Chapter Text
Left.
Right.
Right. Forward. A quick glance over the shoulder, plumage rippling. Sunset falling, stars a twinkling. Left. Through a tunnel – would he be on the other side, oop, there he is. Hmm, an invisible wall or no, no, painted wall. Through or in?
In, last time he’d gone through. “Meep meep!”
A familiar blurry sensation, the kind that always occurs during a magician’s trick, though if you paid attention too long, my friend, you’ll lose your balance and tip off the tightrope. So, out of the painted wall and back onto the road. Night was falling, and night air was sweet. Left, right. Quite high up. Maybe he ought to droop to flatter land in the dark.
On he went, the Roadrunner. He wasn’t particular sure why the oddballs that lived in the city referred to him as that and only that, but he didn’t mind. He rather liked it.
A brown blur peeking over a pink-red rock alerted him that the Coyote was near again. But he didn’t duck away when he ran by. Ooh, what was it? Was it interesting?
Feet down. The breaks switch on, and his feet dug elegantly into the sand, slicing gently as if the dust were butter. Back he went, trotting really, tip-toeing up behind the scrawny canine to see what he was up to. (Though he was taller than him by far...)
He tilted his head, feathers flopping. The would-be Roadrunner eater was sitting cross-legged on the desert floor, fiddling with quite an impressively complicated thingamajig that didn’t interest the Roadrunner in the slightest. He wondered what it would do. So, he plodded over, silent, and peered over his arch nemesis’s shoulder.
The canine actually lifted a hand, very slowly, and pushed his beak away to give himself more room. The Roadrunner tilted his head, smiling brightly. He didn’t mind. T...I...M...? Hmm. The thingie was attached to a cord, going all the way to – ah. A bigger...thing. Big, bulky, and beeping madly.
He rather liked it, actually. Beep.
The Coyote’s ears snapped upright. Pin-pointed eyes slid quickly to the side, and met the Roadrunner’s cheery beam. “...” One eyeball twitched.
Wile E.’s hand pawed the ground to the other side, and landed on the hammer.
“Meep Meep!” He missed by an inch, the Roadrunner had ducked under his arm and leaped onto the rock he’d been half-hiding behind all this time. The Coyote leapt to his feet, completely forgetting he had the do-hicky remote thing sitting on his lap. The strange device tipped.
Both watched it fall flat on the button-side, the bird beaming inquisitively, the Coyote going as white as a sheet. “...”
He glared vehemently, as if to say ‘what have you done?!” And the Roadrunner couldn’t quite figure out the calamity. Then the machine sputtered.
Usually, this was when he’d take his leave, but...then something changed. He felt compelled to stay and watch. The Coyote wasn’t making any move to run, instead staring in horror as a pale white light began to brew within the crevices appearing rapidly in the machine...
The Roadrunner turned on his heel, ready to speed off –
Crackle.
Pop.
He hadn’t felt fear in a long time. In fact, he’d quite forgotten the sensation. But for a moment, as the world went black around the lean bird, he almost felt an ounce of doubt. But then the lights blurred back in and part of him relaxed, maybe just smoke. He turned, expecting to find his funny enemy covered in soot and blinking mutely beside him...but he did not.
Oh, The Coyote was there, sat down and rubbing his head. But the desert wasn’t. The Roadrunner, still half-smiling, tapped his feet down. This wasn’t...desert.
He’d never left the desert.
“...Meep?”
He stared at the Coyote, and only him, for the time being. The canine scowled at him, a brow arching, and was met with a blank, yet inquisitive stare. The latter was on his feet and storming towards the bird in seconds, but then he stooped, blinked, and looked around.
His jaw fell open, his ears flopped. The Roadrunner couldn’t say he liked that reaction, but turned his noodle neck to look anyway.
What he saw were lots...and lots...of thingamajigs.
...
He knew that store credit would come back to haunt him. ‘Guaranteed to slow down time’...slow it down...slow it down. Wile E. Could feel a spasm waiting to happen, sitting right there in his stomach. Slow down indeed. His paw drifted up to clutch at his lower jaw. He looked left, he looked right, he pressed his eyelids shut as much as his muscles would allow, and even so, the image before him didn’t change.
A city. Buildings taller than skyscrapers, stretching millions of miles up. Hovering...cars. Devices he couldn’t begin to fathom. His mind whirled, and he lost feeling in his legs. He fell to the floor with a plop.
“Meep!”
Wh...oh. The Roadrunner was staring at him from nearby, and for once, he noted with bitter satisfaction, that darn bird wasn’t sporting his usual smile. Just...blank. Perhaps, his head-feathers drooped a little more than usual, but it was hard to tell what was going on in that head of his.
He scowled.
If...this was real...and that was a malfunction with a machine tuned up with time...then this half-witted bird had just...sent them to the...
He was biting his nails. Painfully.
Something nudged Wile E.’s shoulder and he gave a start – the Roadrunner was prodding his shoulder vigorously, tilting his head. The Coyote stared at him, bewildered, but then he saw what he was gesturing so purposefully to.
...There were people. Mostly humans, gathering around the street. Yes, it appeared they were on a street. Some pointing.
SNAP.
Both desert dwellers looked skyward. A light, glaring like a stage beam, had fallen upon them, catching them on the spot. A hum resembling the rumble of an engine came with it, so the confused canine assumed it was something like a helicopter. Or he was just hallucinated because the machine exploded...
“Meep Meep!” The Roadrunner proclaimed, loudly, and lifted a leg – the Coyote knew that action all too well. He was going to run for it. Bad idea, bad idea, if this was real then they were – they were in the future and if he ran off...
He couldn’t grab him. Fact of life. The Roadrunner blasted off, and a chorus of startled yelps rang up from the onlookers. The Coyote was on his feet, too, and sped after him at a far more realistic pace.
“STOP!” An echoing voice called, laced by microphone static – from overhead. The helicopter? Wile E’s muzzle sank in unease. Was he under arrest or...no, he hadn’t done anything except, perhaps, teleport and startle people. Back to business. He had to find the Roadrunner.
...
The Roadrunner was very open-minded, very ‘go with the flow’, He didn’t really...dislike anything. But he did now, almost. Maybe he’d be more on board with this place if it hadn’t startled him so. He was never startled. Oh well, running. He’d find the desert eventually, if he kept going. There were more cars here, and he didn’t stop to look. No trucks, just lots of cars. Lots of turns. Left, right, up, down.
So many things to dodge here. Pedestrians.
His ever-present smile slipped, just a little. Just keep running.
...
Tech stretched. His neck had been growing stiff for the past few hours, his legs also. How long had he been sitting here? Probably lost track of time again. He opened his eyes, breathed, and glanced around the lab. The lights were on, tools were out, though most of the computers lay as dark and dormant as a certain aquatic avian’s brain. Sitting on the worktop before him lay a rather strange plate resembling an oversized microchip. He’d been modifying the electric channels for hours, and still, he couldn’t fix the radar system.
The city-wide radar system had been picking something up all day, but despite all their best efforts, they couldn’t locate it. On the screen, if Tech recalled correctly (and he had an excellent memory) there were...waves of unfocused energy rippling around the city. Unseen, unheard.
Then, the whole system crashed. Tech popped the hood, so to speak, and found several of the inner mechanisms frying. He still couldn’t get the taste of burn metal out of his mouth...
He ran a hand between his ears, and closed his eyes again. Standing, he shook off the stiffness in his other joints and began towards the door. He needed some coffee...
The door swooped open before he got there. A red-black blur zipped in front of him, a telltale swivel in the air signalling who it was. “R –“
“Hey, hey, Tech, um Zadavia’s called us all in, and it sounds real bad, ‘cuz apparently something exploded in the street, it came from nowhere and –“ the Roadrunner stopped, finger in the air, “Uh...Zadavia’s calling.”
...No coffee, then. “Right....” He strode for the door again, Rev hopping by his side, apparently containing himself just enough to continue the conversation. This behaviour didn’t escape the canine’s notice, “Uh, Rev, what’s with the jitter?”
“Just all the wierd wave stuff, and the system goin’ down, now this.” He jabbered, glancing away to feign indifference, “Nothin’ really.”
“Heh, if it’s a hacker, we’ll be able to locate ‘em. And if they’re obvious enough to blow stuff up in the street, it’ll be child’s play.” Tech smiled, placidly, and the roadrunner shrugged,
“Heh, guess so...”
Another swoop of a door, and they’d arrived in the control room. Ace was already there, wearing his obligatory ‘serious face’ but he broke character for a second he grin at them both. Lexi and Duck were nibbling on Pizza, apparently bored, and Slam looked half asleep. Tech wondered how long they’d been waiting for him to report back on the ‘system repair...’
The hologram blinked into being, and Zadavia appeared before the two arrivals had even tkane their seats.
“Greetings, Loonatics. I’m afraid I do not have much information to give you on this...odd turn of events.”
“Odd? Not ‘dangerous’?” Ace pressed, sounding a little disappointed. Duck scoffed, beak still full of cheese and tomato,
“Hah! Probably some kinda eco-awareness villain or something.”
“I’m afraid, Danger Duck, that it isn’t something as mediocre.” Zadavia said, cutting him off. Tech took his seat, brow furrowing as an image popped up before them. Kind of blurry...but it was zooming in.
“Two creatures appeared in the South Side of the capital today – seemingly from nowhere. There were no reports of any teleportation technology from outside the planet, or anything that indicated how they got there.”
“Aliens?” Lexi guessed, offhandedly, glancing at her teammates. Tech sat his chin on his hand, squinting at the screen as the pixels came into focus and –
“Whoa...” Ace muttered.
Two animals. A bird and a canine – completely devoid of any clothing, sitting bewildered in the street. Awfully familiar shapes...
“No. Judging by their characteristics...these two are earthlings.”
Tech blinked. “Uhh, and not wearing anything.” Duck called; a hand hovering in front of his face. But Tech didn’t look away just yet (besides, there was fur -) ...was that...
“That’s a coyote.” He said, surprise dancing its way into his voice. Lexi’s brow arched,
“No way, he’s too short and – well, smaller. And what’s that weird bird?”
“...Guys, don’t you know anything about evolution? How our species were before?” Tech glanced at his comrades – and received nothing but blank looks. Rev, however, was staring at the bird in the image in growing shock.
“...If...guys, is...is that...?”
“A pre-revolutionary Roadrunner, yes.” Zedavia returned, slowly. “The likes that haven’t existed for over six hundred years.”
“Yikes...he doesn’t have arms or nothing’...” Ace commented, a little uneasy. The image flickered – and a video began to play. The scrawny coyote, probably only coming up to Tech’s chest in height, stumbling around.
“Looks like he doesn’t have a clue about what’s going on either.” Lexi remarked, trying to keep her tone light. But on-camera, the coyote fell – rubbing his head and grimacing. Beside him, the roadrunner was tapping the floor, and peering around. Confusion didn’t begin to describe his posture.
“So they just appeared?” Tech echoed.
This was...this was fascinating. He was looking at his species’ ancestor, living and breathing. A whole different slice of history. He hadn’t thought the difference in evolution was so big, but whoa...he’d love to learn more, but he had to be, heh, professional.
“It would seem so.”
“Remember when that zoo guy brought animals back from the ice age?” Duck drawled, “Maybe that’s what happened this time, too.”
“I don’t think so...” Tech muttered. The group went silent, watching as the coyote got to his feet, dusted himself off, and pointedly glared at the roadrunner – who had been almost violently tapping his shoulder.
“They know each other?” Lexi offered.
“They must...” Ace now.
A spotlight fell upon the two, making them jump. The Roadrunner turned and...
...He was gone.
“Whoa!” Rev threw himself back in his chair, “Did you guys see that, he just went – whoosh!”
“You go ‘whoosh’ all the time, Rev.” Ace grinned. The latter stood up, shaking his head in awe,
“Yeah, but, with my powers, I mean, is that what I look like? He was just gone! I didn’t know it looked so cool!”
“Ah boy.” Duck muttered.
The coyote on the video was jogging after the roadrunner. Ace chuckled wryly, “Good luck with that, buddy.”
“They don’t look like a threat to me.” Tech interjected, loudly. They honestly didn’t, in fact, they appeared to be more freaked out about it than anyone...
“That may be, but I suspect they have something to do with the database going down. They must be apprehended for questioning. Perhaps we can resolve this peacefully.”
“So, find the creepy past guys, get ‘em back here, hope they don’t freak out?” Duck surmised, hands in the air.
Zadavia’s eyes narrowed. “Yes. Zadavia Out.”
Slam snickered loudly at the duck’s expense.
...
Wile E. Was very perceptive. He didn’t know much about human cities, but he knew that sometimes, animals hung around. Maybe the odd cat or dog. Most were rural, that rabbit in the forest with the duck, the wolf and the rooster in their farm...cities weren’t kindly to animals. But he saw a great deal of them.
Wearing clothes.
And taller than him by far. A cat that stood an inch taller than him, he’d seen. What.
Feeling, and probably looking, deflated, he flattered himself against an alley wall, trying not to lose his bearings. He’d accepted by now that he was...in the future, and that was a hellish concept. He laughed nervously and peered around the corner. It was late, and through...cars still hovered a good few miles overhead, not many folk were up and about on this street.
Now, where was that Roadrunner...?
A whirl of mechanics. He ducked, expecting a truck, but instead he saw a blur of green landed on the street ahead, then various others of different colours. His brow arched. What the dickens?
Several figures straightened up from the landing position. The Coyote stepped back, arm rising. Taller, again. Very...man like. How surreal. He should just scoot away now...
A rabbit, a duck. The familiarity of that phrase made him stop; ears straightening. The Duck’s beak was far too straight, the rabbit far too tense to be – you know who. The Duck folded his wings – arms? And glared. “Take a picture, pal, it’ll last longer.”
... Wile.E glanced sideways in slight annoyance, nose wrinkling.
“Wow, check out those ears! Even mine don’t move all the time.” A female voice this time, another rabbit. Pink.
Said ears bent against his head, affronted, and he made a point of tapping his foot. The she-rabbit lifted her hands in mock surrender, grinning, “Hey, sorry, pal. Just...curious is all.”
“We’re...all kinda curious.” Another voice stated. Wile E. Turned his head, expecting to find another duck or something, but instead saw a...
Coyote. Green hued. A good two heads taller than himself, with a rigid snout, and ears to match. They barely moved with him. And his face was...uncannily familiar despite that.
And, it seemed he’d realised that too, as confusion slowly dawned on his face. “...”
“This is...weird, actually. He kinda reminds me of you, only...floppier.” The she-rabbit remarked. Wile E. Pointedly placed his hands on his hips and glared.
“Hey, Mister Silent.” The male rabbit drawled, the accent oh-so familiar that it made his glare falter in uncertainty, “Wanna tells us what’s going on, or...?”
WHOOSH.
WHOOSH.
The final colourful streak came barrelling into the street, skidding to a violent halt beside the similar-dressed creatures standing before the bewildered coyote. It...was a bird, of some kind. Wait. The head, the beak, the lean neck, it almost resembled...no. Of course not, no roadrunner had a body like that, it was far too humanoid. What was this place?
“S-sorry guys.” The red-dyed creatures said, his voice quivering, “But that guy – he’s an escape artist! Every time I got close to him he changed direction, like, pacman!”
Wile.E snickered, hands placed elegantly behind his back. The bird turned his head to look at him in surprise and gawked.
“Whoa, it’s a short Tech!”
“Rev.” The other coyote muttered through his teeth. Wile E. Resented that remark...
“Uh...why is he giving me that murderous look?”
“Probably ‘cuz he wants to murder you.” The duck surmised, rather accurately. Wile.E actually chuckled – and the strange group before him gave a start.
The female rabbit glanced at her friends, “Did he just –“
A boing-like noise, that of which could only be uttered by a tongue waggling between a smiling beak, sounded behind the black-clad hooligans. Wile E. Stiffened and all parties whipped around to see a dust cloud speeding towards them.
The Road Runner stopped directly in front of the group of multicoloured animals, smiling plainly, and peering at each of them one by one. Then he spotted Wile.E, blinking behind them, and the speedster leaped into the air and sped forward, under the biggest animal’s legs – was that a Tasmanian devil? – and then...
He swooped behind the coyote, peeking around him at the strange group. Wile.E almost recoiled. What was – what was he doing? He glared at the bird, demanding an explanation, but all he got was a shrug and a smile. He could wring his throat right now, but given the circumstances, perhaps a truce was in order.
“Aww...” The red roadrunner-like being crooned, clasping his hands together. In fact they were all grinning, and Wile.E felt much like slinking into a corner and fading from existence. Yes, that sounded wonderful. He planted his arms by his sides and scowled.
“So...” The other coyote said, slowly, walking forward. Wile.E kept his guard up as he drew near. The other stooped, brow lifting. “...We don’t want any trouble, but we need some kind of explanation for this – how you and your friend appeared out of nowhere?”
There was no threat, not exactly, but Wile.E had a feeling suspicion wasn’t a bad thing to harbour. He placed his hands behind his back again, eyes lidded in thought. The Roadrunner peered around at him, long neck curling, expectantly.
“...Coyote.”
His voice, thick and oddly cultured, rang out through the silent air. He looked away from the Roadrunner to the group. They all looked positively startled. He smiled, a bit. “Wile E. Coyote.”
“...Wile E.?” His counterpart repeated, looking rather unsettled.
But he wasn’t paying attention to him. He was staring at the Roadrunner.
The Roadrunner had stopped smiling, and his beak was hanging open.
...He’d never heard him speak before, had he? He found himself...avoiding his eye. This was. Well, a strange day.
“That’s a weird coincidence.” The rabbit was saying, and the coyote forced his attention back to him, “ ‘Cuz our lookalike friend here’s called Tech.E Coyote.”
Really? A coyote being dubbed ‘coyote’ wasn’t unheard of for two unrelated canines, but resemblance...and the ‘E’? He didn’t like the implications...
Wait. Time.
Perhaps he’d have had a breakthrough if the strange roadrunner-like creature hadn’t cut in,
“So, uh, what’s your name?” He rambled, his eyes set on the actual Roadrunner staring pleasantly at them all.
Said bird tilted his head. “Meep Meep!”
Silence.
‘Rev’ looked like he’d been kicked in the gut. “Wh-what?”
The Roadrunner zapped himself forward. They couldn’t even see his legs move. He stared up at the stranger, still smiling, still casual. “Meep Meep!”
“He doesn’t talk. They call him the Roadrunner.” Wile E. Drawled from behind. Rev shook his head, almost shaking, a hand mopping back his head-feathers.
“No! My family, My dad, he says that all the time! His dad said it!”
Wile.E didn’t talk unless he had to, so he simply lifted a brow. The bird waved his arms, stammering. “You know – Meep Meep!”
“Meep Meep!” The Roadrunner replied, his smiling broadening in delight.
“Wait a minute.” Tech muttered, after a long, long pause. Wile.E felt a bead of sweat forming on his brow. Time machine. Family. Names. Future. This wasn’t possible. He gulped, audible, and looked to the strange group. Their faces must have been ashen beneath their masks.
“...Time machine.” The coyote admitted, after a moment. The Roadrunner’s head whipped around, still smiling. The rest of them didn’t take it quite as well.
“WHAT?!”