Chapter Text
Mother Wolf always told her that she was different. That she'd never make a proper wolf if she didn't learn to fend for herself or keep up with the pack. It didn't help that she didn't look anything like them with her thin ears tied up in a bow, and that her tiny snout barely protruded from her face and that her tail wouldn't fluff up as well as her brothers and sisters did. Yet every day, Dot was eager to prove that she was just as special as her brothers and sisters. That looks were going to be the only thing that separated her from the rest of their family.
There were rough days. Days when she would linger behind the others during their morning run. Days when she felt squeamish at what was for dinner. Not to mention, days where Mother Wolf would watch her, nodding her head disapprovingly and muttering under her breath that she'd never amount to anything in their pack. When those days got the better of her-- when all she could do was drop dead and accept exile sooner than expected-- at least she could always look forward to feeling safe within the warmth of her brothers and sisters. When they would all curl up against each other on those cold nights and allow for the heat to transfer off each of their furs. At the time, they were all too young to understand discrimination, and considering that she'd been with the pack since birth, why else wouldn't they let her sleep with them. In this huddle, Dot never straggled behind or was defenseless due to her small size. Here, she was a part of the pack, and to her, that's all that mattered.
It had been ages since Dot felt this warmth, this comfort she starved so desperately for since living on her own. Not that living on her own was as devastating as living with the pack. The nights were cold, food was scarce, and any wrong move could get her killed within an instance. Not to mention, there were days where she'd be on the run, running and avoiding any pack of mutes who spat "toon" in her general direction. All they wanted to do was hunt her for her worth or eat her alive if she gave them the chance. Yet every day, Dot persisted through the ravaged city and went about her business, not bearing concern for anyone else but herself.
Now this sudden warmth, it felt rather nice. Maybe too nice. Did she sit too close to the fire? Was she lying against the singed logs? Heaven forbid if she accidentally rolled onto the charred remains of the giant spider from the night before. But no, this warmth had a heartbeat. A rapid heartbeat that pounded against her ears tucked tightly within her hood. This warmth was alive, like the thick furs of her brothers and sisters.
Dot slowly opened her eyes, struggling to flicker the sleep out of them. At first, all she could make out was a white, blurry gaze, and then suddenly, the burnt-out fire along with the dead spider laying on top of it. This possibly couldn't be the warmth she felt. The fire had been out for hours, as seen that there was no smoke rising from the ashes. There was a warm, soft breeze blowing on her head, and then she felt something stiff draped around her, something long and boney like the limbs of a creature. Oh no! Had she been so deep in sleep that something snagged her, and ensnared her in its giant arms?!
Suddenly, she heard a groan. "You know, you're an amazing cuddler for someone that's a lone wolf," she heard what sounded like a giant gnat buzzing through her ears.
Immediately Dot fought through the hold of the wretched toon that was twice her size with a loud grunt, "Get your paws off me!" She reached for Stalky. It was a little further than when she last fell asleep, but thankfully, it was still within reach. "Stinkin Burrow toon," Dot cursed under her breath after being held by that stupid toon and that rancid scent he had coming off his brown jumpsuit.
"Hey, you're the one who rolled over onto my side," he whined defensively. "I was only doing what my big brother instincts told me." He slightly chuckled at that. "Thought you were Wakko at first."
Dot kept her cool, trying to ease herself from wasting Stalky on such a useless individual like him. Instead, her index finger was a better weapon to jab into his chest multiple times. "You are not my brother, and you do not touch me!"
He flinched in pain and once more held up his paws in surrender-- as if that was going to do him any good. "Okay, okay, no touchy. Got the memo, Emperor Kuzco."
Yakko. The name of her current problem in this ravaged wasteland she called paradise. She only offered to help this toon and his brother find their home and now here he was holding her and getting friendly like she was a distant cousin or something. Not like she willingly wanted to help them, but then again, they did help her get dinner. Also, more bodies around a campfire meant less waking up frequently in the night to make sure no hungry mutes were looming over her. Then there was the fact that they were toons like her. They had her floppy ears, her short black fur, her white face, her beady black eyes, her giant back paws, and her long black tail that wouldn't fluff up whenever she wanted it to. It felt wrong to not help those that looked like her, even if regret slowly gnawed at the back of her mind.
"Hey, where's Wakko?"
Wakko. The other name of her problem. Thankfully, he wasn't as snarky or chatty as his annoying older brother, but still-- something felt off about him.
Dot scanned the area only to find that Wakko wasn't anywhere nearby. Not near the fire, not nibbling at the leftover spider, just gone. Great. Just what she needed. A dumb Burrow toon wandering this nightmare of a wasteland with no knowledge of the Surface and its dangers besides mutes, giant spiders, and Death Ivy.
"Beats me," Dot could only respond. She imagined it wouldn't be long before Wakko found himself stuck in another spider's web, unable to get torn free by Stalky.
Yakko let out a loud whine. "He just had to go and wander off again." He looked worried for one second, and then snapped back to normal instantly. "Think you can help me find him?"
"Of course, because the last thing I need is for you both to get killed, right? Though why should it matter to me? Not like I'm getting anything out of this little trip."
"Super!" Yakko began scanning the area. "Hopefully, he hasn't gone far. Though knowing Wakko, that's not saying much."
Dot dispersed their camp and gathered Stalky. Yakko had nothing in possession, so the two left immediately after. Sometime today, Dot would make sure to stop at a nearby store for supplies. No way was she letting these Burrow toons travel without any gear and demand every five seconds for her to save them.
"Wakko?! Wak-!"
"Shhhh! Would you shut your mouth?!" she hissed, clasping her paw over Yakko's constantly chatty muzzle. "You're basically a walking target."
Yakko inched himself taller to get out of her grasp, which wasn't hard considering that she was short. "Oh for what? You, me, and the single vending machine in this building?" He gestured towards the vending machine that was probably long dead before they were even ink splatters on a page. "Don't tell me. Vending machines have evolved to trap humans along with the candy bars and the corn chips?"
"No, they pretty much do the same thing they always did." She crawled behind it, leaning back against the wall, and shoved into the machine with her back paws. "Look out!" She groaned from the other side as she pushed its front to the ground, bringing her upright to stand on its back.
Yakko managed to get out of the way just as it landed right in front of him with a CRASH. "Woah! Now that's one way to take from a vending machine."
Dot then went to stab its back with the metal end of Stalky. "No, no. Allow me," Yakko butted in, reaching behind his back. Instantly came out a giant hammer-- well actually a mallet --made out of sturdy wood. Its face was twice as big as his head as she saw him lift it high in the air. Without even another moment to blink, Yakko slammed down on the back of the vending machine, creating a giant hole.
"You had that the whole time," Dot gawked, "and now you choose to use it?!"
"Well yeah, but only when it's convenient to the plot. Honestly, I would have gone with a saw or a blowtorch, but uhhhh mallets are our trademark item. The author possibly couldn't get more unoriginal than that."
"But where did that come from?" She inspected his jumpsuit, trying to figure out which one of those pockets was capable of holding a mallet so big. "You practically pulled that out of thin air."
"My hammerspace."
"Your what?"
"My hammerspace. All toons have one, even you." Then his brows lowered. "Unless you didn't know that..."
Wait, she had one too?! A secret place to protect Stalky or a place where she could store supplies to her whim? A necessity that made surviving on the Surface easier?
"I-I have a hammerspace?" The stale air must be choking her.
"Well duh, every toon knows they have one. It's like instinct." His tone sounded condescending as if she was stupid for not having known this.
Dot let out a huff. "Well sorry. I didn't grow up around other toons." Dot then leaned into the vending machine, fighting with a curled spring for an old, yet still edible bag of cheese puffs.
"Funny enough, neither did I." Yakko's voice strangely sounded mellow. Dot from the corner of her eye could see him looking at the ground, his paws in the pockets of his jumpsuit. "Wakko and I are the only toons back at the Acme Burrow. Besides him, Mom and Dad were the only other toons I ever knew. That is 'til they never came back." Then he looked over at her, a melancholy smile plastered his face. "So you see, Wakko is all I got."
Dot managed to snag the bag of cheese puffs, carefully extracting it as to not tear the wrapping. Yakko's change-in-tone startled her, how easily he went from being sarcastic and making jokes to looking so distraught. She didn't quite know how to cheer one's spirits, especially since no one had ever bothered to cheer up hers. Hopefully, the prospect of food would help a little.
She tossed Yakko the bag of cheese puffs, "Here. Better get to these before the giant cockroaches do."
Yakko's happy-go-lucky demeanor immediately returned as he caught it. "Good idea. Nothing summons Wakko like opening a bag of chips."
-----
Yakko and Dot continued down the halls of the abandoned building, stepping over fallen trophy cases, pushing through ajar locker doors, and tiptoeing over broken glass. Each of them snacked on a bag of chips as they walked, making that their respective breakfast of the day. They'd probably be taking less time finding Wakko had Yakko not stopped every five minutes to point something out.
Currently, he happened upon a cracked frame hanging on the wall. With one single dust of his gloved paw, Yakko revealed a picture, and in that picture was a group of children all standing in two rows. Though they wore similar uniforms, they all had different hairstyles, body types, skin color, eye color, and tons of other features that separated them from the toon children looking at the picture. A giant banner in the background read: Class of 2019.
"Looks like this was a school," Yakko pointed out, "and these must have been the kids that went here...Taken about two hundred years ago."
"What's a school?" Dot asked.
"A place where kids go to learn things. Me and Wakko go to one back in the Burrow, though it's a lot smaller than this. Like legit the size of a single apartment." He analyzed the picture a little further. "This must have been taken long before humans and toons went co-ed."
Dot further analyzed the picture too. The uniforms the human kids wore looked similar to the ones that Mother Wolf forced her and her siblings to wear. The boys would wear white dress shirts and long khaki shorts, while the girls wore white blouses with whatever color skirt they desired. They all wore those same black jackets and those same red ties that signified that they were superior to any other species in the area. She pinched the top of her blouse, a remnant of her old uniform stained with dirt and withering away from her years of roughing it alone. In a way, she must have been part of a school. A very intense and exhausting one.
Suddenly, they heard throaty laughter echoing down the halls. On impulse, Dot reached for Stalky clung to her back, but Yakko's eyes only widened. Excitement painted his face. Likely that throaty laughter was coming from Wakko, which means they found him.
"There he is!" Yakko gasped. He reached for another bag of chips stored in his hammerspace and walked to where the laughter was coming from. Dot observed the hammerspace exchange once more, taking note from where he was pulling items from and how she could do that too.
"Wakko!" he shook the bag of chips. "Come and get some breakfast!"
"I'm over here!" Dot heard Wakko faintly call. The source of the voice was coming from a torn door that led to the outside. Yakko and Dot stepped through it, approaching a sunken pool. An old sunken pool with cracked tile, moss and algae trailing up its walls, and water replaced with tons of dry weeds and straw. The two came up to the edge, peering in to see that something stared back at them. Something with two giant eyes attached to a giant bundle of grey fluff, and tons of long ears trailing down its back.
A giant Mega Bunny! Well, a giant baby Mega Bunny. It sniffed towards Yakko and Dot, curious about the two beady-eyed creatures half its size. Dot heeded the bunny with caution, knowing just how much danger the two were in.
"Haha, real funny, Wakko," Yakko sarcastically chuckled. "Glad to see that the Surface has made a bunny out of my brother."
"No, I'm down here!" Wakko exclaimed, his voice sounding muffled. The bunny scooted to the side, allowing for Yakko and Dot to observe closer. Behind the bunny, nestled more clumps of fur with long ears trailing down their backs. In the center of all that fluff was Wakko, who was giggling as the baby Mega Bunnies nuzzled him.
Dot's tail flickered behind her. She could feel her ears inside her hood stand up on end. Wakko was touching a Mega Bunny- a Mega Bunny's babies!
"Yakko, you gotta come down here! I was just looking for a drink and then I saw these bunnies and I just had to pet them! I mean, look at how big their eyes are! And they're sooooo soft!" He just had to hug another bunny as he said this.
Yakko's eyes lit with excitement, "Way ahead of you, bro--!"
Once again, Dot let Stalky intervene to stop Yakko. She glared daggers at Wakko, this kid just didn't know when to quit getting himself into trouble. It's like these brothers had a sixth sense for when they needed to be an inconvenience.
"Get out of there, now!" she growled, trying to remain calm. From the look in Wakko's eyes, it didn't seem to be working.
"Or what? They'll go Monty Python on him or something?" Yakko commented.
Dot turned to him, "No. But he needs to stop touching them."
"How come?" Wakko asked. "I don't see any harm petting some cute giant bunnies like these." One nudged his right cheek. "I think they like me."
"It's not them you have to worry about..."
Suddenly, the ground began to shake. All three toons drew their attention to the giant shadow that loomed over them. A creature sniffed the air. A giant creature that resembled the smaller bunnies that Wakko huddled with. Before them, stood a giant mountain of grey fur with giant eyes and giant long ears trailing down its back, along with tons of giant legs that could crush anything on sight.
"...It's her." As Dot anticipated, there she was, Mama Mega Bunny returning from her long morning searching for food. The tired mother let out a roar that shook the earth as she made her way to the pool.
"We gotta go!" Dot yelled. "Come on!"
Wakko seemed to detect the urgency in her voice. He tried wriggling his way out of the babies' precious hold, trying to get to his brother and Dot before Mama Bunny saw him. Luckily she stared straight ahead, unaware of the tiny toon children leagues beneath her whiskers. However, Wakko struggled as the bunnies wouldn't let him free from their cuddle pile. They pushed him down like a strong current pulling daring swimmers down its waters.
"Agh! Yakko, help!" Wakko cried.
"Wakko-!" Yakko cried back.
Dot held out Stalky to stop him.
"Really?! Is this always going to be a thing with you?!"
"Don't touch him! I'll handle this!" Dot slid down the bent-up ladder and jumped into the bunny's nest. She rushed into the huddle of bunnies, holding out Stalky to keep them back. "Back! Back!" Once the bunnies dispersed and gave Wakko some wiggle room, Dot clutched his arm and rushed them out of the pool.
Yakko pulled them both out, and the three broke into a sprint towards the school just as they heard Mama Bunny plop down onto her babies. They all collapsed by the door, all letting out a sigh of relief from avoiding getting sat on by Mama Bunny. Dot then peered out the door, checking to make sure they were in the clear. Mama Bunny continued sniffing around the nest, digging through it as if she lost something. All babies were there and accounted for, but Dot knew the reason for her restlessness.
She grabbed Wakko and shook him, "You touched the babies. I can't believe you touched the babies!" Wakko flinched at her words. "Didn't anyone tell you that you're not supposed to touch the babies?!" She released him and he only slumped to the ground.
"And everyone says I'm the shrieky one when I'm mad," Yakko claimed to the opposite wall. Who was he talking to? Why did he constantly say things that she couldn't understand?
"Move it!" she barked, immediately sending both her and the Burrow brothers dashing towards the exit to the school.
-----
Wakko was nearly coughing on her face. Meanwhile, Yakko stood to the side, making his usual snide comments and attempting to make any situation they were in funnier than it actually was. Regardless, Dot clutched onto Wakko's arms as he tried to push her away and continued spraying Ocean Breeze all over his body. Under his arms, on his legs, on his back, on his front and back paws, all over his blue torn jumpsuit, his tail, even on top of his head and especially around his face as that's where the babies snuggled him the most. Anything to get that Mega Bunny smell out of his fur, which was far from impossible with just one can of air freshener.
Wakko erupted into another chorus of coughs as he batted the fumes from his face. "Stop it!"
"Rule Number Four of the Surface," she stated once more. "Never touch a megamute's babies, especially a Mega Bunny's. Now their scent's all over you."
"Think that's enough Ocean Breeze?" Yakko asked, leaning against a tree. "We get it, Wakko stinks."
Dot then sprayed the air freshener at Yakko's face, causing him to yelp. Yakko shook his head, coughing up a storm as bad as Wakko's. The can's fizz died as he did so.
"Out," Dot confirmed with a shake.
Yakko sighed with relief, "Oh thank goodness."
"Good thing I never go anywhere without two." Then she brought out another can of Ocean Breeze from under her cape, spraying it back at Yakko.
"Hey, knock it off! I'm not the snuggle bunny here!"
Wakko only laughed, taking in the satisfaction that his brother was sharing the same punishment as him.
"Yeah, but you stink. And I'm not talking about your jumpsuit."
Yakko dusted himself, mumbling and cursing as the Ocean Breeze combined with the nasty sewer smell he'd been living with for the last day and a half.
"But you know, you just gave me a thought," Dot mentioned, observing both of the Burrow brothers. "If I'm gonna be parading you two around the Surface, then you two need to look like you're from the Surface."
"Are you implying what I think you're implying?" Yakko inferred.
"A costume change?" Wakko chimed in.
"Along with a pop song played over a clichéd drawn-out montage while we try to find the perfect outfits suitable for our characters?"
Dot shrugged her shoulders, "Sure, I guess."
-----
"How do I look?" Yakko asked, bursting from behind a moldy curtain. He was wearing a purple suit with a dapper purple bowtie, purple dress pants, and a giant purple top hat.
"Too tacky even for you," Dot answered.
"Come on, don't you think it goes with my eyes just a little?"
Dot twirled her finger in the air, pointing back towards the fitting booth. "Back to the drawing board."
Yakko let out a loud groan as he returned to the fitting booth. He jerked the curtain back rather violently.
Ooh, I got this feeling
Dot couldn't figure out how, but she was hearing music.
Baby, it's just madness
She knew that music came out of loudspeakers (and Dubstep Bees), but the ones here in the clothing store had been shot for years.
I'm so in love with myself, it's so romantic
Either way, she wanted it off. Who knew how many mutes were hearing it. It'd only be a matter of time before they were drawn to their location.
Wakko was the next to come out of his fitting both, strutting in what appeared to be a jungle explorer outfit. "Tada!"
"I mean, I get the idea, but you're only going to stand out more. Try something...a bit more casual."
Wakko nodded without question and returned to his booth.
I see em' staring as I walk down the line
I'm lookin' good, I don't think it's a crime
While Dot continued finding the source of the music, Yakko emerged from his fitting booth again. This time he wore a grey coat and vest, a pair of grey trousers, along with a red bow tie. The hat was at least smaller, but now he had a mustache right under his red nose. He looked absolutely ridiculous.
"Ummm...what is that supposed to be? I mean, are you supposed to be a barber? You better not be trying to outdo the Train Moles."
Yakko held up a magnifying glass towards her face. "I'm an investigator. From here on out, you can call me, Hercule Yakko."
"No," Dot deadpanned.
Once more Yakko was sent back to his fitting booth.
Feel the way I want to
Feel the way I want to
Feel the way I want to
Feel
For the next hour or so, Dot was subjugated to outfit after outfit. Not like she expected these Burrow toons to find an outfit at the first go, but she didn't think it'd take this long for them to figure out what suited them.
"Hey, give us some slack," Yakko said. "We've only had jumpsuits back in the Burrow. Which speaking of slacks..." He walked out, wearing a loose white t-shirt with a pair of long brown slacks. The pair of pants were way too big on him, only a single black belt kept them from falling past his waist. "I think I really like these." He posed a couple of times in front of a cracked mirror.
There's only so much that a person can take
"Well, you shouldn't. They're for old people." Dot countered as she examined a loudspeaker. She unplugged the speaker, yet was still hearing music. It was concerning how this same song had been blaring in the background for the last hour.
Too much abuse and somebody'll break
"Mmmm...debatable."
"Not debatable. Fact."
"Oh come on, just look at them. I feel like I've been wearing these my whole life."
"Ugh...Take them off, please."
Yakko pondered for a moment, looking like he was taking her advice into consideration. "Ya know, since you got something against them, I think I'm gonna keep them." Dot only groaned in response. "But I could do with a different shirt."
Once more, Yakko disappeared into his fitting booth. At least he found something.
As for Wakko, he was busy gazing at another cracked mirror. For the past ten minutes, he'd been stuck on a single outfit which was far more pleasing than those stupid slacks Yakko just had to get attached to. The toon now wore a pale blue sweatshirt with pockets in the center and white ties dangling from his collar. He also wore a pair of jeans with rips in their sleeves. Dot figured that he was good to go, but somehow he didn't seem satisfied with his selection.
"I just can't figure it out," Wakko pondered.
Feel the way I want to
Feel the way I want to
"Figure out what?" Dot asked, fiddling with another loudspeaker. This time she'd taken to jabbing it with Stalky.
"It's just...The Surface is such a new and cool place, and I want to feel new and cool just like it."
"More like edgy and unforgivable. I believe the goth section is over there."
Feel the way I want to
Feel
Something caught Wakko's attention as he turned from the mirror and approached a pair of mannequins. The one on the right was wearing a blue summer dress, while the one on the left had on a blue Hawaiin shirt decorated with giant red flowers and was accompanied by plaid shorts. Both of them wore hats, the one on the left wearing a flat-top hat while the other one wore a striking red baseball cap, which caught Dot's attention.
"Maybe they can help me out," Wakko said as he looked up at them. He then cleared his throat, "Excuse me, but do you think you can help me figure out what my outfit is missing?"
"Ummm Wakko," Dot uttered as she walked over to him. "They can't talk. They're dummies."
"Well, that's not a very nice thing to say. They have feelings too, you know."
Dot didn't know whether he was trying to be funny, or if Wakko actually meant what he said.
"Why not try a hat for starters," Dot mentioned, flicking the gaping mouth of her own. She deserved it, she truly did. "It hides your face and makes great protection for her head. At least from the sun anyway."
Without a single word, Wakko got down on his front paws, lowering the upper half of his body, his tail wagging in the air like an agitated cat's, and his tongue sticking out deep in concentration. Before Dot could blink, he sprang himself forward and pounced onto the right mannequin, sending them both crashing to the ground. He went for the mannequin with the red baseball cap, a perfect choice Dot had to admit. Wakko immediately yoinked the cap off the mannequin and placed it onto his head. A match made in heaven had it not slid down his head and covered his eyes.
"What's all the commotion?" Yakko announced, reminding the other two toons in the room that he was still present. The toon was now wearing a dark green short-sleeved shirt with the buttons undone, his chest exposed to the world. Wakko adjusted his cap as Yakko noticed them as if he was trying to make a good first impression on his older brother.
"Woah, li'l bro, is that you?" Yakko gasped, walking towards them. "I barely recognize you with that hat on."
"You like it? Dot helped me pick it out." Wakko's hat then slid back down his face, covering his beady eyes from looking up at Yakko. "I just wish I could see with it on."
Dot watched as Yakko then grabbed the rim and twisted the cap. He turned it until the rim was stretching behind his head and the back of the cap was facing the front, giving Wakko the chance to see again. "There, how's that?" Yakko asked.
"Almost," Wakko answered. He took his thumb and blew on it, his head suddenly blowing up as if it was a balloon. The sight astounded Dot because not even the craziest and most bizarre of mutes could do something as mundane as that. It was feats like this that separated toonkind from that of the mutes. Toons were made out of ink, toons could make random objects appear out of nowhere, and toons absolutely had no respect for their bodies as seen with Wakko inflating his head. As he did that, his two ears popped out of the cap, making two perfectly round holes near the top. He breathed out, and his head deflated back to its normal round shape. "Now it's perfect."
"Looking good, bro. It suits you well."
Wakko let out a giant hmmmm. Something told Dot that he still wasn't satisfied with his outfit. "What now?" she asked.
"I like my hat. I like my shirt. It's just...I don't care for these pants."
Dot let out a giant aggravated sigh. They were going to be here all day at this rate.
"Then pick out another pair," Yakko suggested.
"No, no, it's not that I don't like these pants, it's just...I don't like wearing them." And with that, he immediately slid down the torn jeans he wore and kicked them to the side. Now the lower half of his body was completely exposed, a phrase Dot once heard called "going commando." Now, it wasn't unusual for some mutes to walk around without any pants on. Honestly, there were tons of debates about which group was superior for who decided to wear any or who didn't. Dot definitely had her fair share of encounters with both groups, but something felt so wrong about seeing a toon like her do this. She couldn't help but cringe at the sight.
"Woah, goodnight everybody!" Yakko announced with a kiss. Was he talking to himself? Was he talking to the mannequins thinking they were real like Wakko did? It wasn't even dark yet, why was he already telling them goodnight?
"That's better," Wakko sighed happily. "From here on out, I'm no longer a pants kind of guy."
"Suit yourself, bro," Yakko said. "But you know Scratchy's going to have a thing when he sees you like that."
Feel the way, feel the way, feel the way
Feel the way, feel the way, hey hey
Suddenly, the music stopped. Dot was relieved that during all that time, and not one single mute burst into the store ready to catch them. One toon was worth a lot on the Surface, but three toons would be worth a fortune, especially if two of those toons were from a Burrow. However, just as the music stopped, she could hear the ground rumbling beneath her feet. Everything within the clothing store began to rattle. So much so, that even the brothers stopped chattering amongst themselves and looked around.
"Megamute?" Yakko asked.
"She's back," Dot answered. "Hide."
The three all scurried towards one end of the store and hid behind a pile of boxes. Before their eyes, they saw part of the ceiling collapse. A giant grey paw stood right before their faces. A horrified expression appeared on both of the brothers' faces at the realization that they were standing there only moments before, and had they not moved, they would have been crushed on sight. As quickly as it appeared, the paw lifted itself back through the ceiling, and one single golden eye peered into the hole it made. An eye that likely belonged to the very same Mega Bunny whose nest Wakko disrupted earlier.
"Is that the same Mega Bunny from earlier?" Yakko whispered.
"She must have followed us all the way here," Dot confirmed. "I thought I sprayed enough Ocean Breeze on Wakko to throw off our scent."
Both toons glared at Wakko.
"What? I can't help that she had really cute babies."
The three ducked down as Mama Bunny lowered her head into the store. She caused more of the ceiling to collapse and even part of the walls as she sniffed towards the interior of the store. No doubt about it, she was definitely looking for something.
"Guess there's nothing we can do but sacrifice Wakko," Yakko concluded.
"Oh please, please don't let her take me!" Wakko begged. "I promise I won't touch anything else on the Surface for as long as I live!"
"Quiet!" Dot snapped quietly. "Look."
The three watched as Mama Bunny sniffed the pile of clothes where Wakko and Yakko's jumpsuits were thrown. She took one whiff of Yakko's jumpsuit and lurched back instantly.
"Oh, why don't you rub it in while you're at it?" Yakko hissed.
Then she sniffed Wakko's jumpsuit. Even though it smelled just as bad as Yakko's, she didn't lurch back, instead, her eyes widened. Immediately, she grabbed the blue torn jumpsuit with her buck teeth and disappeared from the hole she created. Suddenly, the ground began to rumble, and the whole world shook again. The three toons could make out from the giant hole Mama Bunny walking away, carrying Wakko's jumpsuit presumably back to her nest. She got what she came for, and gladly it wasn't Wakko. The three leaned against the pile of boxes, and once again let out a giant sigh of relief.
Within the last two days, these Burrow brothers almost stepped into a patch of Death Ivy, nearly got eaten alive by a giant spider, and riled up a Mega Bunny mother-- which avoiding a Mega Bunny encounter was the easiest thing you could do on the Surface. If this was already the amount of trouble the two could drag Dot into, she couldn't imagine what more the Surface had in store for them. Not to mention, the two had yet to encounter a real mute, and knowing her past experiences with them, it was going to take more than just an intervention with Stalky to keep all three of them alive.
If there was any time to be wallowing in one's regrets, this was the place to do it. Dot would be the most grateful toon alive if this trip wasn't going to kill them long before they even found this Burrow of theirs. Once she did get them home, her first plan was to run. Run and never look back. Return to her dangerous yet content life. Continue living off the land. Hunt for her meals undisturbed. Alone without these Burrow toons slowing her down, even if she did kind of like the company. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been around other beings who weren't intent on hunting her or scorned at her appearance. Was it bad that these toons and their strange methods were rubbing off on her?
Yes! She needed to ditch these two as soon as possible. Only mutes congregated in packs, but not her. Dot was eager to prove that she didn't need anyone else but herself.
"Boy, won't we have quite the story to tell everyone when we get back?" Yakko stifled through laughter.
"And I'm not wearing any pants," Wakko added.