"You take us to all the nicest places Doc." Yakko scowled as they pulled up to the motel.
It was a small motor lodge affair at the edge of Toon Town that looked like it had seen better days. Like the nineteen sixties. Trash littered the cracked asphalt parking lot and the building looked like it hadn't seen any maintenance in years. Fortunately they would only be staying the night and leaving out the next morning.
"Ja vell this is the best I could manage on my budget Yakko. And it’s close to the exit." Scratchandsniff replied relieved at least one of them was acting normally now.
He had been concerned about Dee since they left. He wasn't as talkative as Yakko for certain but he hadn't said a word since they left or even moved. For any Warner this simply wasn't normal.
"Remind me never to take up psychology as a career choice then." He shot back. "This place is the pits."
'I've seen worse.' Dee thought to himself.
This was his first trip to Toon Town. He wasn't impressed. Honestly he had expected more, but aside from the population being all toon it looked like any number of other smaller towns and cities surrounding the greater LA area. This part of town especially seemed a bit sparse and run down. Aside from the ratty motel the only other structures around were an equally run down gas station and a small fast food restaurant. Further into Toon Town things were more dense and wealthier but on the edges it got ugly fast. Mono markets were never stable economically.
"Welcome to casa de cucaracha people." Yakko muttered as he climbed out of the van carrying his bag.
Dee followed suit pulling his own suit case and guitar case out of the back. He was starting to wonder why he had bothered to bring it, he hadn’t had a chance to play at all. He still hadn't made a sound even though his body language showed some normalcy. Yakko decided he was probably putting on a brave front for everyone else’s sake.
'This guy is going to wind up having a breakdown if he doesn't get this out of his system.' Yakko thought. 'I just don't know if I should push him this soon.'
They followed the Doctor into the small reception area. A bored looking wart hog toon reclined behind the worn counter idly watching the television and swatting at flies. He barely looked up when the three arrived, and even then only long enough to push a book toward them.
"Sign there. How long?" He belched crudely scratching his bulging gut through a stained worn wife beater that barely contained his girth. Dee refrained from turning his nose up at the guy. Hell it wasn't his fault he was ugly. It didn't make him any worse than a lot of 'pretty people' he had known.
"Eh one day. Ve vill leave in zhe morning." Scratchandsniff replied as he produced his wallet. The hog waved it off however while he successfully smashed a fly all over his tv screen.
"Don't need that yet. Pay when you check out." He reached from his chair for a room key picking if off a peg board mounted on the wall behind him at random. He unceremoniously tossed it to the Doctor who fumbled and promptly dropped it. Dee leaned over and retrieved it from the grimy floor grabbing his luggage and starting out the door as the Hog called after him.
"On this side third room down on the right. And keep the noise down." Dee simply nodded and continued shouldering past the door without a sound. Yakko and the Doctor exchanged a look and followed him out through the squeaking portal. The Hog simply shrugged and went back to watching his television without a thought.
"What, is he afraid we'll scare his flies away?" Yakko quipped trotting up alongside Dee.
This at least got a small smile out of him. He had been trying to get something out of him since they left but without knowing how far he could push without starting a fight he was reluctant to do much more. There was still a lot he didn't know about Dee and despite his nature as a snarky motor mouth, he really did want to get along with the guy. God knows he had been through enough shit he didn't need anyone else giving him a hard time.
Dee was the first inside the room and it really wasn't that bad. It was old certainly and the carpet had a few stains he couldn't identify and there was a hole in the far wall by the sink but again he had seen worse. At least it had its own bathroom and two decent sized beds with no bed bugs and it didn't smell bad.
Tossing his suit case on the nearest bed and more gently his guitar case he stepped into the bathroom leaving the others to get settled in. Closing the door behind him he settled down to the floor placing his head between his knees. He had been on the knifes edge of control for way to long and it was beginning to break down. His breathing grew irregular and rapid losing the battle he had been fighting since he saw David again. His head swam from a mix of months of repressed emotion and hyperventilation. The room spun around him as finally relenting he lost consciousness.
"He has been in zere a long time ja?" Scratchandsniff had a talent for understatement Yakko thought. But he could understand why he might be. He just didn't want to clue Scratchy in about it if he could help it.
"I dunno I haven't been keepin up. Hey Doc if I give you some money could you grab us some food? We didn't even get lunch and its almost dark out now. I think I saw a burger place just down the road."
Yakko was hungry true enough, but he was also desperate to get him out of the room long enough for him to check on his cousin. He hid it well enough but he had heard the faint thump from the bathroom and surmised what happened.
The Doctor nodded suddenly remembering he hadn't eaten ether. In all the excitement he had forgotten. Smiling he accepted the two twenties Yakko handed him and grabbed his keys."Anyzing in particular you vant?"
"Whatever they have that's good. And fries. Lot's of fries. Can't go wrong with fries." Yakko grinned as the Doctor nodded again heading out the door. Once it was closed behind him and Yakko heard the van start and pull out his smile faded and he made his way quickly to the bathroom door. He knocked several times but got no answer.
"Dee? Dee its Yakko are you ok in there?" Pushing the door open slowly he felt it come to rest against Dee's backside. Sure enough he had passed out the second they got in the room. Fortunately he fell in a way that allowed Yakko enough room to shimmy through the gap.
Slipping inside he kneeled beside his cousin lifting his limp head and lightly slapping his cheeks as he called his name. Getting still nothing he propped him up against the wall shaking his shoulders and pushing open his eyes. Still getting nothing he settled on producing a water gun from behind his back. Aiming it at Dee's face he squeezed the trigger and doused the comatose Warner until he sputtered and mumbled incoherently his hands feebly swatting at the stream.
"Welcome back to the land of the living." Yakko smirked, putting the toy away. 
Dee looked up at him his expression confused. He was disoriented and nothing would come into focus properly. When he passed out he slumped over and his head had impacted against the hard ceramic floor leaving a small bruise under his fur and a giving him a mild concussion. Not as dangerous for a toon as a human, but they still disoriented him.
"What happened?" He croaked looking around as if the bathroom walls would give him some clue.
"You passed out. We are in a motel room in Toon Town. You are Dee Warner my loyal servant and pastry chef." Yakko grinned as Dee focused on his face and his expression turned sour.
"Chef...The fuck am I wet? Did you pee on me?" Dee looked at his soaked shirt and pants. Dammit the only other clothes he had were his denim overalls. Everything else he packed was guitar equipment. Things were coming back to him now. The trip, The Doctor, David, That funky hog and his damn flies.
"For free? Oh a first date? Hardly. It's water you perv. And you're welcome by the way. I just saved your life. Well ok your dignity, but still." 
Yakko chuckled as he helped Dee to his feet half carrying the wobbly Warner to the nearest bed.
"My underwear is wet...I hate wet underwear." Dee mumbled flopping down on the corner and slumping.
Before Yakko could reply Dee began stripping right there his modesty long forgotten. Stumbling out of his clothes and tossing them aside he motioned for his suit case. Yakko balked, turning a bright red and tried not to look as he opened his cousins suit case and tossed him his overalls, and the only spare pair of boxers he brought. Everything else was cables and effects pedals and a small practice amp.
"Next time we make a trip we need to have a conversation about priorities Dee." Yakko scowled at the contents. He turned as he heard a thump but Dee had only lost balance and hit the wall. He wasn't unconscious again, just naked and cursing while rubbing his shoulder.
"Ehhhhhh and how to get dressed while sitting." He quipped.
Remembering his modesty he turned again having already seen Dee’s everything a second time. ‘H-holy-!’ He thought, fidgeting. He couldn’t help his self. Curiosity got the better of him as he glanced, as subtly as possible, over his shoulder taking in the tableau. Dee’s body was well toned under all that fur, by design and by conditioning. David really had thought of everything in excruciating detail. Just the right hint of pecs, broad shouldered but not so much so that it was unsightly, and a hint of toned abs, a sparse salt and pepper treasure trail lead from beneath a tantalizing belly button to a neat white triangle of fur above a heavy looking dark gray endowment that would make even a straight man feel something. And Yakko was, despite what their show had implied, very not straight. More like a bisexual disaster. So he felt a great many things in that moment. Dee didn't seem to mind, if he noticed Yakko peek at all. Yakko assumed for the sake of his own sanity that he was still suffering from the blow to the head he received and hadn’t seen him looking.
Finally in dry clothes Dee sat back on the bed laying down to keep the room steady. The mattress was stiff but it still felt nice to be laying down after the day they had gone through. He looked toward Yakko who still had his back turned his arms crossed in front of him. For someone who had done nothing but fight and argue with him since they had met Yakko had gone through an awful lot for him in the past month. It told him all he needed to know about Yakko Warner. He felt he could trust him now. He smiled to himself and looked to the ceiling. Nether had expected this trip to be as informative as it had been despite the disaster that wrought it.
"Yakko?"
"Yeah?" Yakko’s back stiffened.
"Thanks." Dee looked at the pattern of cracks and swirling stucco on the ceiling feeling a strange mix of release and guilt. He supposed the latter would always be there to some degree. He would have to learn to cope with it. He felt lucky in that regard. Few people got the kind of closure he had. Was it closure? It was still ongoing. But whatever, he still felt he had made the right choice.
"Don't mention it." Yakko responded turning to him as he visibly relaxed.
Both heard as the Van pulled up again the lights glaring in the window. It had turned dark and Yakko remembered food. His stomach gnawed at him at the thought. It would do them all some good to get something in them. Yakko opened the door for the Doctor and helped him get things inside turning the dead bolt once everything was settled. He doubted there we're any people around here dumb enough to break into a motel room but you couldn't be too careful.
"Vhy are your clothes vet?" The Doctors question grabbed Yakko's attention. He wished he had hidden that. Or found a drier way of waking his cousin.
"I fell in." Dee replied wobbling over to the table and grabbing a fist full of fries as Yakko ripped one bag open to lay flat against the table using it as a makeshift plate.
The response caught him off guard and Yakko laughed for the first time that day. He was glad he could make jokes again. The silence was really starting to get to him. The Doctor simply shrugged and stepped over the mound of clothes and into the bathroom.
"He's a strange misguided little man. But I think his heart is in the right place. Just needs to learn to relax." Dee mumbled grabbing a burger and taking a large bite. They were all the same so it didn't matter which one he grabbed.
"Yeah good luck with that, we've been trying for years. His girlfriend loves us though. It drives him nuts too." Yakko grinned and winked.
"Wait someone is dating that? Humans are weird." Dee mumbled past a mouthful of fries.
"No arguments there. Still there is hope for them yet. Well some of them." Yakko sighed wistfully. "What the world might be like if everyone thought more like Warners."
"The news would be more entertaining." He replied grinning.
"Yeah could ya imagine?" Yakko grinned back.
Both went back and forth most of the night talking about whatever came to mind, joking jibing and laughing. Yakko knew they both needed the emotional release that only toons truly felt from laughter. Dee especially seemed grateful to have something to talk about that wasn't dire or life altering and for a moment things seemed normal. Even the Doctor seemed to relax even though he sat off by himself watching the television as he ate.
Things continued like that till none of them could remain awake. It was still early but everyone was road weary and emotionally drained so with Yakko and Dee taking one bed and Scratchandsniff taking the other they turned in. Dee and Yakko passed out almost the instant their heads hit the pillows, quietly snoring. The Doctor fell into a deep and dreamless sleep a short time later.
Waking up was hell. It was becoming an ongoing theme of late. Yakko cracked an eye open as the one single gap in the heavy curtain over the motel rooms window focused pure glowing evil straight into his eye. He tried to turn his back to it only to discover that in the night Dee had rolled over and he was being spooned from behind, naked as a newborn, with an arm and leg coiled around Yakko, breathing quietly against the back of his neck.
'Whats with this guy and the concept of personal space?' He blushed for the third time in the past twelve hours, feeling an acute warmth and pressure against his back alarmingly far up his spine.
For once Yakko was the first one awake in the room. The Doctor had done all the driving so he was even more tired than they were. Dee showed no signs of being anywhere near consciousness ether. No he just lay there breathing in Yakko's ear now, clinging to him like a cheap suit. Peeling Dee's arm and leg from around him Yakko slid carefully out of bed and made his way to the bathroom. His mouth tasted like old burger and he was on the verge of having a potty emergency Wakko would be proud of. Damn soda.
Dee awoke sprawled out on an empty bed the morning light boring into the back of his skull via his retina. He never could sleep very well by himself, it just didn't feel natural. And it didn't help that light focused from the window like a laser right on his face. He sat up slowly, carefully testing the sore spot on his head. The bruise wasn't as bad as he had feared but it still sucked. Yakko was in front of the small sink on the far wall brushing his teeth. The Doctor was still curled in a ball sucking his thumb. He had to shake his head at that. Nothing 'inner' about that mans child.
Rolling out of bed he stumbled toward the bathroom waving numbly as he passed Yakko and kicking aside his still damp clothes from last nights little episode. He had to scold himself as he recalled the previous nights events. Normally he was able to keep a lid on even the most difficult situation but he had noticed that ability slipping of late. He knew all to well the consequences if he couldn't keep his emotions in check.
Yakko spit a mouthful of toothpaste foam into the sink then grinned up at his disoriented cousin. He was no more a morning person than Yakko was. "Try not to fall in this time."
"No promises chief." Dee muttered. "Gonna hit the shower. You need one to?"
“U-um?” Yakko sputtered, looking to the doctor then back to Dee.
Dee simply shrugged and grinned. "Saves time and water." He offered. He had slept naked, and that state hadn’t changed when he roused. He leaned in, looking at the doctor’s prone form as he spoke low. “Besides, I thought you might want another look.” He reached over Yakko grabbing his own toothbrush, his chest pressed against Yakko’s shoulder just a little too long as he popped it into his mouth with a wink, turning to the bathroom, his tail swaying just so as he stepped in.
Yakko dithered in indecision as the shower water started to run. He fidgeted as Dee finished brushing his teeth while the water warmed. He looked back to the doctor several more times before, biting his lower lip, he stepped inside and closed the door behind him.
It seemed like Dee was back to his annoying self which was a relief actually. Otto was learning it was when he was quiet and normal acting that something was wrong. He really had been worried despite their constant sparring.
He watched as both toons bantered and quipped, both seeming a great deal more relaxed than in the previous day. Dee especially seemed like he had a great weight removed from his shoulders. And while Yakko still seemed nervous he was a lot less irritable than he had been.
He took the opportunity to tend to his grooming, since both had showered while he slept. They must have roused early if they both had time for that. He wished they had awakened him as well, though part of him was glad they hadn’t. It had been a long road trip and promised to be another long one back.
“I am going to shower as vell. Then we can check out und get breakfast, ja?”
“Ja!” Both responded in unison.
“Okay, zhat’s a new one.” He mused, mostly to his self, as he stepped into the bathroom.
Dee and Yakko both watched him close the door, listening for the water to start, as Dee’s arms went around Yakko from behind, hugging him warmly. “Are you ok?” He was genuinely concerned. 
“I am.” Yakko replied softly, leaning back against him. “I don’t think he will bother us much after this. Hopefully all those contacts he made keep him out of our hair for a good long while.” He jerked his head toward the bathroom door. Turning to face Dee he whispered in his ear, earning a smile from the taller toon. “Yeah, we have time.”
The sound of running water ceased some 20 minuets later as Yakko was packing. He heard some muttered curses through the door as Otto stepped out wrapped in a soaking wet towel and frowning holding up another towel that was little more than a glorified wash rag. “Why is zhis the only dry one left? How much does it take to dry off? You’re not even zhat tall!”
"Dammit Otto put some clothes on." Yakko rolled his eyes turning to look at the wall or anything else really. Geez of all the things he didn’t need to see.
“I’m wet!” He groused, trying to get the most out of the microscopic towel as he could. "Und zhis thing the only dry alleged towel in the whole bathroom! I'll be lucky if I can get halfway dry vhis it, so you just have to bask in mein glory till I'm dry."
"Yeah that's great but could you please go be naked somewhere else?" At this point Yakko was certain he was doing this on purpose.
"You would never make it in a high school locker room chief." Dee shook his head making his way back to the bed pulling the top sheet off handing it to Otto to use as a towel. It wasn't terribly absorbent but it was better than nothing.
"Well it's a good thing I'm not in school then isn't it? And seriously if I have to look at his junk one more time I'm gonna spew." Yakko scowled.
Scratchandsniff huffed indignantly and accepted the blanket, turning on his heel to return to the bathroom, the door closing behind him once again as Yakko sighed in relief. “Finally. That’s an image that will linger.” Old man boobs were not on the itinerary.
Dee couldn’t help but laugh at Yakko’s sour expression, content to spectate as the two sniped at each other. In his own way the doctor had managed to learn to loosen up and meet Yakko on his own terms. Something that likely took Yakko years to train into him. He doubted Scratchandsniff even noticed he was doing it.
“You know what he’s doing, right?” He pointed to the door.
Yakko paused before the irritated facade melted and he turned to him with a wicked grin. “It’s working. It’s taken a decade, but it’s finally working.” He wrung his hands like a comic book super villain. “And once I’m done with him, I’ll move on to Plotz! Muahaha!”
“Not the nurse?” Dee tilted his head quizzically. 
“Nah she’s already looney. She’s actually one of his patients believe it or not. Ralph is too, but for different reasons.” Yakko gestured to his head with a twirling finger.
“That one came off like he needs training wheels and a helmet.” It was Dee’s turn to make a sour face, remembering the guard. It had taken the better part of a week for him to recover from the ass beating his sister gave him, and he still somehow managed to act like it had never happened, putting on a tough face when they were moved into the Termite Terrace replica. One had to question how he managed to get by with so little object permanence. 
At that moment Otto emerged once again, mostly dry and thankfully dressed this time, discarding the blanket on the nearest bed. “Thank you Dee, your idea vhas not perfect, but it vas better than drying off vhis ein rag und prayers.”
"Told ya chief." Dee's grin widened as he tucked his gloved hands in his pockets. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to empty the tank before we head out.” He stepped past the doctor, closing the door behind him.
The last time he had been in here alone he had to fight to keep from hitting the floor. He still had a slight headache from his short fall in the bathroom but sorting things out with his cousin and a decent nights sleep had improved his mood greatly. Enough that he felt he could face his sister and brothers questions when they got back at least.
‘Ok he’s a lot cuter than the last guy at least.’ Yakko crossed his arms looking at a young male cat toon that was now behind the desk accepting the Doctors money. 
A nights sleep had not improved Yakko's opinion of the small motel though. It still looked grimy and worn and even the air felt dirty. He would shower again when they got back to the lot. He badly wanted the smell of this place off of him and his back ached from the unyielding mattress he had lain on.
The Doctor even seemed to notice the damp mustiness the place exuded. He had been dry after just a few minuets of standing in the bathroom with a blanket wrapped about him, he had no fur to contend hair for that matter. Yet even in the California heat it felt strangely moist here. There had to be some strange tick of physics at play for the very air to have a flavor.
Two Hundred dollars left. The Doctor examined his dwindling resources and sighed. He had enough for breakfast and gas for the return trip but he wouldn't have much left over. He would have to remember to make a withdrawal from the bank this week to cover his work week expenses. He just hoped Plotz would reimburse him like he said he would. To say the little man was tight fisted with his money was an understatement. Scratchandsniff was beginning to think he had an obsession with money that bordered on neurosis.
Thanking the toon behind the desk he made his way out the door followed by Yakko and Dee. They were discussing what to eat for breakfast. Dee had suggested the same place he went to last night, but honestly who wants to eat greasy meat first thing in the morning? They all decided to find a place outside of Toon Town once they got underway.
The drive back was fairly smooth sailing until they got off the interstate. Back in Burbank things were again hopelessly snarled and the Doctor let a few choice words fly that amused the Warners to no end when someone cut him off. They laughed hysterically as he weaved through traffic struggling to get in the right lane for the next exit.
"Gotta love the traffic here it never fails to entertain."" Dee mused with a grin, watching cars plod weave and speed around one another.
"Or maim." Yakko added, as a guy on a motorcycle buzzed past them at an inadvisable speed straddling the lanes. “How does a species population get this large when they have no sense of self preservation? At least when we do it, we know we can’t die.”
"I think vhen I get back I'm going to take up drinking." Scratchandsniff muttered gripping the wheel so tightly his hands ached.
"Do that and we really will mess with you." Yakko warned. He was having none of that. He had seen his share of substance abuse and what it did to these idiot hairless monkeys.
Something about his tone told the Doctor he wasn't kidding. Thinking back on it the Warners always did seem to go after actors and staff the most at parties where alcohol or worse was served. They had always employed a zero tolerance policy concerning substance abuse of any kind. It was one of the few things about them he took comfort in. They would never be alcoholics or drug addicts. They had always been to strong mentally to fall back on self destructive behavior as a coping mechanism. But if he didn't get out of this traffic soon he couldn't promise the same for himself.
Arriving finally at the lot Yakko let out a sigh of relief. Home again. Well not precisely since the tower was out of commission but close enough. Just three more weeks and the place would be theirs again. Even now he could see the tell tale flickers of welding torches and if he listened close enough he could even hear the screech of grinders. The structure was being cut in half and raised and a second floor created inside. They assured them that it would look no different from the outside if you didn't know what to look for. He would notice, but it hardly mattered.
After sitting in a van so long all three opted to walk from the Doctors parking space at his office back to the bungalow. A bit of a workout for Scratchandsniff but just a brief warm up for the Warners. Anything to get the blood flowing again even though they had to lug around their luggage.
"That's it. Next time I’m leaving my guitar behind. I never even got to play the thing." Dee pouted.
He didn't feel right when he went a day without playing something. Since his birth he had always had a fanatical love of music. It came to him as easily as breathing and was just as integral to his existence. More to the point it helped him cope and express himself when when things got hard to deal with. He still sang to his little brother when he had trouble sleeping. A fact Psykko was loathe to admit in front of others. He was a far more sensitive toon than he liked to show. Dee however took comfort in the fact that there was more to his brother than rage and violence. David hadn't drawn him quite as insane as he thought.
There was another thing that gave him some hope. If at the height of his madness David couldn't complete what he had set out to do and create a toon that would kill, then maybe there was a chance he could recover too. Maybe there is a shred of humanity left in him. Despite his words at the asylum Dee couldn't bring himself to totally give up on his creator. Even if he had given up on Dee.
They finally arrived at Termite Terrace with Scratchandsniff lagging behind puffing like a locomotive. It was a brisk walk for a toon sure but for a human it was decidedly more strenuous. Especially if he was as old as Scratchandsniff.
'Back again.' Yakko had begun to appreciate the virtues of a house you didn't have to climb to get into but he would be glad to be back in his own room and his own bed. 'Three more weeks and this debacle will be over with.' He reminded himself. Its not that he hated the situation that much really, he and his siblings lived in tight quarters for decades, but as their situation had improved since the show, he found that he missed having his own space.
Dee barely paused stopping only long enough to open the door turning the knob with his toes before stepping inside. The only one there though was Peg, curled up in the chair reading some magazine with teen idols on the cover flashing their perfect artificial smiles at the reader. She looked up only long enough to ask how it had gone.
"Not good. He's pretty messed up. I'll tell you about it later, we've been on the road since this morning. Where are the others?" Dee asked leaving his luggage against the far wall. It had taken them a lot longer than five hours to make the return trip because of all the traffic. All he wanted right now was lunch and a nap.
Yakko came in closing the door behind him. Scratchandsniff was on his way to the studio office to drop his receipts off and give Plotz any details he could about the short trip. He was certain he would be showing him tapes or transcripts of the meeting brief as it was. Toons being created as weapons may not be very effective but the concept still carried ramifications studios everywhere would need to be made aware of. There were a lot of skeletons in executive closets that could easily be outed by a determined toon with a grudge. Or worse.
"They walked over to the tower to watch them chop it up." Peg idly flipped a page sneering at it's contents. "Yeesh. They'll be back before dark. Your little brother is in trouble with the studio by the way."
"Why is he only my brother when he's in trouble? What did he do?" Dee really didn't want to deal with this right now.
"He tried to eat the tutor they introduced us to this morning. Flemheel, Flamiel, something like that. She tried to write something on his head and he swallowed half her arm. It took three people to pry him off of her." Peg grinned flipping through another page. She thought it was funny really. After all she had tried to warn them not to touch him.
"I'll talk to him about it later, right now I need food. Go get the little heathen would ya? I'm going to get supper going." Dee sighed rubbing the bridge of his nose. Can't leave them alone for five seconds.
Peg frowned but complied, tossing her magazine aside. Since coming here Dee had become such a Pollyanna. It didn't help that he was hiding things from them. She could see it in his face. Frankly it was insulting that he couldn't trust them with it. Stepping past him she approached Yakko, surprising him as he was distracted with his luggage.
"Welcome back sweetie I hope the trip was ok." She smiled at a confused looking Yakko as she walked toward the door and gave him a quick hug on her way out turning back long enough to stick her tongue out at Dee before closing the door behind her.
"Yeah I missed you to sis." Dee watched her leave.
"What was that all about?" Yakko looked between the door and Dee. Now that he thought about it she hadn't said much to Dee when they left ether. She was mad at him about something, Yakko could guess what that might be.
Dee sighed looking at the kitchen. "Pissed I didn't take her probably. You know on second thought maybe we should just order something. I really don't feel like cooking ether. Hope you got money chief I'm tapped."
"You want us to what now?" Dee looked at the tiny man, trying to figure out if this was some trick. It couldn't be that easy. And, as it turned out, it wasn't.
"I want you to work in the recording studio, doing soundtracks for some of our shows, among other things." Plotz stated matter-of-factly. "If you are to stay here you must earn your keep. And frankly this job is what you are most qualified for. I have heard about your unique abilities with all things musical. This job is tailor-made for someone with your talents."
Dee simply stared as he sat back, reclining his feet on the tiny man's desk. He regarded the man closely.
"And not just you either. All three of you." Plotz pointed to his brother and sister as well. "Also, if it turns out you three have any other talents the studio can utilize then your duties will expand accordingly. In plain English, your abilities are the property of the studio to use as we see fit. Even the original Warners still work for us in other capacities, on occasion."
Plotz sat back, resting his finger tips against one another. Insane or not, the Warners had turned out to be a gold mine back in the nineties and still managed to turn out material in the form of jokes, cartoon plots, and song parodies for other shows. What's more they showed their value during the writers strike when every human writer was renegotiating their pay.
The Warners' wages were scaled, based on the amount of chaos they caused and they had no direct control of material they produced. The studio came out ahead during those difficult times when others suffered or made painful concessions. Three more indentured writers would definitely help matters. He could afford to let go of another twelve human writers and have these three pick up the slack... if they showed a talent for it.
Thinking of the money they would save compared to the honestly minor annoyance the cousins may pose made Plotz giddy. He remained inscrutable however. Best not to tip your hand 'til the opponent folds.
"Alright chief, you win. It's not like we have much of a choice anyway." Dee shrugged. He tried to put up a good front for his brother and sister but he knew where this had been going from the start.
Their talent pool would be exploited for basically pennies on the dollar, and in exchange he and his family stayed off the streets. He knew they were painted into a corner long before this conversation took place. They had been the moment he called the cops and had David carted off. All that was left was to sign the contracts and make it official. He felt like a tool, but the payoff was worth it. At least to him.
Peg and Psykko thankfully remained quiet on the matter. He had spoken with them before the meeting about what might happen and pleaded with them to let him do all the talking. He wasn't certain they would agree to it. Especially Peg. Lately she had been as cantankerous as Slappy Squirrel and half as restrained. He knew she was stressing out over this whole episode. He also knew that sooner or later she would figure things out for herself. If he didn't let her in on this soon things could get very loud very
 quickly. They still might. Altruism it seemed was in short supply of late.
Plotz grinned pushing a folder forward on his desk. "I was hoping you would say that. Within this folder are the contracts the three of you will be required to sign. Once this is processed then you will start. A schedule will be provided within the week."
He smiled pleasantly as Dee lifted the folder, flipping through the forms with a resigned expression. He knew, by the end of the day, he would have them. This whole affair could be hushed up and locked away, just like the original Warners had been when they signed their contracts.
Dee was the first to sign. He flipped wordlessly through each form indicated, numbly jotting down his name and providing a thumb print. Peg was more vocal but still she then Psykko followed suit. And just like that it was done. In the span of fifteen minuets they had signed their lives and talent away to a faceless company for the grand sum of fifteen thousand a year per sibling. It was a pittance compared to what any human in their position would make and receive credit for. But this way the studio was bound by irrevocable contract to tend to their well being regardless of their own fiscal responsibilities. Being a toon wasn't all it was cracked up to be.
Dee sighed and leaned back on the couch, rubbing his eyes. This whole thing was far from ideal but talking with Yakko after the signing made it seem at least a little better. They would be getting more living space and money than they had living with David. And a lot more security, freedom to express themselves, and an opportunity to be heard, even if their names would never be known. It was more than they could have gotten alone. He was a noisy little snot sometimes but he made a good point. Still what if's hung over his head like a dark cloud.
Scenarios played out in his head like a bad drama, every time the subject of David was broached. He agonized over the right words to say to his sister and brother but no matter what he thought up he knew the end result would never be pleasant. He knew the sooner he said something, the quicker it could be resolved; but still he decided to wait until they had some money saved up, and Peg and Psykko were settled before he stirred things up again. A cowardly approach perhaps, but he didn't want to make a bad situation worse. Still, it all left a bad taste in his mouth.
"You know, if you keep moping like that, people are going to assume something is wrong." Dee cracked open an eye to see Yakko perched on the couch next to him.
"Oh, nothing wrong here, man. I just cheated my brother and sister out of their creator, and now I've cheated them out of any recognition for their work and enslaved them to a company they have hated since birth, is all. Oh, and I've been lying to them both, since the beginning. Hope I haven't left anything out."
"Yeah you left out the part where you possibly saved their lives. Oh, and left out the part where you found them jobs and a home, can't forget that. Self pity doesn't become you, cousin. You aren't giving your siblings much credit, ether." Yakko frowned, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Though he could hardly blame him, all things considered. Still, he knew as well as Dee that he had to keep himself together. It would be a long time before Peg and Psykko were stable enough to handle things nearly as well as any of the original Warners. A sad side effect of David's intent in his creation had been that Peg and Psykko were decidedly more volatile without the presence of a more stabilizing personality around. Things could easily spiral out of control. Still, the Warner siblings seemed to have the same effect on them that Dee had. Albeit in a different manner, they were still nevertheless in control.
Wakko's easy going personality had the most dramatic effect on Psykko. Wakko never seemed intimidated or put off by Psykko. He simply accepted him for who he was, flaws and all. They seemed to be around each other most of the time now, and he took the edge off Psykko's temper by showing him how to vent without seriously hurting anyone. Yakko had been concerned at first, but after watching them over the past two weeks, fears of assault had largely proven unfounded.
In similar fashion, Dot had taken much of the edge off of Peg. She had become a sort of refuge for Peg over the past few days, when she had blown up at her brother finally. Dee had warned it was coming and she still wouldn't talk to him if she didn't have to.
Yakko wished there was more they could do but, honestly, the rifts in their personalities would need time to heal. Destruction is easy. It's the rebuilding afterward that's hard. Still, these recent developments gave him an idea.
Dee simply shrugged and returned to watching television. As usual, there was never anything good on. Same lame ass cartoons and boring sitcoms. No adult channels ether. Bunch of goody two shoes running this place. Sighing, he turned the television off and tossed the remote aside, looking at his cousin. So much alike, but worlds apart. He envied how much more settled things must have been for them. Or maybe he just wished things were.
"What would you do? Humor me." Dee rested his head against the back of the couch, watching his cousin.
"For one, I would tell my sibs the truth. But mine are different, so ehhhhhhhhhhhhh... just do what you think is right. I can't pretend to dictate to you, and if you really are anything like me, you wouldn't listen if I tried." Yakko shrugged.
"He only copied your appearances and, if you haven't noticed, he even got that a little wrong. He had other intentions for our personalities." Dee rolled his eyes. He was growing tired of this clone business.
"Yeah I was there remember? I heard enough to get the general idea. Still, he should have known it wouldn't work. From the moment a toon is born, their mind is their own. You could never make one crazy enough to do what David wanted. Oh, there are some toons out there now that would do that just for laughs, but they weren't made that way. They came to it on their own." Yakko realized Dee knew all this but he also knew he needed to hear it from someone else. If anything, he could distract him enough to get him out of this funk he was in. He would rather have the grinning jerk back that invaded his personal space and constantly annoyed him. That Dee was a lot more fun.
Yakko sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Look, I understand some of what you're going through, ok? We are different, yeah, but we went through some of the same stuff. And yes, the contract sucks, but you will live a lot longer than any human could hope to. Fifteen grand a year for seventy odd years will get pretty big, pretty quick, if you put it all in savings. How much do you think we have saved up after this long? It's not like you will have a lot of expenses, anyway. The studio houses us, feeds us, provides just about everything we need. You won't be spending much."
"Besides, even if the humans don't know who wrote the jokes, or music, or whatever you have a hand in, everyone in Toon Town will. The studio is required to give all toons credit for contributions that are aired in Toon Town. So it's not like you'll be forgotten or anything." Yakko forced a smile but he really could empathize with him. He recalled their own contract signing and how much he wanted to strangle the board. Assholes seemed to gravitate to executive positions.
"I think our mutual friend neglected to mention that." Dee eyed Yakko.
"Yeah he's not prone to volunteer information. I should have gone with you guys, it could have saved everyone some misery and angst." He would have if he hadn't been in the middle of a project, too. Plotz must have taken this into account when he scheduled the signing. "Vicious bastard. Our special friend list is growing by the day."
"Is that him? I think I remember him." Psykko peered around the corner, looking over Wakko's shoulder.
The human looked like a heart attack waiting to happen. Almost as round as he was tall, he somehow managed to squeeze himself into the uniform that designated him as the head of security at Warner Brothers. Ironic name, now that he thought about it. Maybe it's fate after all.
"Uh huh." Wakko grinned, his tongue sticking out of his mouth.
It had been a long time since he had a reason to prank Ralph, but today was special. He had a new cousin to teach after all. Yakko's instructions had been pretty simple. Show him how to get revenge on someone without killing them. Wakko figured they should start with something simple and work up from there. And Ralph is about as simple as they came and still have a pulse. He could do this in his sleep.
"Now watch what I do." Wakko grinned wickedly as they watched Ralph leave the gate house on some errand or another. Motioning his cousin to follow him, they slipped inside, gag bag in tow.
He had to admit, Psykko had a solid grasp of the basics, and he was pretty stealthy when he wanted to be. His problem was restraint. He didn't use comedy cannons or anvils... no, he used the real thing. That, and his tendency to draw blood when he bit someone. With his teeth, that was way easier than for a normal toon with much more dire consequinces.
Satisfied with their work, Wakko motioned to his cousin to withdraw and they quietly slipped out of the guard house. It was Psykko's idea to chain several pranks together in a strange Rube Goldberg-esque sequence. They had even set a few hidden traps for whoever had to clean up the mess. Nothing they hadn't done before but never on a scale quite this big. Wakko had to wonder if it was too much but frankly the studio deserved it.
The two found a vantage point atop one of the nearby set buildings and watched as the lumbering oaf occupied his post. Psykko giggling madly behind him, Wakko watched with a set of binoculars produced from his bag. It didn't take long for the screaming to start. Wakko had forgotten how much fun this was. This was so worth the cost.
"Excuse me? What did you call me?" Peg leveled her gaze at the grinning human.
"What? Don't like being called a hottie, babe? What about chick? Hoochie? Bitch?" He and his small group of friends laughed.
"I have a name, you slimy little-" Peg interrupted.
They were all teenagers... she couldn't determine what age exactly. Actors or something, from the look of it. She hardly cared; a jerk is a jerk, regardless of station. Like all jerks, they tended to be shallow and weak-minded. This one would fold with the proper application of strength.
"Peg? Maybe we should go over there, where the gene pool isn't so shallow, hmm?" Dot tugged on her cousin's hand, trying to get her away from the jerk-wad. She couldn't blame Peg for being irritated at the cat-calls, but she looked like she was about to slug the guy. 'Definitely has a temper Slappy would be proud of.'
"One second, Dot." Peg held up a hand, sauntering over to the still grinning human. 'Dude can't take a hint for shit. His loss, my gain.' Reaching the giggling menagerie, she smiled sweetly, lightly pushing her index finger under the guy's chin and leaning in close. "Peg. My name is Peg. And next time you fail to use it? I'll flatten your sorry ass." With that, she slipped her hand behind the jackass's neck and turned into him, flipping him over her hip and sending him sprawling onto the pavement with a grunt. "Are we clear now sweetness?" Peg smiled down at him, her hands clasped daintily behind her back, her foot pressed firmly against the side of his neck, claws extended just far enough to press against his larnyx. She looked like she was enjoying this.
"Y-you're crazy! I'm calling security!" The guy stammered, as he stumbled to his feet, running toward the gate house. His friends had long since taken off in different directions, abandoning him to his deserving fate.
"You do that! I'll put him on the ground right beside you!" Peg called after him, waving and smiling brightly.
Dot had to shake her head. Not exactly lady-like, but living around two boys can do that to a girl. Dee warned her Peg was a tomboy through and through. She took no crap from anyone and had a surprisingly low tolerance for disrespect. At least she didn't mallet or anvil him. Dee had also warned her about Peg's predilection for physical violence. Dot felt she might have to call in some help on this one. She would talk to Yakko about it tonight.
She was about to lead Peg away when they heard a low explosion and screams from the direction of the guard house. They exchanged a look and quickly trotted within eyesight. What they saw caused Peg to instantly burst into laughter and Dot to rest her face in her hand. ' Wakko...'
The second the offensive teenager had opened the guard house door, a low grade explosive filled it to overflowing with a ridiculous amount of whipped cream, blasting both Ralph and the guy. Both were cursing, flailing and covered head to toe in foamy goo as the California sun quickly baked it into a sticky, smelly mess. In quick succession, two more small bombs went off, showering the whole gate house in sprinkles and fudge, startling the two victims who slipped and fell into the expanding puddle below. That's when Dot spotted them; Wakko and Psykko, running down the side of a building at full speed, carrying two jars. As they ran by, they flung the contents into the air at Ralph, covering him in cherries and juice before anyone could tell what was going on.
At this point Peg was in tears, watching the two hapless humans flop around on the asphalt like fish out of water. She had never laughed so hard in her life, and this just kept getting better and better. Even Dot had to laugh. She didn't know where Wakko had acquired food bombs, but that was going in their repertoire for certain. Dot had to wonder if Yakko was having as much trouble reigning Dee in.
"What were those things?" Dot asked Wakko. They finally caught up with them back at Termite Terrace. The terrible duo were rolling on the floor laughing, and recounting their exploits to an amused Dee and Yakko. The pair had been far too fast to even be seen, let alone identified, by either Ralph or anyone else.
"Psykko calls them condiment bombs." Wakko finally responded, gasping for breath between guffaws. "I kinda ran out of ideas for stuff to do to Ralph, and he pulled those things out. You missed everything else we did."
"They used to contain propane and gun powder." Psykko chipped in, likewise out of breath. "But Dee said we can't use stuff like that so I rearmed them. I make them out of soda and shaving cream cans, whatever is lying around. If you do it right, a toon can fit a whole lot in a single bomb." Psykko grinned wickedly.
'Great. I'm living with the freakin' uni bomber.' Dot thought sourly. It was going to be a long week, for certain. Dot had a feeling things were going to get more interesting once Plotz caught wind of it. He had all the humor of a baked potato sans the butter.
The schedule was, in a word, grueling. In part, because of the series of pranks the lot of them had been pulling on the studio since the contract signing, the schedule had grown to monstrous proportions. Cleanup, therapy bills, medical leave for staff members, the six Warners took their toll for each trespass Plotz dared to make, and in return he tied up more and more free time, till there was little left to do but sleep and eat. Dee knew there would be a price to pay but, in all honesty, it was worth every bit of it.
He and his siblings were learning valuable skills from Yakko, Wakko, and Dot in the process that they never thought they would need or use, but they discovered themselves more capable of than they could have imagined.
'Siblings.' Now that he thought about it, Yakko was right. It was a catchy word. Dee was beginning to think Yakko slept with a thesaurus, the way he rattled off obscure words and phrases with such ease.
Their exchange of knowledge was by no means a one-way street however, as Dee, Peg, and Psykko learned their musical abilities far and away exceeded the original three. Of course, they were talented in their own right, and often found themselves in the position of music instructors in advanced practice, theory, and history.
Dee's knowledge in that area proved as encyclopedic as Yakko's vocabulary. And his wit was becoming just as sharp as well, now that he had a chance to hone it. Yakko was showing him how to use it well. He was a quick study and it caught Plotz unpleasantly by surprise when Dee began to pick apart everything the CEO said and shoot it back at him, or worse yet when he and Yakko teamed up on the belligerent pygmy during one of their target practice sessions. He had been their first target since he was so easily unsettled and remained a favorite of both.
Wakko continued to work with his cousin and the results were promising, if not out right destructive. Psykko's more violent tendencies were better directed toward pranks and 'toon stunts that at least didn't put anyone in a hospital, and he almost never used his teeth on them lately. That would always be a part of his nature, Dee knew, but at least he had other options now. Wakko even gifted him one of his mallets for showing him how to make condiment bombs. The two were conspiring to make a ranged version using a 'toon cannon as well. Their first experiment caused it to rain ketchup over half the corporate office during an open air press conference, showering everyone involved and their equipment in the process.
Peg was having a little more trouble holding back. Dot had to call in a favor with Slappy Squirrel and explain the situation in detail before she would agree to come down to the lot. Slappy enjoyed her retirement and wrestling with an irritable 'toon wasn't her idea of a relaxing time. Once they met though she learned they had a lot more in common than not. Her instruction was still ongoing, and it would take longer for Peg to learn the subtle art of aggressive re-education as opposed to flat-out murder.
Dee recalled Slappy's account of the previous day...
"Hey Carrie, how're they supposed to learn anything if their dead?" Slappy had admonished Peg.
She'd learned to hate the sundry nicknames Slappy had grown fond of giving her. She was surprised at first when Dot proposed the idea, and a little put off, but it grew on her when Dot had shown her footage of Slappy's shows. She had no idea she would be such a smart ass though.
"You got lucky little boy... Run from me." She sneered, releasing the human's shirt collar and letting the coward run away, screaming and cradling a bloody nose. The same snotty slime from before at the gate house. She wasn't sure why Bucky Deathwish didn't take the hint, but she ached to end him.
She could have flattened him, wanted to flatten him, but every time she got close, the cranky squirrel or Dot jumped in the way. She wasn't interested in teaching him anything except what the business end of a mallet looked like, up close. Apologies meant nothing coming from these people, and she wasn't interested in explaining why calling her a bitch, or showing anything less than complete respect, was a fatal mistake. They should know already.
Still, she knew better than to insist. Slappy was old, but a lot more experienced than her and the last time she tried to push her limits the old bag stuffed a bomb down the front of her dress. She didn't understand why Dee insisted on these stupid lessons. If she wasn't going to learn how to use bombs that did more than blacken or daze the person, then she would stick to her fists and "Mister Stump".
It's not like humans understand anything less than a severe beating anyway. You have to be heavy handed if you're going to get anywhere. Her brother persisted though, and repeated for the thousandth time that he didn't want to see his sister in prison for killing some poor shmuck for a minor offense. As if any human prison could hold her...
'Poor Slappy.' Dee thought, shaking his head. Still, it was paying off. The guy was still alive and he hadn't said a cross word to anyone since his last run in with Peg. They never did learn his name though. However, she still hated having to hold back.
Dee, on the other hand, was pleased to no end that they were finally beginning to act like normal 'toons. This was what they had been missing, the life they should have had from the start. The simple joys of making someone laugh or scream or pull out their hair was more precious to him than any wage, any level of fame. This is the lesson Yakko intended to teach from the start. It took them several painful years to come to it and Yakko would rather have spared his cousins the misery.
'This is who we are. We aren't weapons, or tools for someone's petty revenge, we're 'toons. We have to be true to that or we wind up like those nut jobs in the asylum.' Dee recalled Yakko's words and sighed as he adjusted the tuning on his guitar, awaiting the verdict from the control room. He felt in his element, despite the extra work. He could smile without forcing it, and be himself.
The recording studio quickly became their second home, as each of the three cousins found the various instruments they were most comfortable with and proved that the studio's faith in their abilities well founded. Even the original Warners were impressed with the broad reach of genres they could master.
It was hard work, to be sure, and they were all sweating and cursing at the moment. But the act of creation and outlet it provided was its own payoff. Dee also relished the astonished looks he garnered from the human musicians as they went through various instruments, with levels of expertise even practiced players had a hard time achieving. They couldn't be happier to perform. Though this schedule was pushing it a bit.
"Lemme guess, again from the top?" Dee asked the recording room. Normally each person would record individually and they would mix the tracks together but for this piece they had everyone in at the same time.
"Yeah if you wouldn't mind and try to give us a little more on the high end, it's getting a little bassy for what we need." The bearded human behind the window responded.
"Can't you take care of that on your end?" Yakko chimed in. Lately they had been getting a lot of the same jobs. Yakko suspected it was Plotz' doing, so in the belief that they would stay out of trouble if they were all together and kept busy.
'Yeah, keep going with that theory see how far it gets you.' Yakko thought, as he popped his knuckles. He had never played so long in a single sitting and he was reaching his limit. He wanted dinner and a shower. He wanted to push Plotz head into a toilet and flush it. He wanted a leggy blonde to rub his sore shoulders and kiss him just so behind his ears. 'Sigh.'
"We will have to do it ourselves, or it won't sound the same." Dee responded.
He insisted that they not use digital enhancement for the work they did, when possible. It took the soul out of the music, so everything had to be done by hand. It made every step that much more laborious, but the end product sounded fuller and more organic.
Yakko sighed, rubbing his eyes. Dee couldn't just let it go. Everything had to meet his exacting standards and it was dragging this out a lot longer than it needed to. He was nearly as demanding as the studio had been, sometimes more. Yakko never imagined he would be such a perfectionist.
The others groaned in unison, startling Dee. Everyone was tired, and getting cranky. Even his own brother and sister were complaining. Maybe it was time to wrap this up.
"Ok Wayne, I hate to do this but I think this is our last take." Dee sighed, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead.
It was getting late, he noticed, glancing at his watch. They had been at it for twelve hours straight, doing nearly thirteen songs for everything from commercial jingles to symphonic pieces for other cartoons. The one they were working on now was a more blues inspired piece, for a show called Chowder, that the original Warners seemed familiar with. Simple enough to pull off, but with everyone already tired it affected their playing.
Wayne nodded sympathetically, mashing at various controls on his console. He had been right there with them through the whole ordeal. Dee had to wonder if Plotz was pissed off at him too, or if he simply drew the short straw today. He never complained though, and he had a good ear which Dee could appreciate. He would like to work with him again if possible.
The group finally stumbled into Termite Terrace, exhausted and hungry. The sun was getting low in the sky, and it hurt to move. This would get harder when they had to climb a ladder to get to their new home. It wouldn't be much longer now before that was the case. The contractors brought in the extended section today, and were hoisting it in place when the Warners left this morning. It was up now, but they were still welding and grinding on the thing. It was noisy, hot work, and made their own task seem minor in comparison.
Still, it was good to sit down. They were surprised to find their dinner had been delivered by the studio cafeteria, and there was a lot of it. Someone out there was thinking of them at least. Psykko and Wakko quickly ate themselves into a stupor while the rest ate more moderately. It took most of the rest of the evening for everyone to take turns bathing, again except for Psykko and Wakko who were asleep in a mound on the couch. Dee decided not to disturb them and simply turned out the lights when everyone went to bed. It would feel a little strange not having Psykko in the same room but he at least knew he would be ok so he didn't let it bother him.
Yakko thought he would have to remind them to bathe tomorrow. No way was he sitting in a recording studio with two ripe Warners doing another repeat of today. Hard work he could handle, but body funk in stereo wasn't in their contract.
Morning brought the promise of leftovers for breakfast and more long hours.
The coming weeks were much of the same. Long hours of the same routine flowed into one another seamlessly. Days blurred into weeks, and the Warners stayed so busy they barely had time to think, let alone rest up for the next day. Still, they would not relent. Their limit was much higher than the executives that pushed them, and they refused to let it break them or slow their steady march toward a normal life. Normal as 'toons go, anyway.
Before they knew it, a month passed and it was time to move again. This time, back into the tower, and into a more permanent home for the Warner cousins. The process of packing proved as chaotic as the first time, Yakko remembered. No one could seem to get their heads on straight; everyone dragged their feet until the last minute and, finally, help had to be called in to get everything moved back into their old home.
Plotz had been right, though. You almost couldn't tell the difference. Almost. The outside now had the addition of a spiral staircase, wrapping around a taller tank and leading to a new exterior door, near the top. It was covered and painted the same color as the tank, so it was hard for passers by to spot, but Yakko's keen eyes picked it up instantly. The tank its self sat slightly lower within the support beams, which had been painted brighter shades of blue, red and purple. They had always intended to repaint the exterior, and this was a convenient enough excuse.
Likewise, Wakko and Dot spotted subtle changes and were pointing them out to their cousins. The down pipe from the tank was much thicker than it had been. They soon found out that they had used it to install an elevator, to reduce the risk of visitors falling to their doom and to give the overworked 'toons an easier method of entry.
Within the tower, things were again the same but different. The walls were lined with sound absorbing materials, and an extra room was added to the lower floor, to accommodate the internet room they hounded the CEO about. Another spiral staircase followed the far right wall though a door to the second story, which contained a small living room, kitchen, and three bedrooms for the cousins.

The living room contained a low wooden coffee table, flanked by over-sized bean bag chairs and a brown fabric couch. Off to one side were a small flat screen television and a DVD player. The floor was bare, but covered in a variety of rugs some of which were, in Dee's opinion, unfortunate choices of color. The kitchen was separated from the living room by a small breakfast bar and three stools. The walls and floor were lined with red and white tiles, much like the ones covering the floor of the downstairs kitchen. Along one wall, a massive built in shelf followed the sweep of the tower wall and contained an endless series of cabinets, shelves and cubby holes for various things they didn't yet own. Peg complained it would be a dust trap and she wasn't going to clean it up. Always the sunny side with her...
The bedrooms were fairly neutral and sparse, containing only a full sized bed and end table and a modest closet. It was obvious they weren't planned for anyone in particular. It would be up to them to decide who slept where and decorate accordingly.
The bathroom was fairly nice, everyone had to admit. A large walk in shower with multiple heads dominated the far wall, and the whole space was covered in travertine tiles that brightened the space. The toilet had its own small room with its own door and ample ventilation. Dee found out later, Yakko had arranged this as part of their remodel as well. Apparently there had been some issues with Wakko leaving their bathroom unusable for hours after he occupied it, so theirs was redesigned as well. He had a feeling the vent fans would be seeing a lot of use now.
All in all it was a lot of projects for the short period of time the contractors had to work with. But working round the clock with several crews they managed to pull it off.
'They are going through a lot of expense to hush all this up.' Psykko thought, as he poked around the tower. 'Even Bugs doesn't wield this much power in the studio. This can't be all Yakko's influence, so what is the missing piece?'
Everyone sort of ignored him, either because they didn't think much of him or because he just plain creeped them out, but Psykko wasn't nearly as dumb as everyone seemed think. He had been relatively quiet and compliant since they arrived. Oh, he caused his share of trouble, sure, but mostly he watched and listened. No one told him anything, least of all Dee. He knew he was trying to protect him from something, but he was determined to find out just what. All that was missing were the rest of the pieces to this twisted puzzle.
Dee may be willing to settle, and strive for normality, but as far as he was concerned there would be no lasting peace until he found out exactly what happened to David, and why they were being locked away. A prison is still a prison, no matter how gilded the cell. He swore to himself that, when he found out who was responsible, food bombs would be the least of their problems.
He smiled broadly to himself, his multitude of teeth grinding, eyes gleaming and predatory. Complacency was his enemy right now. No level of comfort would chain him. Soon enough everyone would learn not to underestimate Psykko Warner. Least of all those pigs in corporate, or that stump of a man, Plotz.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Peg awoke to the sound of her alarm clock. Seven thirty came early, and her entire body ached. Groaning and rolling aside, she reached over her baby brother to turn the infernal contraption off. 'Poor Psykko...' She mused, looking down at him curled up at the edge of the bed. He wasn't the only one that had trouble sleeping alone, and in the middle of the night he had come into her room, unable to find sleep. Needless to say, it was a bit of an adjustment for all of them having so much extra space to rattle around in.
Life with David had been cramped, frantic and crazy; but it had been all they ever knew. Concepts like modesty and privacy were luxuries they could ill afford and never concerned themselves with. Things were changing far too much, far too quickly for her tastes.
Peg leaned down and kissed her baby brother on the head, and gently stroked his ears as he whimpered and squirmed in his sleep, his face scrunching into a cute grimace before he slipped back into his dreams. She smiled down at him. He put on a tough face, but she knew how sensitive he really was. This all had to be affecting him worse than either herself or Dee.
Dee. He used to tell her everything. They held nothing back from each other, but lately, since David was gone, he became so secretive and distant, preferring instead to confide in their oldest cousin Yakko. She saw the stress on his face, she heard it in his voice. 'Why won't he talk to me anymore? What has him so bothered? Asshole better speak up soon or I'm going to beat it out of him.'
Peg sighed and rolled out of bed, her back and neck cracking in the process. They were supposed to have the day off after working for a solid week in the sound stage. She was sore all over, but their end product had gained the attention of several notable artists that recorded there as well. A fact they were all inwardly proud of, though none of them showed it. But no day off for Peg. Today held the promise of yet more lessons in restraint with Dot and that damn squirrel. Psykko at least got to have fun with his lessons, and Dee and Yakko simply hung out pissing people off.
Everything that involved her always seemed to be about not beating people up too badly and talking too damn much. 'Have fun with it.' They said. 'It's more fun to drive them crazy!' They said. To Peg, it sounded like a lot of trouble for the same end result.
"Your cartoons would be very, very short... And boring." Slappy said pointedly. "You're about as funny as a funeral. You're a 'toon kid, learn to have fun with it."
"I don't have a cartoon and I never will. Dammit Jim, I'm a musician not an actor." Peg shot back.
"Oh! A pop culture reference! That was almost funny there! You stay up all night writin' that one?" Slappy grinned, her eyes carrying both appraisal and threat of escalation. If she could draw Peg into some kind of dialogue, at least she could teach her something.
"At least she's trying." Dot chipped in, trying to soothe a glaring Peg.
She was right about that, at least. Slappy had noticed a gradual change in Peg over the weeks. She still had a lot of anger in her, but that wasn't much of a problem as far as Slappy saw. Hell, people accused her of worse. But it had been days since she had attempted to flatten her with that monstrous mallet of hers. She always failed when she tried, of course, and got herself blown up for her troubles.
Slappy didn't think that was what had made her stop though. Fear never factored in with people like her. It wasn't humor either. Peg was stressing out about something, Slappy knew it, and it was distracting from everything she did lately. Or maybe she just knew her well enough now to recognize the signs. All of these new cousins kept things close to the vest, it seemed. The oldest especially. 'Mister cool eh? Yeah, if you're anything like your sister here, something is very wrong. And if I'm gonna keep this up then one of you mugs is gonna tell me what.'
Peg growled, but finally relented with a sigh, waving the squirrels comment off. It didn't matter really. People can talk shit all they want but she didn't care. It wasn't as bad as some of the things she said to her over the past week. 'It's like she wants me to attack her.' She thought, looking away from them both. Needing to think about something else, she turned her attention to the weather.
It was hot outside today. Hot, and too damn bright. Seattle, or perhaps the north pole, were starting to look more attractive to her at this point. At least she wouldn't go blind from the sun trying to bore a hole in her visual cortex. Pondering the weather at least distracted her from her current task, dealing with Dot and miss wrinkle factory, both of whom were staring intently at her. She cut her eyes back to the small group, annoyed.
"What? What do you want?" She stared back.
Her thoughts kept straying back to her brothers and her friends. Everything Slappy said lately ran together, unless she antagonized her first and even that only got cursory attention. She couldn't drum up enough anger or hate in herself to attack the old woman anymore. She just wanted her life back. She wanted to see David and her friends again, and hang out at the corner store like they used to. Change never came easy to her and she valued her friends and family above all else.
Slappy simply shrugged, and started back into her lesson as if the whole interruption never happened. She was sometimes as inscrutable as Dee and could play it cool just as easy. It was a quality Peg had always been jealous of in Dee, and often wished she could do the same. She was always the one to throw punches first and ask questions later. She couldn't be what was not within her. So stand there she did, listening to the gray squirrel drone on about anvils and when to drop them and how.
Some three hours later, Peg sat against one of the set buildings downing bottled water and wishing she could blot out the sun for a couple months. Rain. A couple solid weeks of rain just so she could see without squinting or wearing shades. That would be nice.

Dot plopped down beside her suddenly, offering a piece of fruit she pilfered from one of the catering carts inside. Often anything meant for actors and staff during a shoot was left unattended or flat out forgotten so it was no great task. Still, the gesture was appreciated. Accepting the proffered apple, Peg briefly smiled for the first time that day. In some ways they shared some traits. Dot had a nasty temper herself and Peg had seen it first hand a couple times, though it took much more to push her that far. It was impressive that such a small girl could handle herself so well. Much of the staff on lot actually feared her or found an excuse to be elsewhere when she showed up. It was something Peg wished she could do, but she knew it would take time before she built up such a formidable reputation here.
"So what's on your mind, kid?" Dot smiled back at her irritable cousin. "Slappy got you down? Don't let it bother you too much, she's like that with everyone."
Peg shook her head, staring at the apple just to have something to focus on. "No, it's not that, I'm getting used to her. I just... miss my friends, ok? I miss David. Hell, I miss that tiny little room we all slept in even." She signed in frustration. "I don't even know why I'm telling anyone this. I just want to go back home is all." Puzzled at her outburst Peg shook her head. She never told anyone what was on her mind. Even her own family rarely got a glimpse into what she was thinking. She was the fixer, not the problem. It all sounded so stupid coming out of her mouth and she hated herself for it. Cursing under her breath, she took a bite from her apple before she said anything else to make herself look dumb.
"This is home now." Dot responded pointedly. She could understand though. She tried hard to make her cousin feel at home but she knew nothing could replace her old life. Ultimately, it was up to Peg to adapt and cope with the changes. But change doesn't come easy for anyone, least of all a Warner. Watching Peg and the others had been like getting a glimpse into their own past. Remembering how hurt they had been, the revenge they plotted against the studio and their inevitable incarceration. The elder Warners found themselves talking about it a lot recently. She had forgotten how angry they were. Being around their new cousins dug up a lot of long buried emotions.
"I know that. Doesn't make it easier to swallow. I still get lost in this place, and...people stare. It pisses me off." Peg muffled past a mouthful of fruit. Dammit, she did it again. What the hell was wrong with her? Where is all this coming from?
"You know us. You have your family still. That's all that really matters right? Besides, everyone stares at us, too. It's not a bad thing is it?" Dot smiled again, flashing her dimples at her cousin.
She had a way of disarming her that Peg found irksome. It really annoyed the hell out of her that it had any effect at all, let alone to this degree. It was like she just absorbed all the anger and turned it into something else, something more unsettling. Sort of like the feeling she had this morning, staring down at her baby brother. This left no doubt in Peg's mind that of all of them, Dot had to be the most evil entity on the entire lot. The realization sent a faint chill down her spine. She wondered if Slappy ever felt this way around Dot. It wouldn't surprise her if she did, since she seemed to have a soft spot for her. Enough so that she endured Peg's temper on a weekly basis, trying to teach her something about what being a "normal 'toon" is. Suddenly, Peg's opinion of the Squirrel softened a bit. 'Shit. As if she has a choice.'
Psykko wandered about their kitchen in his underwear, poking about for something to eat, when Wakko popped his head in, his tongue hanging out of his mouth and a big silly grin on his face. Dee waved to him from the living room as he idly picked out some tune on his worn Telecaster, barely decent himself. With Peg gone, there was no one to yell at them for being lazy about decency. Wakko waved back and turned back to his cousin, grinning and holding up a soda can, the business end covered in electrical tape and a familiar black mass.
"Izzat what I think it is?" Psykko grinned widely.
Even though he had shown Wakko how to make them last week, it still took a lot of practice using his 'toon abilities to fit so much into such a small space. It had taken Psykko countless months and tests to master them, and still flubbed enough that making a stable one was an accomplishment. Wakko had only recently begun to make them himself, but with his greater experience he was proving to be a superior engineer and learned quickly.
"Uh huh. Made it yesterday. This ones full of gravy." He beamed.
His first solo models had been less than successful, more often than not showering him with their contents through premature detonation or simply not going off at all. The fuse was a complicated mechanism, full of small parts, and it took some real concentration to get the quantity right on the contents so it would have the desired effect. He was proud of this one, though.
Psykko grinned wider still, his multitude of shark-like teeth glinting in the fluorescent light overhead. Remembering his own engineering endeavors, he jerked his head toward his bedroom. "Come on, I'll show ya somethin' else I'm workin' on."
He liked Wakko. They both had an aptitude for mechanics, and Wakko possessed a capacity for destruction that rivaled, if not surpassed his own, when he had a determination to do so. He could appreciate that in a person. Wakko, much like himself, was also neigh unstoppable when angered, though unlike Psykko it took herculean efforts to make him so.
He was currently working on an over sized repeating catapult device that would fling anything he could think to place on it as far as he liked. Their cannon idea had proven less than stable, when, on the last test, it backfired and exploded, covering both with soot and setting Psykko's hair aflame. He had decided on a less combustible solution instead.
"What do you think?" Pulling the blueprint from under his bed, and setting it atop the sheets, he unfurled the roll, drawing his cousin's attention away from the results of his recently redecorated room.
On moving in, he had decided that the first thing he needed to do was repaint the bland walls, ceiling, and floor, which now looked like aged brass with a patina that seemed to run down the walls and collect on the floor as if water ran along it for an extended period. His walls were covered in posters of Tim Burton movies and some of his own art depicting his favorite villain, The Joker. The space was dotted with various lamps, strobe lights, and plasma balls, some of which he pilfered from the studio warehouse. They provided more subdued lighting that didn't hurt his eyes. He and his sister both were photosensitive, and the sun irritated them to no end. The effect was, in his brother's words, 'disturbing', but he liked it.
"Ohhhhhhhhhh Faboo! What's the range?" Wakko took the blueprints, holding them up in the low light, looking them over as he crunched the numbers in his head. He wasn't nearly as dumb as everyone (save own his sibs) thought, and figured quickly they could probably fling a hundred pound projectile at least half a mile with this. He could also guess what his belligerent cousin ultimately planned to do with it, which was fine by Wakko, as long as it didn't take it too far.
"Don't know yet. We gotta build it first. Probably take a lot of tweaking to get it right though. I got plans for this baby, so I want it to work right the first time." Psykko shrugged, glancing over his plans again and going through the measurements for the tenth time that day.
"It'll take a while to get the materials for this, too. Can't do this cheap or it'll go all ACME on us." Wakko replied, thoughtfully rubbing his chin.
"Wonder how far we could fling Plotz with this." Psykko grinned, looking over Wakko's shoulder and confirming his cousin's suspicions. Without missing a beat, Wakko replied with his trademark lazy grin.
"Three hundred fifty two meters. Depending on windage and whether or not he indulged at the cafeteria. He's quite fat you know."
"Aww I was hoping he would clear the lot... Maybe if we beef up the tensioners..." Psykko idly rubbed his nose. He had intended from the beginning to plop that pompous wind bag onto this thing the moment he could prove his involvement in their detention. It would serve him right if he flung him clear out of Burbank.
"You don't want to take it that far, Psy, trust me. Besides, if he's gone who will be left to torment?" Wakko grinned wider.
Beneath the grin he could sympathize with his cousin. Not for the first time that month, he thought about their own rampage on the lot, and the debt the studio still owed them. He had been horrified back then, when he found himself on the edge of control, and what he almost did to the then CEO. Visions of his own face reflected in shattered glass strewn about the floor, twisted in rage, his mallet raised high overhead with the cowering human at his feet. The sense of control he felt at that moment had been terrifying and intoxicating all at once, and for an instant he knew what it was like to be a human. It was only by his own brother's hand that he stopped short. The look on Dots face that day still jerked him back down to earth when he felt his temper rise too far. Inwardly he shuddered.
"Maybe...We will see. Either way he's gonna pay." Psykko again bared his teeth as wrath bubbled to the surface.
Wakko had been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise less than ideal situation for Psykko, and made their detention more bearable if not acceptable. A few times they talked about it, and Wakko didn't seem to mind the studio or Plotz too much. But as Psykko discovered it took a lot to really get under Wakko's skin. He couldn't say the same for himself and he fought hard to be like his brother and be calmer. He wanted to be in control and wanted Dee to be proud of him. But sometimes he couldn't contain it and lost himself, despite his best wishes to do otherwise.
A few times, Dee had to hold him back when people would stare or insult him or his family. Lately, he found himself becoming just as reactive when people messed with his cousins as well. He knew they could take care of themselves, but logic never factored in when family was involved. He had run on instinct so long that it took real effort to think things through before he acted. He wished he could be more normal like his brother, but it always seemed to elude him, no matter how hard he tried. He hated the way people looked at him, always recoiling or stepping away, refusing to even look him in the eye. He wasn't a monster, he thought, just over passionate sometimes. The realization came to him at that moment that Wakko was probably the first real friend he ever had, and looking at his cousin, examining his blueprints, he felt the rage drain from his face.
"Say what now?" Dee asked again. Plotz muttered something on the other end of the line he couldn't make out, and repeated himself for the fifth time. Dee grinned to himself. This was more fun than irritating Yakko.
"There is a meeting of our recording staff and some other industry movers on the lot tomorrow night, and I want you six to be there. They have been asking about some of your work, and frankly anything that gets the studio attention will draw in investors." Plotz had to consciously stop his eye from twitching. He never thought it was possible to hate the Warners more than he did, but this Dee character filled him with incomparable dread every time he heard his voice. Frankly, any level of conversation at this point was unbearable, even over the phone. He could feel his smug little eyes staring at him, waiting for him to leave an opening, with that big dumb grin of his. He ground his teeth, and waited for his response, swearing if he said "what" again, he was going to scream.
Dee sighed, feigning exasperation, running his hand through his hair for effect. Even if Plotz couldn't see it, he could hear it in his voice. "You know if you keep mumbling like this no one is ever going to understand you, chief."
"What is it?" Yakko chimed in, as he stepped into the room. He caught the look on Dee's face, and grinned to himself. He recognized that look now. 'Ah, but they grow up so fast.'
"I dunno man, something about a studio thing, be there tomorrow night... the details are a bit fuzzy. How do you ever understand this man when he talks?" Dee winked at his cousin, as his little brother giggled from his nest of pillows and blankets in one of the beanbag chairs in the living room.
"Dammit, you heard me just fine! Tomorrow night! Eight o'clock! Building five! Suit and tie! All of you be there!" Plotz screamed into the phone turning red in the face. Oh how he loathed that toon.
Dee held the phone away from his face, jerking his thumb at it to Yakko and his brother, before turning back to his conversation.

"Wait, what? I couldn't make out that last part." Dee couldn't keep the smile out of his voice this time as Plotz screamed incoherently into the phone, and slammed the receiver down.
The three Warners laughed, shaking their heads at the inflammable man, Psykko rolling out of his bean bag chair in the process. He had been there for the whole thing, and his brother was getting good at driving people insane, especially Plotz. And people said he and Peg had a temper.
As if on cue, his sister came up the stairs with Dot, both shooting Dee a questioning look.
"What's going on?" She and Dot asked in unison.
"We got a job that doesn't involve breaking our backs for once. Tomorrow night there is some industry shindig at building five and they want us all there. We gotta dress up for it though." Dee smiled, stuffing his gloved hands in his pockets.
Peg groaned. Great, more people. "A whole lot of trouble getting fancy, just to impress people we don't care about so we can stand in a room full of them and talk about nothing?" Peg frowned.
"Oh yes, but we get paid." Dee responded.
"Fun times." Yakko chipped in.
"Can wait!" Psykko beamed, flailing his arms and legs from the floor in a vain attempt to escape from his cocoon of bedding.
At least they looked good. Psykko admired his suit in the mirror, adjusting his hat, his brother towering behind him. The black and yellow pinstripe zoot suit looked nice, he thought. A yellow button down shirt, and black tie brought it together as well. He even got a matching hat and gold pocket watch. The clothes had been provided by the studio shortly after the contract signing for this express purpose. Plotz hadn't been to keen on the idea of them dressing up like prohibition era gangsters, but they thought it looked cool. 'If you gotta be fussy about clothes you might as well wear what you like.'
Dee likewise looked snappy in his suit. Black and red with a red shirt and black tie this time, but exactly like his brother's in every other respect. They hadn't bothered with shoes. Frankly none of the ones the studio could have made would fit properly or be terribly comfortable.
He posed in front of the mirror he shared with his brother, running a gloved finger along the wide brim of his hat dramatically, making Psykko giggle.
"Who's ya daddy?" He winked at his reflection and slid across the bathroom floor, stepping out and into the living room before stopping in his tracks. "Whoa..."
Peg stood impatiently next to the couch, tapping her foot and staring at the clock. She looked stunning in her twenties style aquamarine 'one hour dress' covered in sequins. She had a silver sequin purse and a long aquamarine and topaz bead necklace to complete the look, with diamond earrings that Dee knew had to be fake, but still looked great on her. The overall package was breath taking. He wasn't used to seeing his sister like this, and felt a small pang of protective instinct creep up on him.
"What? What took you so long? And I thought girls spent a long time in the bathroom..." She frowned, noticing his stare.
"You can grouse all you want sister, but you look beautiful." Dee walked up to his sister, placing his hand under her chin gently taking her in.
She stifled a smile with some effort and pushed his hand away, looking to the door, then to the lower floor, suppressing the blush that threatened her stoic demeanor.
"Yeah well, we're gonna be late if you two don't get the lead out. Everyone else is waiting downstairs, and I'm headin' that way too. So move it!" She stalked out the door, slinging her purse over her shoulder and closing the door behind her with a little force for emphasis. Allowing herself to smile finally, she headed down the stairs, blushing lightly. 'Big jerk had to go and say something sweet.'
Yakko and Wakko were talking animatedly in their living room, Wakko's arms flailing about, as Peg descended the stair case, but that stopped as soon as they saw her. Yakko's mouth hung open mid-sentence, his powers of vocabulary failing him as all that escaped his lips was a goofy 'duuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhh' sound. Wakko pointed and laughed at his brother until he looked behind him and saw her for himself, his jaw going slack, the finger he pointed at Yakko deflating like a leaking balloon.
Yakko was in a fetching black and white tuxedo, and for some reason had donned a monocle, while Wakko was sporting some muskateer-esque number, complete with a cape and a wide brimmed hat. 'Boys...always with the theatrics.'
"Whoa..." Both muttered in unison.
"Articulate bunch, the lot of ya. Better learn more words than that if you're aimin' to bring anyone home tonight." Peg found herself once again fighting the urge to smile. She really didn't want to let it show, but she was flattered at their reactions. But if you give a man an inch he will take a mile. She was worried she would look stupid, and didn't feel comfortable in this monkey suit. She certainly wasn't of a mind to be seen in public in it. But this was for money, and she intended to grab every red cent from the studio she could get. If for no other reason than to take it out of Plotz's hands.
She jumped, as she heard a high pitched squeal to her right and turned to see Dot in her own pink evening gown rushing toward her. Peg thought she looked cute in it, but that red might be more flattering. She shook her head, wondering where that came from.
"Oh my god, look at you! You're beautiful! I love the earrings! And the purse! Where did you get that!?" Dot was all over her, a million questions and compliments spilling out uncontrollably as she looked her over from every conceivable angle and then some. Peg blushed under the scrutiny, as her brothers finally descended the stairs, both grinning widely.
"Told ya, sister. You'll have to beat the men offa you with a stick!" Dee beamed at her.
"And she will, too." Psykko chimed in, hopping over the remainder of the staircase to land next to Wakko and Yakko, showing off his suit and pocket watch.
Dot looked up, cast an appraising eye over her cousins and smiled broadly. They looked like extras from The Goodfellas. Theatrical perhaps, but still the effect was nonetheless hot. Besides, when was a Warner anything less than attention grabbing? These three were showing they were no different in that respect. Were they not related, she might even be tempted to 'hello nurse them'.
"And you two. Look at you. Where did you get these outfits?" Dot couldn't contain her enthusiasm. She wanted a dress like Peg's now; it was so shiny and pretty.
"Studio provided. They had wardrobe make them in whatever style we wanted. It was one of those days when ya'll were off doing some other project." Dee smiled and spun, showing off his suit. He liked this kind of stuff and he was having fun with it. Everyone looked so nice and he was excited to show off at the party. He rarely put much effort into fashion, or clothes in general for that matter, so this was a pleasant change. He couldn't do it every day though. He was sure his brother and sister would revolt if they tried to make them anyway.
"Yakko, I want one to!" Dot pouted, pointing to Peg. "Oh! But in pink! And sparkly to!" She was an unfettered ball of excitement, and it was infectious. It wasn't often they were invited to any studio function. By the time they got out of the tower, everyone was buzzing and they drew looks from the staff that wandered to and fro, many on normal nightly business, some of it related to the function they would attend. Dee hammed it up with Dot, basking in the attention and waving, while Peg shot glares or blushed, covering her face as she received the odd compliment from the few studio hands they knew.
'Come on, how far away is that damn building? I wanna get this over with!' Peg's mind reeled; she was unaccustomed to this kind of attention. She felt like she was under a microscope with a million eyes peering through it. How Dot or the others dealt with it, she would never know.
The party for Warner Brothers records, as it turns out was shockingly, unexpectedly, BORING! At least as far as Peg was concerned; it was exactly as she thought it would be. A small function with dull and poorly played music, bad food, bland drinks, and old men in fancy clothes, talking about money and the people they could make more money from. Everything was green with these people. How can you live your life so fixated on an inanimate object? She wasn't entirely comfortable with some of the looks said old men were giving her either, and didn't hesitate to shoot a withering 'go to hell' look at anyone she caught staring. She would behave, for her families' sake, and not cause a scene but that did not mean she would allow herself to be visually molested by a bunch of rich old perverts.
It didn't take long before Psykko vanished with Wakko, and Dot set off to God knows where. Peg trusted those two could handle her baby brother though if things got to out of hand, and didn't give it a second thought. If they caused trouble it could only make this snore fest more entertaining.

For Dee's part he was having a ball it seemed, chatting with some 'toon from one of Toon Town's major record labels. A young male rabbit of some note, or son of someone of note, or some shit... He had introduced himself to her, but it slipped her mind at the moment. She wasn't really keeping up with who was who and frankly, at this point, her give-a-shitter was damaged beyond repair and her crop of fucks to give were fresh out. She leaned back in her chair, nursing her punch simply to appear busy to passers-by, and tried to avoid as much attention as possible. The last thing she expected to hear was that woman's voice.
"Some party eh?" Peg rolled her eyes and turned to see the aging gray squirrel smiling back at her. 'This lady gets around to be pushing ninety.'
"What are you doing here? Thought this to-do was just for record labels or some crap like that." Peg sulked back in her chair, regarding her beverage.
"Yeah well, I pretty much go where I want, and it's free food. Ok, theoretically food, but still... Who's gonna argue with me?" Slappy grinned and slid into an adjacent seat, casting an appraising eye toward her. She hadn't seen anyone in a dress like that since the nineteen thirties when she was still a fixture in Hollywood night life. They were never such an eye catching color then, either. In the low shifting lights every stray flash reflected off of her, making Peg frankly impossible to ignore. She must be hating this.
"The dress looks good on you. So there's a classy lady in there after all. Who knew?" Slappy grinned wider as Pegs face twisted into a variety of expressions, finally settling on a grimace. 'This broad would be horrible at poker.' She thought wryly. "So, what's on your mind there? You look like you're about to face down a dragon, or watch a Chevy Chase movie."
"I don't belong here. These people give me the creeps. Eyes keep crawling all over me like grubby little fingers. I'm only here for the pay check and to keep an eye on Dee." Peg responded with a shudder. She knew if she so much as raised her voice, her brothers would be at her side instantly, but these people still made her skin crawl. Before coming to the studio, the only people she knew that acted like these guys were pimps and drug dealers. She had no doubt some of that was going on here as well.
"You belong wherever you are, kiddo. The sooner you learn to own the room, the better off you'll be. Can't argue with ya about the creeps, though. Some of these guys could use a bomb down their pants." She cast a look around the room, taking in the crowd. Not all these guys were on the up and up. Matter of fact, most of them weren't. But this was the business, and everyone has to learn to deal with it sooner or later, young or not. Reality does not favor innocence, if anything it abhors it. It takes a strong personality to survive Hollywood unharmed. Sadly, most don't make it out unchanged.
"I think their pants are combustible enough on their own. They need a good punch in the eye." Peg muttered sourly.
Slappy's expression changed for a moment and she glanced at her student. "Any of these people so much as look at you crooked and I'll blow 'em to kingdom come. Look I've been around the block a few times. Got the dents to prove it too, heh, so I know how these people work. It don't matter what they're sellin', it's the same anywhere ya go. I'm there if you need backup, is all I'm sayin'."
Peg raised an eyebrow, looking at her teacher and tormentor. 'Why does she care?' Deciding not to argue, she simply nodded. They needed friends, true enough, and aside from being an annoying old bag Slappy had shown saint-like patience with her attitude. If she lasted this long, maybe she was genuine. Time would tell. Taking a swig of her drink, Peg instantly regretted it. The expression the sour watery concoction elicited earned her a cackle from Slappy, and the attention of her oldest brother, the sound of Slappy's laughter drawing his gaze.
Dee sauntered over to the table, smiling at his sulking puckered sister before addressing Slappy. "Didn't expect to see a friendly face here. What brings a classy lady such as yourself to this little soirée?"
"Keepin' your sister here from clobberin' one of these goons. She don't fancy bein' ogled if ya get me. Nice suit, by the way. Does Capone know you're wearin' it?" Slappy eyed the older cousin. 'I could be wrong, but I'm sensing a theme here.'
Dee chuckled and tipped his hat, putting on his best gangster accent. "I'd appreciate if yous didn't tell 'em jus' yet. The night is too young to contract a case of lead poisoning, if you catch my drift."
"Heh heh, you're a funny kid. Would have been popular back in my day. You and me need to have a talk later." Slappy pointed her umbrella at his chest to drive the point home.
Watching Dee and Slappy go back and forth with one another Peg, envied how easy her brother seemed to make friends. He flowed so easily into this crowd, drawing attention, making people laugh. Hell, even Yakko, or especially Yakko knowing his reputation, worked his brand of magic on the room. Or, whatever he called it. Peg felt so out of place here, hob-nobbing with Hollywood elite. She thought of how these people would react, being in a room alone with all of her friends, and smiled inwardly. Maybe then they would understand how she felt in this moment.
She was brought out of her reverie by a nudge from Slappy.
"You brother's a real charmer there. Reminds me of a young Bugs Bunny. Hunky too. If I were a bit younger..." Her sentence trailed off as she watched Dee walk across the room to fetch them fresh drinks. Finding something palatable and non alcoholic was a daunting task with this crowd, but she knew he could hack it. She still needed to have a serious conversation with him though.
Peg wrinkled her nose at the thought."If you knew him better you might not say that."
"He seems like a good guy to me." Slappy replied, watching him bend over to pick up a dropped napkin. ‘Nice ass too.’ She suppressed a grin.
"He is. And he's also stubborn, bossy, secretive, smart mouthed, annoying, won't shut the door or lift the lid when he uses the bathroom, has a fit when anyone squeezes the toothpaste tube from the middle, and still he won't tell you what's on his mind anymore, no matter how much you ask, even though you used to share everything..." Peg fumed, propping her chin up with her hand, noticing the look Slappy was giving her.
"Uh-huh. We talkin' about Dee still?" She cocked her head knowingly.
"Don't start with me..." Peg cursed under her breath, not for the first time that day. It was becoming a habit. 'What is wrong with me lately? Can't keep a damn thing to myself anymore.' She thought.
"Hey, it's alright, everyone has flaws. You love 'em anyway because they're family. None of the rest of that junk really matters. Besides, if it bugs you that much, I can show you how to make him stop." Slappy winked opening her purse, revealing the black metallic curve of one of her infamous bombs. Perhaps there would be a use for 'toon explosives tonight yet...
The party wrapped up as lethargically as it began, with a slow trickle of attendees out the door, thankfully without further incident. The Warners were the last to leave, simply as a precaution. Plotz would take any excuse he could get to weasel out of paying them for their time tonight, so they took no chances proverbially clocking out.
Slappy had gone long before that, stating 'I'm too old for this crap, I'm goin' ta bed.' But not before another lengthy lecture about how 'toons are supposed to cope with their problems, and that she had to find resolution to her issues before they ate away all her joy yadda yadda. Whoopie.
Their own walk home had been equally lethargic and uneventful. She was eager to be out of the dress and into her bed, and sleep came gratefully rapidly and dreamlessly.
The next morning Peg woke to the sound of the phone ringing off the hook. Hoping it would stop, she groaned and stuffed a pillow over her head, but it did no good. Psykko could sleep through a hurricane and Dee probably just didn't care, so after much cursing and throwing of pillows she stomped into the living room snatching the receiver off the hook.
"WHAT!?" She snarled into the line, ready to throw the damn thing across the room.
"Do you have any idea how much the cleanup is going to cost for your little stunt last night!?" Plotz yelled back, fuming on the other end of the line.
"You? What stunt? What the hell do you want from me? I spent the whole night sitting at a fuckin' table trying to keep your shady perverted friends from molesting me with their eyes, which by the way you will answer for!" Peg returned his venom with interest, stunning the man into momentary silence. None of the original Warners ever yelled back like this. He might have to adjust his strategy.
"You, or one of you, set off another one of those damn bombs in the limo belonging to the CEO of Virgin Records! Virgin Records! It was a two million dollar Bentley limo! Bentley! And we have to pay for the cleanup! Do you have any idea how hard it is to get gravy out of brushed leather!? Gravy!"
"You're repeating yourself Plotz. I get it. Fancy car, gravy, cleanup. What the fuck do you want me to do about it? Cry a river for you? Call back when you have something to say worth listening to." Peg slammed the phone down on its base, yanking the line from the wall. She had no intention of listening to that jowly little mutant again if she could help it.
Making her way to her little brothers door she knocked twice before entering finding him curled into a tight ball, sleeping soundly, an oddly content smile on his face. 'Oh, yeah. He had something to do with it.'
Plotz sat at his desk, stunned, staring at his phone, his mind racing. 'She hung up on me... She hung up on me!' Plotz dialed their phone back several times but no one picked up. Beet red and fuming, he decided to dial the original Warners instead. Someone would answer for this if it was the last thing he did.
Yakko woke with a start as the phone beside his bed rang out, causing him to flail and roll off the edge, in a shower of pillows and blankets. "Oh what the hell? Can't I get a decent night's sleep anymore!?"
Struggling to his feet, he snatched the phone off the hook, glaring at the receiver before speaking pleasantly into it. "Hello, Yakko Warner speaking; make this good or you shall pay." His left ear instantly regretted picking the damn thing up, as Plotz screamed and cursed a blue streak, nearly incomprehensible in his rage.
It took the better part of an hour simply to calm little humpty down enough to glean the major details from him. Not surprisingly, the blame was placed square on all the Warners, despite not having any real proof they were involved. Ah Plotz, so predictable, so judgmental, so annoying.
With a lack of security footage and no eyewitnesses, it was becoming harder for Plotz to make his case that the Warners pay for the damages rendered, and after some smooth talking from Yakko, and a lengthy speech about due process, the CEO relented grudgingly. Yakko could guess what really happened, and it took real effort to keep the amusement out of his voice. The slightest indication that he was being less than genuine and he knew they were looking at a two million dollar clean up bill. They could cover it easily, but still he wasn't willing to part with what he didn't have to. Why give the studio such an easy out? Besides, it was just a car. No one was hurt; no one even saw it happen, so he saw no reason to pay for it.
After two more hours of talking the little man in circles, and finally agreeing to talk to his cousins about the incident, as if he would, Plotz temper was at least abated enough to let Yakko off the phone so he could get dressed and eat. He had been surprised to hear about Peg's reaction though. It took balls to hang up on Plotz, even more to cuss him out before doing so. The only other person to have pulled that stunt off without reprisal was Bugs himself. He doubted Peg or any of them would get away as clean as Bugs did though.