Chapter Text
“This can’t be happening…”
Dot Warner looked up at the ramshackle water tower in horror. Couch overturned, pots and pans scattered, gag items spread about, and worst of all no sign of her brothers…
Well everything before the last part was pretty normal for the Warners. But for her brothers to be gone without a trace or note…that was highly unusual to say the least.
The Warners hardly ever split up unless one of them had a solo shoot. Which was the case today, Dot singing the praises of “girl bosses” in a very ironic fashion of course, annoying their new CEO to no end. Now she was left wondering if the horrors of capitalism were behind her current predicament. For some reason, she had a strong feeling they were…
Yakko Warner meanwhile was not having the best day himself. Sure, it started out good, pretended to read the newspaper upside down, made Ralph spill his coffee all over himself, befriended a supernatural being, all everyday stuff for him and his sibs. But not too long after his sister sib left (and right after kicking his brother sib’s butt at Italian Brothers Mustache Game) he noticed a strange creak he’d never heard before in their faithful rusty water tower.
“Uhhhh Wakko?”
“Yes, dear brother?” Wakko responded sarcastically, lying down dramatically on the couch, still lamenting his loss.
“I know we live in an ancient water tower and all but I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard a creak that loud before.” Yakko stated, narrowing his eyes at the direction he heard the suspicious noise.
“Eh, probably just a new degrading pipe, no big deal” Wakko replied while seemingly grabbing a comic book out of nowhere.
But as his brother kicked back and relaxed, Yakko heard another new, concerning noise: Footsteps. Heading their way.
“Yeah yeah, no big deal we’re just here for a friendly visit, isn’t that right boys?”
The sound of the new voice seemed to snap Wakko out of his carefree daze as he poked his head over the couch curiously. Yakko smirked at the intruders, hiding his concern with sarcasm as usual.
“To what do we owe the pleasure gentlemen?” Yakko questioned, stepping in front of where his brother sat, placing his hands on his hips and trying to look as big as possible.
The weasels (literally, brown fur, beady eyes and all) smiled menacingly as their eyes darted between the two Warners. “Ah perfect, you’re both here. Sure makes our job a lot easier.”
“Oh, I see! You’re looking for some prime-grade Warner brothers autographs! Well why didn’t you say so silly.” Yakko said with a big cheesy smile, pulling a notepad out from his pocket and eloquently signing his name. He then passed it onto his little sib who signed in his usual messy scribble, tongue sticking goofily out of his mouth.
“Thank you!” Yakko quipped, taking the paper out of Wakko’s hand and bounding over to the confused leader of the weasels, dressed like an old timey gangster in a pink suit.
“Mmmmwah!” Yakko kissed the paper loudly, somehow leaving a bright red kiss mark behind despite not wearing lipstick. “Here you go good sir, now that will be $200 please.” He continued holding out his hand.
The weasel simply glared at the other toon, perfectly ripping the paper in half. Yakko feigned anger.
“Hey that’s worth a good $20 on eBay!”
“Enough!” Pink boomed, powerful enough to blow Yakko right off his feet and back into the wall, birds flying over his head.
“Yakko!” Wakko called out, running over to where his brother laid and shaking him until his head cleared up.
“Uuungh…with a voice that powerful he should consider opera.” Yakko joked, smiling at his relieved sib. The moment was cut short though by the sound of fine leather shoes slowly sauntering over to the fallen Warners.
“Enough fun and games…” The lead weasel started, panting in anger. “Boys…” He continued when he was right in front of the two toons. “Nab em.”
The weasel henchmen started walking over quicker than their leader, nasty smirks on their face and chuckling as they got closer and closer. Yakko didn’t know what it was, but something felt off about this situation. Sure, they had been captured a thousand times but never once did any of them think they wouldn’t get out of it with their wacky antics. This time it was like a little voice was going ballistic inside his head, telling him to grab his little brother and run as far away from these gangster cliches as fast as he could.
So, he did just that. Quickly pulling Wakko’s arm and whisking them away at toon speed, heading towards the door. Unfortunately, Yakko had forgot he was fighting against fellow toons here, and before the Warners were even halfway to the exit there were two weasels guarding their escape route.
“Let’s split up big brother! We can take em!” Wakko said confidently, ripping his arm out of Yakko’s grasp.
“Sib no!” Yakko tried grabbing his brother again but curse that youthful energy he was just too fast for him. Wakko was already halfway across the room, mallet in hand going at whichever foe he could find while humming "Pop! Goes the Weasel". Yakko had his own problems to deal with though as the yellow and green dressed weasels by the door inched closer to him.
Quickly springing up in the air, Yakko grabbed both their heads, smashing them together. The dazed weasels spun around a few times but Yakko knew their concussions wouldn’t last. He had to get Wakko and get out of here ASAP. Speaking of which…
“Hey! Let go!” Yakko spun around to see the leader weasel Pink and the burliest weasel Red containing his brother, Red with an arm around his neck with Pink quickly disposing of Wakko’s mallet. Yakko quickly ran over to where the mallet laid, picking it up and rushing over as fast as he could.
“Not so fast!” Pink yelled, now holding a knife up to Wakko’s throat. Yakko, although internally seething in anger, couldn’t help but laugh at the action.
“What you think we haven’t literally lost our heads before? What’s a little knife going to do?”
Pink’s smile somehow grew even bigger, as if he was expecting this response. He shook his head back and forth, tsking. “Silly little toon…this isn’t an ordinary knife.”
Yakko stared at Pink in confusion before his eyes followed as he moved the knife down, the light glinting off a liquid that appeared to be just barely covering the blade. Wakko was still struggling with all his might, one hand resisting the arm around his neck while the other tried to break free of Pink’s grasp as he pulled up the sleeve on his blue sweater.
“Now hold still little boy…” Pink said sickeningly sweet as he slowly, lightly broke skin on Wakko’s right arm with the knife.
The effect was immediate.
Wakko was howling in pain, fur and the top layer of skin bubbling off leaving what appeared to be a 2nd degree burn in its place. All from a light swipe of the knife.
“Yakko!” Wakko cried out, desperate, confused, and longing for the safety of his brother.
Yakko watched in absolute horror as his worst nightmare was coming true. Someone was hurting one of his sibs and there was nothing he could do. He clenched his teeth, taking a step forward. Pink didn’t seem to like this, immediately moving the knife back in front of Wakko’s neck, the threat all the more real. Wakko shook like a leaf but didn’t resist, absolutely terrified. Yakko felt the same.
“What do you want!” Yakko yelled furiously, willing to do anything to protect his brother.
Pink smirked removing a pill container out of his pocked. Quickly pouring one into his hand, he threw the half empty bottle at Yakko.
“Tell your brother not to resist taking this and then take one yourself. Otherwise…” Pink moved the knife even closer, now just a couple of centimeters from Wakko’s neck.
“Yakko I’m…” Wakko started tears streaming down his face.
“Shh sib it’s okay. Just do what he says, we’ll be fine.” Yakko replied, trying to sound as reassuring as possible even though warning bells were ringing in his head. But what choice did he have…
Wakko nodded sadly at his brother, allowing the weasel to put the pill in his mouth and obediently swallowing. Seemingly within seconds his vision started getting hazy and slowly his eyelids fluttered shut.
Yakko watched in alarm as his brother passed out. Pink, noticing the taller Warner’s look of panic, spoke up in a condescendingly reassuring voice.
“Don’t worry big brother Warner, he’s merely asleep. Now isn’t it time you joined your sibling in dreamland?”
Yakko looked at the pill bottle in consideration for a minute. What about Dot? Who would take care of his youngest sib if him and Wakko were gone? Looking back up at his brother’s dozing form in the criminal’s arm, he couldn’t stop his eyes from drifting down to the prominent burn.
No…Dot would be okay. She was (hopefully) safe shooting right now and there were others in the studio who would (hopefully) take care of her. While Wakko would be tortured and possibly killed without his cooperation. He had to do this.
Fishing a pill out of the bottle, Yakko quickly gulped it down. Almost immediately the effects started taking over, the world spinning around him as he was forced to his knees in a haze. He could feel himself drifting off. Putting all his energy into it, Yakko thought of one last plea before he passed out.
‘Dot…please stay safe.’