Midge was cute, I was happy to pretend. Then our pretending turned real. He finally shoved off after I shoved a bomb up his...well, anyhow, haven't thought of him since. Come to think of it, I think he was into cartoon making. The guy just hasn't registered with me for so long."
"Okay," Wakko shrugged his shoulders, "but he's gone now."
"He's lucky." Snappy stopped twirling his cane and slammed the end of it on the ground. His eyes glared into Wakkos, giving the appearance he was going to do something. Wakko backed up a little in his seat. "I lost everything because of him."
"Uh....yeah. I understand," Wakko tried. The guy looked like he was ready to kill the next thing he saw. "He's gone, and it's the past now. Just thought you should know. "
Snappy stood up. He looked back into second class toward Skippy and Slappy. "If you ever find him alive, don't arrest him." He looked back at Wakko coldly, "just bring him to me."
Wakko felt a sudden shudder as he watched Snappy slip back into second class. He didn't know which was worse. Slappy not believing him and thinking he was psycho, or Snappy basically staring at him like he would break him in half at any second.
Who knew a small cranky squirrel could master a killer look?
Then again, Wakko had to think. Snappy thought Midge was dead for years, and didn't know where to find Skippy. If it hadn't been for Scraggy, life would have been different. What if Iri had been taken away? For years, believing she was someone else. Old to boot? Wakko shook the thought out of his head. At least his duty was done.
Then again, it didn't make things easier. Yakko's thinking was...weird now. He was doing the exact opposite of what Warren expected. Instead of just the three of them escaping to another country to not get caught, he grabbed everyone, including the squirrels. And they weren't going to Europe either. They weren't even leaving California!
Yakko was going to contact his old boss. He'd have a different identity, under the same job, in the same place.
Nothing made sense. Wakko sighed and put his feet on the back of the chair in front of him. They wouldn't have long pulling such a move. He was guessing they were all supposed to come up with an amazing plan to get out. After all, it was their specialty...
But, how were they going to make it out of this one?