by Comickook
“It’s finally opening up!” Zap-Panda shouted as she and her fellow Just’a Lotta Animals members, along with Captain Carrot and Alley-Kat Abra, approached the other end of the inter-dimensional portal that was meant to take them from Earth-C-Minus to Earth-C.
However, as the eleven heroes emerged from the portal, they collectively gasped. Instead of the universe they had expected to reach, the world before them was instead a dark mirror version of their own, a place where the sunshine seemed just a bit darker and the wind whispered mischievous secrets.
“By Klibann’s whiskers, this isn’t our stop!” Alley-Kat-Abra exclaimed, her magical senses tingling with the discordant energy of this universe. “This must be Earth-Reverse-C, home of the Nasty Menagerie!”
“I concur,” said Zap-Panda, clapping her paws together. “Well, team, looks like we’ve got an unexpected detour on our paws!”
Green Lambkin, scanning the area with his power ring, nodded solemnly. “Indeed, and time is playing tricks on us, too. We’re two hours ahead… or is it behind?”
The group huddled together, their faces a mix of confusion and determination. Super-Squirrel, with his cape fluttering heroically, broke the silence. “Folks, something tells me that those villains the Captain mentioned must have just launched their attack on the Zoo Crew’s world, and the energy from their portal threw off our own.”
Captain Carrot stood resolute among his Just’a Lotta Animals allies, his eyes gleaming with a plan. “Listen up, team,” he began, his voice steady despite the oddity of their surroundings. “While Abra and Zap-Panda have to conserve their strength before we can make another cross-dimensional voyage, I’ve got an idea. Remember how I told you how the alternate Doctor Hoot appeared before us in a beam of light?”
Super-Squirrel, his tail flicking with intrigue, leaned in. “I recall, Captain,” answered the Squirrel of Steel. “But what does that have to do with getting us to your world in time to stop your evil counterparts?”
Captain Carrot, with a twinkle in his eye, began to outline his strategy. “It’s simple, really. I’ve got a hunch that the Doctor Hoot of this dimension has a dimensional gateway generator squirreled away in his lab. So we harness the same energy that brought Hoot to us. If we can replicate that beam of light…”
Alley-Kat-Abra’s eyes lit up with understanding. “Aha! We can use it as a beacon to guide us back!”
Zap-Panda bounced excitedly. “And we save our strength for the real showdown! Sounds like our ticket home!”
Captain Carrot nodded. “Exactly. The generator has had enough downtime by now to recharge in order to create a portal back to Earth-C. The challenge is finding it, but I’m confident Batmouse, the Crash, Green Lambkin, and Martian Anteater are up for the task, while the rest of us stay here to keep an eye on Abra and Zap-Panda while they regain their strength.”
Catching Wonder Wabbit’s hopeful gaze, Captain Carrot nervously added, “A-actually, Wonder Wabbit, w-with your detective skills, you would be a great fit on the search team, too.”
Super-Squirrel, the epitome of furry fortitude, agreed with a firm nod. “Well, since it’s your universe in peril, Captain, it’s also your call. It’s settled, then. We’ll split into three search parties. Wonder Wabbit and I will form one team, Batmouse and the Crash will form another, and Martian Anteater and Green Lambkin will form a third. We’ll stay linked through Anteater’s telepathy. First one to find Hoot’s lab sends out a mental flare. Understood?”
The team members exchanged determined glances and a chorus of affirmative murmurs filled the air. Super-Squirrel clapped his paws together, “All right, JLA, let’s split up and hunt down that lab!”
With a shared nod, the heroes dispersed, each duo darting off in a different direction. The air was thick with the promise of adventure, and the Just’a Lotta Animals were ready to face whatever this mirror world had in store.
***
Back on Earth-C, in the high-security wing of Sting Sting Prison, nestled in the bustling village of Ow-Stinging, Gnu York, a scene straight out of a comic-book was unfolding. Fantastidrake, with his cape billowing dramatically, and Slashback, muscles tensed for action, suddenly teleported back from their hideout in Limbo with a flash that would put any special effects wizard to shame.
Before the bewildered eyes of Earth-Reverse-C’s Doctor Hoot, who had been left dumbstruck before he could instruct the Salamandroid how to serve him best, Fantastidrake unleashed a power ring blast that could’ve lit up the night sky. The Salamandroid, caught off-guard, was sent flying, landing with a thud that damaged its delicate internal mechanisms even as the sound echoed through the stone-cold halls of the prison. “That’s for flirting with the wrong team!” Fantastidrake quipped, a smirk playing on his beak.
Not one to miss a beat, Fantastidrake then turned his attention to the captured Swanky Poodle. With a flourish of his ring, he drained her bio-magnetic powers, transferring them into his own body in a dazzling display. “Consider your escape plans canceled, Swanky,” he said, winking at the now-powerless poodle, who was absolutely livid and cursing a blue streak for this new betrayal.
Meanwhile, Slashback, the speedster with a heart full of malice, zoomed toward the now-armorless Hoot and the groggy Rubberduck. But just as he was about to strike, Siren Belle, with her voice as enchanting as a morning chorus, hit Slashback with a melody so seductive it bypassed his earplugs and sent him spiraling into a daze.
“Ya might say that there’s music to your ears, sugah!” Samantha Drake cooed, watching him sway under her spell.
Fantastidrake, however, proved a tougher nut to crack. The mind-control aspect of Belle’s power seemed to slide off him like water off a duck’s back. It was clear that the villainous bird-brain had to summon every bit of his willpower to resist her charms. “Nice try, Songbird, but it’ll take more than a pretty tune to ruffle my feathers,” he grunted, straining against the invisible force of her allure.
Siren Belle, not one to be outdone, flexed her telekinetic powers, pinning Fantastidrake against the wall. “Looks like y’all’re stuck on li’l ole me,” she teased, her eyes glinting with triumph.
Desperate, Fantastidrake managed to aim a shaky power beam at Belle. But the entranced Slashback, still under Samantha’s control, leaped in front of the blast meant for her. The energy engulfed him, leaving Fantastidrake momentarily gaping in disbelief.
But he had always been quick to adapt to new circumstances, so Fantastidrake swiftly morphed his power beam into a draining vortex. Like a magician pulling rabbits from a hat, he siphoned off Slashback’s super-speed, the air vibrating with the stolen hypersonic power now in his body, which he used to shake off Belle’s siren spell. “As much fun as this has been, I’m afraid I must now take my leave,” he crowed, his voice echoing off the walls as he then teleported to safety with the power ring.
Rubberduck, watching the spectacle with a mix of awe and amusement, couldn’t help but quip, “Not too shabby, Sammy… I mean, Miss Drake. My apologies,” he added, his beak curling into a sheepish grin. Yankee Poodle, having recovered just in time to witness what Siren Belle had done to Slashback and Fantastidrake, nodded in silent agreement, her patriotic tail wagging with approval.
Meanwhile, Doctor Hoot, the solitary sentinel of science, was immersed in trying to repair the Salamandroid, his feathers ruffled with concentration. He listened to the heroes’ banter, a bittersweet smile perched on his beak. Hope flickered in his eyes as the possibility of victory over the Nasty Menagerie seemed within reach. Yet, the weight of Fantastidrake’s intelligence combined with his newfound powers — Swanky Poodle’s bio-magnetism and Slashback’s blistering speed — hung heavy in the air, crowning him the most formidable foe of the Menagerie.
Rubberduck, ever the inquisitive fowl, turned to Hoot with a puzzled tilt of his head. “Err, say, Doc, are you really the only super-hero on your world?” he inquired.
Hoot sighed, his gaze distant. “Regretfully, yes, Rubberduck,” he replied. “Once, there were other short-lived heroes — Kongaroo, Armordillo, Frogzilla, the Squawker, the Bunny from Beyond, and Cold Turkey, to name a few. Courthouse Roc stood tall among them, our answer to your world’s Jailhouse Roc. But alas, they all fell in battle against the Nasty Menagerie. We stand alone.”
The heroes absorbed Hoot’s words, a somber silence filling the room. The gravity of their situation settled upon them like a cloak. Then Rubberduck floated a wild idea to Doctor Hoot, his voice echoing off the prison walls. “Well, what if we could snatch each hero from just before their untimely demise, give ’em the lowdown on the Nasty Menagerie, and get them back in the game? And this time, they could join forces instead of getting beaten alone!”
Doctor Hoot’s feathers drooped with the weight of past failures. “Rubbing salt in the wound, eh? If only I could’ve been there for them,” he lamented, before a spark of realization lit up his eyes. “Ohhh, I see where you’re going with this. You’re suggesting we travel back in time and rescue each of those heroes at a certain point before his or her death! Thus they could be joined as a group powerful enough to face off against the Nasty Menagerie — and this time succeed! But how might such a ‘time heist’ be accomplished?”
Rubberduck’s beak curled into a knowing smile. “‘Time heist’! I like that, Hootie. Well, we might not have the means, but we know someone who does — somebody who owes us a favor for helping him start his many great collections.”
“You’re referring to your universe’s Time-Keeper, correct?” Doctor Hoot, the avian Albert Einswine of his world, pondered the logistics. “Well, I’ve got a teleporter that survived Swanky Poodle’s tantrum, but I fear it’s only viable for a single trip, and it’s hardly enough to punch a hole through to the Time-Keeper’s realm, especially not with Salamandroid in tow,” he said, his voice tinged with regret.
Rubberduck bobbed in the air, his confidence unshaken. “A bit of tinkering, a dash of Yankee Poodle’s magno-blasts, and a sprinkle of Belle’s sonic magic, and we’ll have ourselves a one-way ticket to Timetown,” he declared, his feathers practically bristling with excitement.
Sting Sting Prison, a place usually devoid of hope, suddenly buzzed with the energy of new possibilities.
***
In the meeting room of the Z-Building, Fantastidrake materialized amidst the remaining members of the Nasty Menagerie. “Gather ’round, my friends,” he announced, “for I have uncovered the secret to Bast-Felina’s befuddlement. Little Cheese has been eluding her grasp by the whisker of his chinny-chin-chin, hiding in the one place her magic can’t sniff out!”
With a flick of his power ring, he conjured a whisk broom and test tube, sweeping up a sample from Katastrophe’s backside and levitating it before Ultra-Rabbit’s scrutinizing gaze. “I’ve harbored suspicions, but needed Swanky’s ring to confirm without arousing… certain misinterpretations,” Fantastidrake confessed, inwardly adding, And to avoid a super-powered kick from Ultra-Rabbit for getting too cozy with his lady.
Ultra-Rabbit, the villainous leporidae, stroked his chin thoughtfully and nodded. The pieces of the puzzle clicked into place; Bast-Felina’s incessant murmurs of Little Cheese’s proximity, yet her inability to pinpoint him, now made perfect sense. “And what of Swanky’s unfortunate but necessary entanglement in our little web?” he inquired, his tone laced with intrigue.
Fantastidrake’s eyes gleamed with triumph. “Swanky Poodle’s alive, but powerless. Thus the failsafe that would have revealed all of our secret in the event of her death is still dormant, and our secrets remain secure. The set-up worked perfectly. The capture of Slashback was an unexpected twist, but at least, with his speed now at my disposal, we have little need for that half-shell hoodlum anymore.”
Ultra-Rabbit fixed his piercing gaze on Fantastidrake. “Having the ring, the bio-magnetic powers, and the super-speed of our two defeated comrades doesn’t entitle you to…”
“Don’t worry, Boss Rabbit,” Fantastidrake cut in smoothly, his feathers unruffled. “I’m well aware of the pecking order here. Despite my power-up, I wouldn’t dream of challenging you or Bast-Felina — not solo, not now, not ever.”
Ultra-Rabbit leaned back, tapping a long foot rhythmically. “If Fastback’s still kicking, we’ll bide our time. He’s bound to bust in for a daring rescue, thinking we’re none the wiser of his survival. That’s our ace in the hole,” he mused. “And what of Hoot, your feathered doppelgänger, and the star-spangled canine?”
Fantastidrake shuffled uneasily, his voice a notch higher. “Well, they’ve enlisted this female duck with powerful sonic and telekinetic abilities. This Siren Belle is the reason Slashback’s in the slammer and why they almost got me.”
Ultra-Rabbit’s ears perked up, his plans foiled. “Blast it. That throws a wrench in the works,” he growled. “We’re up against a full deck — five wild cards, plus Carrot and Abra still at large. Time to flush them out. Bast-Felina, sniff out Rubberduck, Yankee Poodle, Hoot, and Siren Belle. Fantastidrake, you’re on Fastback’s tail. Iron Pig, Big Cheese, and I will lie in wait for Carrot and Abra.”
The Z-Building, a fortress of schemes and super-powered scuffles, came alive with the electric hum of strategy and anticipation.