- Wolfgoyles: The Beginning -
An Original Tiny Toons Fanfiction

by Earl Allison
eallison@tiac.net

Disclaimer:  With some obvious exceptions, the characters herein are
the copyrighted properties of  Warner Bros. and Amblin Entertainment.
Several situations and character ideas are based on Gargoyles, a
copyrighted property of Buena Vista Entertainment and Walt Disney.
Other characters mentioned are also the copyrighted properties of
Walt Disney.  Willy Wolf, his family, and Wanda Wolf are the copyrighted
properties of the author.


	The setting was a lightly wooded park somewhere miles away from
Acme Acres, almost three years ago.  Willy Wolf is sitting on a park bench
with a tan-colored female wolf.  He was wearing the usual red sneakers and
blue shirt, and she was in a red blouse and skirt.  The two were deep in
conversation.
	"I don't know, Wanda.  I'm sure that toon wolves aren't being
discriminated against."  Willy said.
	The female, Wanda, replied, "How can you say that?  Look at
how we were treated in older cartoons; always chasing people to eat
them, or in some other villain role!  Even that show, 'Tiny Toon Adventures',
kept our kind off when they were a regular series.  Why won't you see that?"
she exclaimed.
	Willy sighed sadly.  "We always get into this argument.  I still think
there is a place for toon wolves in animation, one with good roles.  Maybe
we'll even get to host something someday.  We can't let their prejudices stop
us."
	She smiled weakly.  "All right, Willy.  Let's not fight.  Did I show you
the newest thing from Disney?  It hasn't even been on TV yet!"  She unfurled
a large poster, depicting a group of winged shapes, almost demonic in form.
Emblazoned at the top was one word, 'GARGOYLES'.
	Willy's eyes lit up with interest.  He LOVED animation, and Disney
animation was second only to Warner Brothers.  Still, these images were
breathtaking, so much so that he wished he'd been tapped for *this*
project.
	The look did not go unnoticed by his lifelong friend.  Wanda
knew Willy about as well as he did, and probably better.  The two had
grown up together, spent all their time together, and would likely end
up villains on some cartoon series together.  It was a toon wolf's lot in
life to be typecast that way.  Writers were notoriously lacking in vision,
and since wolves were seen as evil, toon wolves suffered the same curse.
She smiled.  Maybe she could help herself, and her friend, at the same
time.
	"Willy, have you ever tried a 'Wild Take' before?" she asked.
	He shook his head no.  "I heard that it takes a lot of training to
do those.  Y'know, someplace like Acme Looniversity or Disney Studios."
	She smiled.  "No, with practice, anybody can do one.  You just
relax yourself, and picture what you want.  Besides, I'm talking about the
*advanced* stuff.  Let me show you."

	*****

	The scene shifts to the present day, in Bugs Bunny's 'Basic Wild
Takes' class.  It was Friday, during the class period just before lunch.
	Bugs was munching on one of his ever-present carrots as he addressed
the students.  "Okay, you've all had a week to come up with your presentations,
let's see if any of you have been paying attention.  Plucky!  You'll go first."
	The little green duck marched determinedly to the front of the class.
"No problem, teach!  Calling on the best first, hunh?  Want me to show them
all how it's done, right?"
	Annoyed, Bugs cut him off.  "Just show us what ya gots, duck."
	Plucky took a few deep breaths, closed his eyes, and concentrated.
He then opened his eyes wide, in an exaggerated look of surprise.  His eyeballs
bugged out of his head, and the pupils popped out as well as he hovered in
midair.  After a few seconds he snapped back to normal.
	"Not bad, kid.  You got potential.  Okay, next up, Babs Bunny."
	Babs leapt out of her seat and raced to the front of the class, looking
shocked and surprised, as if she had just won an award.  "Oh, thank you!
Thank you all!"  In response, the others clapped and cheered, egging her on.
	"Rope it in kid.  Whatcha got for us today?"
	Babs looked down at her cute toes in mock shyness.  "Well, I
figured I'd do one of my imitations, if it's okay with you."
	"Knock yourself out kiddo," Bugs replied.  Then, after thinking
a moment, he added, "Not literally, though, you little scene-stealer."  He
smiled, and gestured for her to continue.
	Babs twirled around like a miniature pink whirlwind, and came
to a stop.  In her place was a pink version of Lola Bunny, with the same
bows at the ends of her ears.  "Ta-da!" she exclaimed, striking a pin-up
pose in front of the chalkboard.
	The reaction from Bugs and Buster was both predictable and
immediate.  The rabbits both stiffened like boards, their eyes bugging
out of their heads as their jaws dropped through the floor and their tongues
lolled out of their mouths and halfway across the classroom floor.  A distinct
*AOOOOGA* noise was heard in the background.
	As the two hastily composed themselves, Babs turned back into her
normal self.  Giggling, she added  "I just can't help myself."
	Bugs squinted at her for a moment.  "Eh, not bad kiddo, but next
time ..."
	The pink bunny smiled again and hopped back to her seat.
	"All right, who wants to be next?  Hows about you, Willy?  Got
anything to show the class besides those drawings of yours?"
	Willy quietly got up and headed to the front of the classroom.
"Um, could I try an imitation, like Babs did?"
	"Sure ya can!  I didn't know you wanted to try one, you've never
shown an interest before.  Go ahead."  Bugs smiled.  It was nice to see the
little wolf finally fitting in.  "Just make sure it isn't that 'Wolfzilla' thing I
heard about."
	Willy brightened.  "Yessir!"  He then turned to face the class.
"I sorta worked on this with someone before I came here, and she and I
used it a lot."  He then looked downcast.  "I can't do it until nighttime,
though.  I just remembered."
	"Okay kid, I'll humor ya."  Bugs then reached up, seemingly
into the air, and pulled down the nighttime sky.  Day instantly became
night.  "How's that?"
	"Okay, here goes."  Willy squinted in concentration, and
curled up into a little ball on the floor.  After a few seconds, the ball
exploded upwards into a massive shape.  The form was initially not
unlike Wolfzilla, the monstrous beast Willy became when his friends
were endangered.  However, it was soon apparent that this *was* a
new form.
	Huge batlike wings unfurled from the tall, muscular form as
a longer, serpentine tail lashed back and forth.  The beast then opened
his eyes, which shone a bright white momentarily before fading to normal.
The creature was tall, at least seven feet, with short dark brown fur covering
the entire body.  He was still very wolflike, but the hands and feet were
larger, and tipped with wicked looking talons.  The head was most different,
with large, pointed ears and small bony projections over the ridge of each
eye.  Willy's shirt and sneakers were gone, replaced with a large loincloth
and wide leather belt.  He also had a long mane of jet black hair.
	The class was completely silent, the only sound being some crickets
chirping in the background.  Finally, the figure spoke.
	"Well, what do you think?" it rumbled.  The voice was much deeper
that Willy's usual voice, and the speech patterns were slightly different as
well.
	Bugs was the first to speak.  "Incredible, Willy!  I didn't know you
had it in ya!"
	Plucky then chimed in.  "Why can't you do this in the daytime?"
	Willy smiled.  "Because gargoyles turn to stone with sunlight."
	"Oh," was the reply.
	"Wait just one minute!" Babs shouted.  "Won't we get sued for
this?  I mean, everyone says the mouse is quick to file lawsuits."
	"Nah, they're in the same boat we are, running in reruns.  Nobody's
gonna care."  Buster replied.
	Bugs nodded before answering.  "You're both right, kids.  That no
good mouse *could* sue, but probably won't.  After all, Warna Brudders didn't
sue the guy writing this."  He began to munch on another carrot.  "As long as
this kid don't see a dime for his woik, Willy's safe."
	Willy concentrated again, reverting to his usual form.  As he headed
back to his seat, the bell rang, and everyone filed out of the classroom.  Bugs
stopped the little wolf on the way out.
	"Y'know, kid.  That was really something."
	"Gee, thanks!  You really liked it?  You weren't just being polite?" Willy
asked.
	"Course not!  Keep up the good work, and you might get to be as versatile
as Buster and Babs are someday."
	The wolf smiled and headed off, rushing down the hall to catch up with
his friends, unaware that he had set events in motion that would have a great
impact on his life.

	*****

	Meanwhile, a young man dressed in a black business suit was overseeing
some construction.  A ridiculously large crane was lifting a medieval castle up to
place it atop a large mansion.
	The businessman looked a great deal like Montana Max, but with a
small ponytail, a mustache, and a beard.  As he watched with interest, an
elderly gentleman in glasses and a lighter business suit approached.
	"I trust things are going as planned, Mister Montanatos?"
	"Yes, Groveley.  Everything is going according to plan.  Has the
bait been set?"  the man asked.
	"Of course, sir."  Groveley replied.
	"Excellent." he responded, folding his hands and smiling wickedly.
"Soon, all of Acme Acres will be mine!"

	*****

	It was lunchtime at the Looniversity, and the tables were abuzz with
conversation.  At the moment, Willy was the topic of discussion, as he had
yet to sit down.
	"And who ees zis girl 'e spoke of?" Fifi asked, a hint of jealousy in
her voice.
	"Beats me" Babs shrugged.  "Y'know, we never really asked him
about what he did before 'Tiny Toons', maybe we should.  It'd be good for
a laugh." she answered.
	"Like, I sense really deep sorrow from him.  Wait, I'm getting something
else, something ... eeewww, yuck!"  Shirley turned and whacked Plucky on the
head with her lunch tray.  "Like, stop wishing evil things on Willy.  It's mondo
petty and grody, or some junk!"
	Plucky recovered instantly, the indentation in his head fading away.
"Me?  I don't exactly wish for *evil* things, maybe just a flu or something.  I
mean, ever since he got here, that's all we ever talk about.  Willy this and Willy
that.  Can't it be like the old days?  You remember, when you all looked up to
me?"
	Plucky was buried in a hail of trays, half-eaten food, and balled up
paper as the toonsters booed and jeered.
	"I don't know about the rest of you, but I think we should respect
his privacy." Hamton added.  "I mean, look what happened before.  Besides,
he's always neat and organized, what could be wrong?"
	"Um, right Hamton," Buster replied.  "Look, here he comes now."
	The table fell silent as Willy sat down with his lunch.  "Was it
something I said?" he asked.
	"No, we were just ..." Hamton started.
	"Just waiting for you to get here." Plucky finished quickly.  He
then whispered angrily to Hamton.  "Shhh!  We don't want him to know
that we were talking about him!"
	At the same time, Fifi and Shirley slid over to either side of him.
	"So, like, made any decisions yet?" the loon asked.
	"Oui, 'ave you decided which of us you are going to date?" Fifi
added, fluttering her lashes coyly.
	"Um, now's not really a good time." Willy replied.
	"Something bugging you, Willy?" Babs asked, looking concerned.
	The wolf nodded.  "That new form I showed you, I learned that
from someone before I ever came here.  She was my best friend in the whole
world, before we moved away.  It was even before John was born"
	"So, what happened?" Buster asked.
	"We kinda disagreed.  Before I moved away to come here and
apply to the Loo, we fought over the roles for toon wolves in animation.
She always said that we were forced to play villain roles, that we were getting
typecast.  I said she was wrong, that there *were* good roles for us, that
you guys just needed time to accept us.  She just wanted to charge right
in and make people accept us."
	"Gee, that's rough."  Buster replied.  "I guess we didn't make it
any easier with how we treated you when you first came."
	Everyone, even the girls, looked a little sad at the last comment.
They *had* acted poorly, assuming that because Willy was a wolf, he
was dangerous.  He had proven them all wrong, but not before they had
accused him of being a werewolf.
	Willy just shrugged.  "You couldn't help it.  That's the way writers
saw us, ever since things like 'Little Red Riding Hood' and 'The Three Little
Pigs'.  Maybe she was right, maybe things will never change."
	Fifi couldn't help but smile at part of Willy's comment.  She still
had the red cloak that she had tried to lure Willy with.  Maybe she could
try again, she mused to herself.  Her mischievous thoughts were cut short
by Babs Bunny.
	Babs leaned across the table and grabbed Willy by the ears, looking
him square in the eyes.  "Hello!!  Is this thing on?" she asked, knocking on his
head briefly.  "You're on 'Tiny Toon Adventures' now, you've got *two* cute
girls showing an interest, and it's been made perfectly clear that you are NOT
vicious!"  She fell back into her seat, panting.
	Buster shook his head quietly, trying to suppress a smile.  "I think
what Babs is trying to say, in her usual hyperactive way, is that you have a
home and friends *here* now.  So cheer up, because this lunch scene is
gonna go on forever otherwise."
	"Okay, you're right!" he answered happily.
	As Fifi and Shirley began to press in on him, as if to squeeze an
answer out of him, the bell rang, signifying the end of lunch.
	As everyone poured out of the cafeteria, Willy got a mischievous
grin.  "Gee, I guess I was just saved by the bell!"
	Buster's arm stretched back through the doors and grabbed Willy
by the tail.  "Come on, you!  And no more awful jokes!"
	Willy could only "Yipe!" in surprise as he was yanked out the door.
	After school let out, Willy headed home along the same wooded
path he always used.  About halfway home, he saw a small envelope with
his name on in tucked into the crook of a tree.  Curious, he picked it up and
opened it.  His brow furrowed as he read.  After a few moments, he folded it
up and tucked it away, walking home.
	"Hi Mom, I'm home!" he announced, walking through the door.  Almost
immediately, he was attacked by John, who crawled out from hiding at
tremendous speed.
	Before the hapless wolf could react, John had bitten both ankles,
and was quickly working his way up one knee, growling as he gnawed.  Looking
around to make sure no one saw him, and to make sure the sun had set, Willy
changed again, assuming his 'wolfgoyle' form.
	Undaunted, John continued to chew as Willy tried to pry him off,
thankful that wolfgoyle skin was harder to hurt.  As he pulled, Mrs.
Wolf came in.
	"William Wolf!  Stop roughhousing with your brother this instant!"
she scorned.
	Willy looked chastened and downcast, an expression that was out of
keeping with his new form.  "But Mom!  He started it!"
	John, the consummate actor, dropped off, pretending to shrink back
in terror at Willy's imposing form.
	"Look, you're scaring him.  Oh, poor baby!" she said, scooping him
up.  "Didn't you outgrow that years ago?"
	"This?" he asked, looking down at himself.  "Well, it kinda came up
in class today, and I might be able to use it in the future ..."
	"Well, turn back young man.  I won't have some winged monster at the
dinner table." she said sternly.
	Turning back, Willy's eyes lit up.  "Really, no wings?  Does that mean
you wouldn't like Shirley?"
	"The loon?  No, Willy, I didn't mean her.  You still haven't made up
your mind?"
	Another voice came from the kitchen, that of Mr. Wolf.  "Now dear, he's
just a ladykiller, like his old man.  Right, son?" he chuckled.
	"Oh, really?" his mother replied icily, looking back into the kitchen.
	"Um, lets eat!" Willy said, eager to change the subject before his
parents made the usual suggestion, to invite both girls over sometime.
Besides, he had something important to tell them during dinner, about his
note.
	
	*****
	
	That night, after dinner, Willy headed outside.  He had told his
parents that he would be away the whole weekend, working on a new cartoon.
After walking to a small clearing, he changed, transforming into his 'wolfgoyle'
form.  Using his powerful claws, Willy climbed one of the taller trees and leapt
off, using his massive wings to glide on the air currents.  He soared away
towards a very unusual structure in the distance, a castle mounted atop a large
mansion.

	*****

	Meanwhile, atop Montanatos's castle, the rich industrialist and his
assistant were waiting for their new guest.
	"Are you certain he will show, sir?" Groveley asked.
	"Of course he will.  Our guest cannot take the chance that my offer
is anything less than genuine.  My ... associate assures me that Willy will
want to do everything he can to help us."  Montanatos smiled, looking
absolutely devilish.
	Groveley pointed out into the night.  "I believe that your guest
is coming now, sir."
	Montanatos folded his hands and replied.  "Excellent."

	*****

	The massive winged form landed softly on the flagstones of the
courtyard, standing a few feet away from the two human toons.  He took
a deep breath before he spoke.  "Why did you summon me here?  What
offer do you have to make?"
	Montanatos stepped forward to shake Willy's hand.  "You are
every bit as impressive in person as I'd heard.  This form suits you.  I do
so hope we can be friends."
	Willy looked the man over.  Something was hauntingly familiar,
something that he couldn't quite put a talon on.  He wished his sense of
smell wasn't so diminished in this form, but the note had been specific.
Only *this* form could gain access to the castle, and it was also the form
that allegedly held the potential hinted at in the same note.
	"Friendship is earned, not given away." Willy responded.
	"Of course.  Willy, I offer you a chance to bridge the gap, to
prove once and for all that toon wolves are as viable and useful as
any other toon creature.  I know that you have had problems in the
past, and I want to help.  With Disney canceling their series, we have
the potential to make one of our own.  Using my personal animation
studio, we can simultaneously gain the viewership of the old show
as well as the audience we already have!  The 'Wild Take' you demonstrated
shows that this is not only possible, but plausible as well!  You would be
one of the first toon wolves to star in a cartoon, one that portrays you in
a positive light.  Please, come inside so we may talk further."
	Willy nodded.  "Very well, I will hear you out."  Ducking his
head slightly, he followed the businessman into the castle.  The inside
was breathtaking!  The interior had been completely modernized, with
electric lights, furniture, and all the modern conveniences.  On a raised
pedestal, under a glass case, was a large hardcover book, entitled
'SCRIPTS - WOLFGOYLES'.
	Montanatos waved his arms in a grandiose gesture.  "All
of this," he started, "was to make the show a reality.  The scripts
are here, and my safe has all the model sheets we'll need to begin
production.  All I need is ..." he cocked his head to one side.  The
sounds of a helicopter could be heard in the distance, getting
closer.  Willy heard it too, his ears perking up.
	"That's strange, I wasn't expecting anyone."  Montanatos
commented.  "Wait here, I'll see what's going on outside."  With that,
he rushed out the doorway.
	Willy watched from the doorway, hidden by shadow.  As
Maximillian Montanatos headed out to the courtyard, the helicopter
hovered overhead, about thirty feet off the ground.  Six figures, all
dressed in black body armor, emerged, sliding down ropes released
from the large opening in the side.
	"Who are you people?  What do you want?" the
industrialist demanded.  The lead figure pulled out a large
gun and pointed it at the man.
	"We want the stuff, *all* of it," he said plainly.
Willy could now see that the figures, two females and four
males, also had the stylized 'WB' logo over the left breast of
their outfits.  As the leader held Montanatos at bay, the
other five fanned out, searching the courtyard.
	"This is most distressing.  Most distressing, indeed."
Groveley commented.
	Willy felt his anger grow.  These people could cause
some serious harm.  He had to do something!
	A loud roar, more leonine than anything else, came
from the large doorway off the courtyard.  As the figures turned
to investigate, Willy came rushing out from the darkness, his
eyes aglow like white hot coals.  With another inhuman howl,
he launched himself into their midst.
	Momentarily distracted, the invaders didn't notice
Montanatos slipping toward one of the castle walls.  As he did,
Willy grabbed the leader and threw him towards another wall,
hoping to knock him senseless.  Unfortunately, the man was
well trained, turning in midair and bending his legs to absorb the
impact.  Rebounding off the far wall, he rolled away harmlessly,
jumping to his feet in an instant.
	Another of the figures pulled a small weapon from her belt
and fired.  A small cable shot out from the gun, striking Willy in the
chest.  Instantly a massive surge of electricity surged through the wire
and into the wolfgoyle.
	Howling in pain and surprise, he lashed out with his taloned
hand, severing the wire and halting the electrical shock from the taser.
He surged forward, only to have a small spherical object fall near his
feet.  Too late he realized what it was and tried to move.
	The grenade exploded, catapulting Willy over the side of the
castle.   As he fell, Willy dug all his talons into the masonry, tearing
deep furrows into the stone as his descent slowed.  When he finally
came to a stop, almost halfway down the castle, he began the long
climb back to the top, using those same talons to punch hand and
footholds.  By the time he had finished the climb, things seemed to
be winding down.
	One of the men emerged from the doorway Willy had passed
through earlier.  He held a metal briefcase over his head triumphantly,
and exclaimed, "Got it!  Let's move!"
	Another figure fired a flare into the sky, which signaled the
helicopter.  It descended, and the figures got on.  As the helicopter
climbed into the sky, Montanatos pressed a pressure sensitive stone
on the wall.  A section of the stonework slid away to reveal a laser
rifle.  He picked it up and aimed it carefully at the vehicle, smiling
evilly.  "Oh no you don't," he said, about to pull the trigger.
	At the same time, one of the figures threw a small knife at
the man, knocking the barrel of the weapon away as Montanatos
fired.  The thin red beam sliced through the masonry like a hot knife
though butter, sending pieces of stone scattering everywhere.
	As Willy reached the courtyard and prepared to give chase
to the fleeing thieves, another item dropped from the helicopter.  It
landed between the wolfgoyle and the man, releasing a thick cloud of
greenish smoke.  By the time the two had finished coughing, the
airship was out of sight.
	"Who were those men?" Willy demanded.   "And why did
they attack you?"
	"I'm not sure, Willy.  A rich man has many enemies.
Groveley!" he called.
	"Yes, sir?"
	"I want an inventory of everything that was taken, immediately."
he ordered.
	"Of course, Mister Montanatos."  Groveley bowed slightly
and headed back inside.
	"Are you all right?"  Montanatos asked.  "You took a nasty
spill."
	"Yes," Willy responded.  "I'm fine."
	Groveley emerged from the castle.  "I regret to report that the model
sheets for ... the project, have been taken, Mister Montanatos."
	"What!?  Without those, our plans are on hold indefinitely.  I'm
sorry, Willy.  It looks like our show will have to wait."  Unseen by the wolf,
he smirked as he turned away.
	"Those people, they worked for Warner Brothers, didn't they?"
Willy asked.
	"You saw the logo too.  I can't understand it, unless they are
afraid that this show will ruin them."  Montanatos sighed.  "There's nothing
to be done about it now.  We'll talk again tomorrow night.  I'll see you then."
Shaking the wolfgoyle's hand, he walked back inside, Groveley following him.
	Willy leapt off the castle parapet, catching a thermal air current and
gliding off into the night.  He spotted a clearing some distance away, near
the pond where Shirley and Plucky lived.  He saw Shirley there waving up
at him, trying to get his attention.
	With a whoosh of rushing air, Willy landed next to the snow
white loon.  She smiled up at him before speaking.  "Like, I knew you'd
be here, it was a premonition, or some junk."
	He smiled down at her.  "Why did you call me here?"
	"You mean my waving?  I dunno, I guess because you seemed
really majorly depressed at lunch.  That, and because you're still, well,
like *that*." she said, gesturing to his wolfgoyle form.
	Willy sighed, a deep, rumbling noise that seemed to suit his
new appearance.  "I was thinking of Wanda," he admitted.
	"You mean, the girl you were friends with?" Shirley asked.
	He nodded quietly.  "Maybe more than friends, once.  She
taught me this, with a poster she had.  It made me remember things,
things I'd forgotten."
	"Like, you shouldn't beat yourself up over this.  What finally
happened?  You've got a mondo negative aura right now."
	"When I got the offer from Warner, I was thrilled.  I, I thought
she would be too.  Wanda told me that it was all an act, a sham.  She said
that things would stay the same, that I would end up another villain.  The
show was winding down, and I wanted so badly to be in the video release.
I truly believed that I could make people see what I truly was, make them
see that toon wolves were no different than anyone else."
	Shirley looked down at that point.  "Yeah, and then things ran
long, and you couldn't be in the original release.  You had to wait for a
fanfic debut, and I guess it didn't really help toon wolves much, did it?"
Shirley felt simply *awful*.  With her psychic powers, she could actually
feel just how bad Willy felt.
	Willy smiled again, briefly.  "I had another chance, though.  A
new show that ...  What was that!"
	Both wolf and loon turned at the sound, a slight rustling of leaves.
"Ewwwww, like, I'm sensing some mondo hostility!" Shirley warned.
	At that moment, a small dart buried itself in one of Willy's broad
shoulders, evoking a growl of pain from the massive wolfgoyle.  Disoriented,
he began to stagger, suddenly unsteady on his feet.
	Shirley immediately plucked the dart out and examined it as six
familiar figures came out from concealment in the brush.  "They've like,
pumped you full of something!" she exclaimed before one of the figures
grabbed her wrist.
	"That's right, loon.  This will make him more ... tractable, while
we take care of some unfinished business.  It also keeps him locked into
this form.  Come sunrise, we'll smash some stone!" the leader said, smiling
evilly.  Some of the others gently eased the wolfgoyle back onto the
ground.
	"But first," said one of the others, "we need to take care of
any witnesses."  He then unlimbered a small gun and checked it over.
"Sorry, girl.  You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
	Shirley began to struggle, and another of the figures grabbed
her, twisting one of her arms painfully behind her back.  As she cried
out in pain, Willy's eyes snapped open.
	"No!  I won't let you!" he roared.  He then lashed out with his
tail, striking one of the men in the side of the head.  The man sprawled
backwards, hitting a tree and slumping to the ground, unconscious.
Fully enraged, Willy stood up, roaring in anger and hurling the dark
figures aside.  He quickly gathered Shirley in the crook of one arm and
bounded off, using his three remaining limbs and tail.  When he reached
a small hill, he leapt off, gliding away, but only a few feet above ground level.
The drug was taking a toll on him.
	Instantly, one of the women dropped to the ground, pulled out
a pistol, and began firing at the fleeing forms.  The leader gently put his
hand on her arm.  "Hold your fire.  He can't get far, and then we can take
care of both of them."

	*****

	Willy landed a few hundred feet from the hill, placing Shirley on
the ground.  "Must ... get back to ... castle ... before sunrise." he gasped.
	"Like, we'll never make it!  You have to stay awake, or they'll kill
us, or some junk."  Actually, Shirley was confused.  The men were armed
with what seemed to be *real* weapons, not cartoon equivalents.
Technically, toons shouldn't be hurt by anything but Dip, as revealed
in that Roger Rabbit film.  They could grow old and die if no one
laughed anymore, but unlike their Japanese counterparts, they were
fairly indestructible.  Unfortunately, after what just happened, she
wasn't so sure anymore.  She would likely only get a rash or something,
since she already had her daily allowance of iron, but there was no
reason to tempt fate.
	She didn't have long to ponder, though, as the rays of the
rising sun began to shine over the horizon.  As she turned back to check
on Willy, she gasped in surprise.  He really had turned to stone!  Every
detail was there, as if some incredibly skilled craftsman had made a
totally lifelike statue of the wolfgoyle.  Willy was on his knees, using
his hands to keep upright.  His wings were settled around his shoulders
like a cloak, and his eyes were closed.
	"Oh no!  Like, now what do I do?"  Shirley moaned, looking
around wildly.  She pulled some branches and leaves over him, covering
him as best she could.  It was Saturday morning, so the other toons
would all be sleeping late or watching television.  She couldn't count
on any help, but she felt she was resourceful enough to hold out until
sunset.  She had to be, for both their sakes.
	It wasn't long before she heard the remaining five attackers
crashing through the brush.
	Shirley took off into the woods, making sure they could hear
her.  She had to lead them away from Willy.  If they found him like this,
they would shatter him.  Her efforts were soon rewarded.
	"The girl loon went this way!" one cried.
	"After her!" another shouted.
	As Shirley ran, her mind frantically concocted and discarded
various plans.  Suddenly, inspiration hit her.  Her pursuers may not be
following standard toony tactics, but that didn't mean *she* couldn't.
A wicked smile played across her bill as she began to plan.

	*****

	The squad had decided to split up.  After all, the wolfgoyle
wasn't going anywhere until sundown, and that was hours away.  The
loon was their main priority.  She had seen them, and could seriously
jeopardize their employer's plans.
	One of them, a male, was cautiously walking along a wooded
path, gun in hand.  He scanned the trees to either side, watching for
any sign of movement.
	Obscured from view by  a large bush, Shirley floated a few
inches off the ground, deep in mediation.  She was quietly chanting her
mantra, "ohwhatalooniam ... ohwhatalooniam" over and over again.  When
she reached the correct point of spiritual harmony, her aura slipped free
of her body and drifted towards the man.
	Completely absorbed in the search, the mercenary didn't hear
the aura silently floating up behind him.  With a wicked grin mirrored by
her physical form, the aura reached back and grabbed a huge mallet that
seemed to appear out of thin air.  Winding up, she brought it down on
the man's head with terrific force, knocking him cold.
	The aura floated back over to Shirley, who opened her eyes.
"Wow!  That was like, totally cool!" she exclaimed.  She high-fived her
aura, which then faded back into her.  She then made a tally mark in
mid-air.  "Like, one down, four to go!"
	Shirley stealthily made her way to the edge of the pond, near
a small dock and boathouse.  As she rounded a corner, she ran into three
of the dark figures, two women, and one male.
	"There she is, grab her!" the man shouted.
	Eager to comply, one of the women reached out to grab Shirley.
Before she could make physical contact, Shirley's eyes began to glow
with power.
	Her voice echoing throughout the area, she shouted, "Like, bug
totally off, man!" and blasted the woman with electricity.
	She fell to the ground, unconscious, dropping her gun.  Not one
to miss an opportunity, the loon snapped it up and ran for the boathouse.
As she ran, she heard a dart whiz past her ear.  She then turned and fired
blindly, hoping that the countless hours of being dragged to the arcade
by Plucky would pay off.
	They did, as her shot caught the man in the side.  He cried out
briefly, pulling the dart out, but it was too late, the sedative had already
been injected.  He passed out in a heap on the ground, his comrade still
firing wildly.
	Shirley threw the door to the boathouse open, ducked inside, and
slammed it shut again.  Panting, she pressed her back to the door.  Suddenly
bullets began to rip though the flimsy wooden walls, and Shirley dropped to
the ground just as more bullets ventilated the space she had just been
occupying.  When the firing stopped, she looked around, hearing a dripping noise.
Her eyes widened as she saw the cause, several plastic containers of gasoline had
been punctured.  If the gunfire happened to ignite them ...  she quickly erased
the mental picture of 'Roast Loon' as Monday's special at the cafeteria and cleared
her head.
	Shirley quickly scanned the interior, noticing that the side facing
the water was totally open.  It had to be for boats to enter.  She took off like
a shot, running for the opening as the man fired again.  In true action movie
style, the boathouse exploded behind her as she leapt into the water, diving
deep.  She swam to the dock she had seen earlier, surfacing just under it.
	Footfalls above her caused her to look up.  The last member of the
trio was walking to the edge of the dock, looking over the burning wreckage
of the boathouse.  As she walked to the edge, Shirley grabbed one of her
ankles, yanking her into the water.  She fell in with a loud splash, and then,
nothing.  After what seemed like an eternity, Shirley surfaced, hopping onto
the dock and looking around.  Soon the woman bobbed to the surface,
unconscious.  She was in a life preserver, her arms pinned to his sides
with it.
	Shirley made three more tallies in the air.  "Three more, and, like
one to go!"  She was actually enjoying this now,  She had so few chances
to star in anything herself, not like Babs or Fifi.  She certainly didn't
resent her friends for that, but it was nice to get the chance to do
something herself.  Absently, she walked back along the dock and into the woods.
	The leader of the group was *not* happy.  He had lost radio contact
with all of his squad mates.  Incredible, he thought to himself.  The
wolfgoyle had managed to eliminate one of them, and that was expected, but
the loon was not.  She had not only disrupted his carefully orchestrated mission,
but she had whittled his team down to nothing.  Of all the ones to run into, he had
assessed the loon as a minor threat at best.  He had been more concerned with
the rabbits and the skunk.  He would not underestimate his opponent again.
A flash of pink caught his eye.  There she was, around the bend, seemingly
oblivious to his presence!
	He pushed a branch aside with the muzzle of his gun to see her
looking right at him, a big smile on her bill.  "So, like what took you so long?"
she asked sarcastically.
	"Don't be so smug, girl!" he snapped.  "I'm impressed, you and that
monster of yours managed to take out five of my people, but now, it's over."
he said, raising his gun.
	"Like, you can say that again." she replied.  A sharp whistling noise
could be heard now, getting steadily louder.
	The man looked down and saw that he was standing on a giant 'X'
scratched into the dirt.  Looking up, he saw the anvil headed for him.  A loud
KLANG noise echoed throughout the woods as the leader collapsed to the
ground, the anvil beside him now.
	Shirley smiled again, twirling around like Babs, and coming to a
stop in a cute little tennis outfit complete with racket.  "Like, that's game, set,
and match!" she cheered.  Turning back into her normal self, she walked back
to where she had hidden Willy.  Uncovering him, she sat at his feet and waited
for the sun to set.

	*****

	"Here you are, Mister Montanatos." Groveley announced, handing
the industrialist a paper.
	"Ah!  It seems I have them all fooled." he laughed.  "Montana Max
may not be able to buy any more property in Acme Acres without substantial
tax fines, but Maximillian Montanatos is another matter entirely!"  He then
broke down into fits of megalomaniac laughter.  "The fools at the IRS will
never catch me now!"
	"Very good, sir.  Will there be anything else?" Groveley asked.
	"Yes, make preparations for another ... guest.  For tonight."
	"As you wish, Mister Montanatos."

	*****

	Shirley awoke with a start as the last rays of the sun disappeared
over the horizon.  She turned to look at Willy, still frozen in stone.
	Tiny cracks began to appear across his form, rapidly racing along
the length of his body.  With a roar and a scattering of tiny stone chips,
Willy burst forth from a thin stone shell.  The momentary glow in his eyes
upon waking faded, and he took a deep breath.  He then noticed Shirley
looking up at him.
	"You stayed with me for the *entire* day?" he asked.
	"Of course I did." she responded.  "Like, I couldn't let anything
happen to you.  Let me see your shoulder."
	"I'm fine now.  Sleep rejuvenates us, heals our wounds as it would
a true gargoyle." he answered, showing her his uninjured shoulder.  "I must
go now.  I cannot thank you enough for ..."
	"Now we're even, okay?" she said, cutting him off.  "I want to talk
to you again, after I've, like, done some meditations and talked to some spirits.
How about the bell tower at the Loo?  Tomorrow night?"
	Willy smiled, "I will be there.  Shirley?"
	"What?"
	"Thank you, for everything."
	The loon just smiled as she watched the wolfgoyle scale a tall tree and
jump off, catching an updraft with his wings and soaring off.

	*****

	Soon the castle was in sight, and Willy soared towards it, landing in
the courtyard.  He could see Montanatos and Groveley walking out to meet
him.
	"Willy, I have grave news." Montanatos started.  "I know where the
model sheets are, but I need your help to get them."
	The wolfgoyle looked down at him, deep in thought.  "I'm listening."
he replied.
	"Please, come inside.  Better to show you." Montanatos answered.
	The three figures made their way inside, walking into a room Willy
had never seen.  It was a huge office, full of lavish furnishings and conveniences.
	"Please, sit." Montanatos offered, gesturing to a large chair.  Willy
sat down in the plush chair, looking at a blank video screen.  Groveley shut
the lights and pressed a button on the console near the screen.  The monitor
flickered and came on, depicting the Warner Brothers lot, panning up to the
offices.
	Montanatos walked over to the screen, pointing to a specific
window.  "The model sheets are here, in the office of Mr. Plotz, Warner's
CEO.  It's too heavily guarded for me to get in, but for you ..." he trailed
off.  "Anyway, my spies tell me that they are kept in his wall safe, made
of solid steel.  They are kept in a large case, like this one."   The screen
changed, showing a large metal box with the 'WB' shield emblazoned on
it."
	The screen shut off and the lights came back on.
	"Willy, will you help me?" Montanatos asked.
	"I am not sure, protecting you and the castle was one thing,
but this?" he started.
	"Think about it, if you like.  Oh, one more thing.  I have someone
here you would like to meet."
	Another door slid open across the office, and a sleek, tan figure
emerged.  She was another wolfgoyle, clad in a tattered white halter and
loincloth, with a wide leather belt.  She was adorned with golden jewelry,
a thick tiara, anklets, bracelets, and a serpentine coil of gold around her
right bicep.  She also had large golden hoop earrings.  Her bushy hair was
a darker tan, almost an auburn color.
	"Wanda!" Willy exclaimed.
	Both wolfgoyles embraced in the center of the office, Willy
picking her up and twirling her around.
	Montanatos smiled.  "I found her trying to get work at another
studio.  After what I found out about you, I felt she would be a perfect
addition to our project."
	Wanda hugged Willy tight.  "My love, it's so *good* to see
you again!"
	"Love?  But when we parted ..."
	She smiled again.  "They say absence makes the heart grow
fonder.  I missed you so much. Come," she said, taking his hand and
leading him out to the courtyard, into the night air.
	"Montanatos asked you for help?" she asked.
	Willy nodded quietly.  "Yes, he wants me to recover something
he needs for his project."
	Wanda looked up at him.  "I think we should help him.  It's the
least we can do for all he's done and promised to do for us."
	"All right."  Willy smiled down at her and squeezed her hand.
"With you by my side, I feel like I can do anything!"
	"Wonderful!" she exclaimed.  "I'll tell Montanatos, and we can
go over the plans again."
	After another briefing, the wolfgoyles soared towards their
objective, the Warner Brothers Studio offices.  Framed by a full moon,
the two winged figures glided hand in hand high above Acme Acres.
	Soon the two figures flew over their target, the largest office
in the lot.  Surprisingly, the light inside was still on, as was the one in
the guard shack by the gate.  Ralph was asleep in a chair outside, snoring
loudly and leaning against the shack.
	Wanda lighted silently on the ground nearby, and Willy landed
next to her.  "Come on!" she hissed through gritted fangs.  Cautiously the
two wolfgoyles crept towards the building, careful not to wake the guard
from his slumber.
	When they reached the door, Wanda tried to open it.  "Locked!"
she cursed.  Pulling one hand back, she smashed it into the center of the
door, digging her talons into the metal.   The hinges and housing around
the door groaned in protest as she ripped the door from the wall, tossing
it casually across the lawn.
	The loud crashing awoke Ralph, who sat straight up, causing his
chair to fall over.  Standing up he shined his light on the pair.  As Willy
flinched reflexively, Wanda strode forward confidently, her eyes glowing
a hellish red.  "Pitiful human!  You will pay for your meddling!"
	Before either Ralph or Willy could react, Wanda flattened the
helpless guard with a huge mallet.  She then lifted the man-sized
pancake, preparing to do even more damage.  Willy grabbed her hand
before she could continue.
	"No!  To fight to defeat an enemy is one thing, but this ..."
he said.  "This is wrong, he is no threat, leave him."
	Wanda dropped the man in a heap on the ground and turned to
Willy, a strange look in her eyes.  "The years have changed you, Willy.
You've become soft and weak."  She then whirled around and stalked into
the open doorway, with him in close pursuit.
	The interior of the building was deserted, with their only real
barriers being more of the heavy metal security doors.  The wolfgoyles
made short work of them, winding their way to the top offices.  When
they reached the hallway, they could see that Plotz wasn't the only one
working late.  At her desk in the reception area was Hello Nurse, quietly
buffing her nails and adjusting her makeup.
	Hello Nurse was a sight to behold!  With a figure rivaled only by
Minerva Mink, she was a drop-dead gorgeous blonde in a scant nurse's
uniform.  Her role in the company was extremely vague, but more secure
than anyone's, considering her generous ... physical qualifications.  She
let out a shriek of surprise upon seeing the pair, and dashed into Plotz's
office.
	The office door was hardly a barrier as Willy and Wanda burst
in.  Hello Nurse was hiding behind Plotz, a short, balding man in a
business suit and smoking a large cigar.  He was trying frantically to
work the phone, shouting into the receiver.  "Security!  Anyone?
There's a pair of monsters in here!"
	Willy flared out his wings, which shocked the man into
silence.  Wanda then walked forward, looking around the room.
"Ah, there it is!" she exclaimed.
	Regaining some of his composure, Plotz spoke up again.
"Who are you?  What do you want here?"
	Wanda just ignored him, removing a painting from the wall
and revealing the safe behind it.  Thrusting her hands into the plaster
around it, she braced herself.  As muscles tensed under skin and fur,
she ripped the entire safe from the wall, and then tore the front off the
safe itself.
	Reaching inside, she pulled out a small metal box that matched
the picture from the briefing.  Opening it, she peered inside, and smiled
wickedly.  "This is it." she said, sliding the case under her arm.
	As she and Willy turned to leave, Plotz reached for a small red
button on the underside of his desk, and pushed it.  Immediately sirens
and klaxons sounded in the distance, and the entire area was lit up with
powerful searchlights.
	Enraged, Wanda whirled around to face the pair.  Another evil
grin played across her muzzle as she examined the heavy cables leading
from the desk to the floor.  Grabbing one with her free hand, she tore it
free, arcs of electricity sparking throughout the room.  The sparks set
the room ablaze, and Willy looked at her in shock.
	"What have you done?" he asked.
	"Come on!" she urged, grabbing his arm and pulling him
towards the window.
	"We can't just leave them!" he replied, trying to get to Hello
Nurse and Plotz, who were trying to put the flames out with fire
extinguishers.
	Suddenly, an explosion rocked the building, sending everyone
flying.  Wanda used this moment to yank Willy out the window while
he was off-balance.  Both figures fell a short distance before catching
the wind in their wings and soaring off.

	*****

	"Save me!" Plotz cried, hanging out the window.  Flames had
engulfed the entire structure, and it now resembled a diminutive version
of 'The Towering Inferno'.
	Below him in the yard, Ralph had regained consciousness and
was trying to get a mattress in position.  Beside him were the Warner
Brothers and their Sister, Dot, watching with great interest.
	"We'll save you!" Yakko announced proudly.  Wakko nodded
enthusiastically, pulling a large airbag out of the sack he always had with
him.  Dot was chanting "jump! jump!" as her brothers prepared for their
heroic rescue.
	As Plotz prepared to jump, actually desperate enough to trust
the Warners, Hello Nurse peeked out too.
	Predictably, the brothers dropped what they were doing,
exclaiming  "Helloooo, Nurse!"  They then added, "Don't worry, *we'll*
catch you!"
	As she jumped, the two brothers caught her safely in the airbag,
each kissing her on the cheek as they helped her down.  Dot looked at
them with scorn, muttering "Boys.  Go fig." under her breath.  At the
same time, Plotz jumped, thinking that they had been talking to him.
After a brief fall, he ended up hitting the ground with a loud CRASH!
	As Plotz picked himself up, he smiled down at a crater in the
ground.  "Good work, Ralph!  You managed to break my fall!  There
could be a promotion in this for you!"
	A battered hand rose from the hole, giving a weak thumbs-
up before falling back into the depression.
	As the Warners, Plotz, and Hello Nurse looked at the building,
now burning brightly, Yakko looked to the depressed executive and
tried to offer solace.  "Cheer up, Plotz!  We can rebuild it!"
	Wakko chimed in, "Yeah, we 'ave the technology!"
	Dot dealt the punchline.  "Right!  And in the meantime, you
can stay with us!"
	Plotz's scream could be heard for miles.
	Some distance away, Shirley looked out her bedroom
window, shaken from her meditative state.  She saw the two winged
figures flying away from the general area of the Warner Studios, and
also saw the reddish glow that could only be coming from a fire.
"Like, I've got a really bad feeling about this." she commented.

	*****

	Wanda and Willy landed at the castle, with Montanatos
waiting for them.
	"Did you get it?" he asked eagerly.
	"Mission accomplished." Wanda announced proudly,
handing the box to him.
	"Excellent work, my friends.  Rest assured that the contents
of this box will benefit both myself and toon wolves alike!"  With that,
he headed back inside.
	"Willy, what's wrong?" Wanda asked, looking concerned.
	"What happened to you back there?" Willy asked.  "You looked
ready to, well, to kill.  Toons don't do that.  It isn't in our nature."
	"I'm sorry, I just don't want this project destroyed.  It could be
the chance we've all been waiting for."  she replied.
	"But I *have* a position on 'Tiny Toon Adventures', remember?"
	"Oh, yes, how could I forget?" she answered sarcastically.  "You
get accused of being a werewolf, they made the 'Red Riding Hood' joke,
and you end up being chased by a skunk!  Not exactly the role a predator
like you deserves.  With this, we will get the respect that carnivores of
our stature deserve!"
	There were no more questions, because each took their position
on the ramparts to greet the sun.  Each assumed a horrific visage, talons
and fangs bared, wings flared out.  As the sun rose, they became stone
once more, awaiting the darkness to set them free.

	*****

	Around noon on Sunday, Buster and Babs were walking together
in the park.
	"It's about time they got back to us!" Babs snapped.  "All this
stuff and *we're* hardly in it!  Oooh, that makes me so mad I oughtta ..."
	"Rope it in, Babsie!  We aren't the only toons here, y'know.
Sometimes these guys focus on someone else.  It's no big deal, right?"
	"Yeah, I guess you're right.  Say, did you get that invitation
for tonight?" she asked.
	"Yup, I think everyone at the Loo got one.  Something about
a big presentation tonight, hosted by some guy named Montanatos?"
	"That's the one, Buster!  It's gonna show us the next generation
of cartoons.  All this time I thought that was going to be us."
	"Guess we'll just have to wait until tonight to find out.  See you
there, toonsters!" he said, smiling.

	*****

	As afternoon gave way to dusk, Montanatos looked to his
assistant.  "Is everything prepared for our guests?"
	"Yes sir, Mister Montanatos.  All is in readiness." Groveley
replied.
	"Excellent.  Nothing can stop me now." he smiled.
	The two wolfgoyles awakened with the setting of the sun,
roaring as their stone skin shattered and fell around them.  Willy then
walked to the edge of the wall, preparing to glide off.
	"Where are you going?" Wanda asked curiously.
	"To see a friend." he answered.
	"Who?  Not one of us." Wanda scrutinized him.
	"No.  One of the Tiny Toons." was the simple answer.
	"The other toons are our enemies, Willy.  I thought you
learned that a long time ago.  Other than Montanatos, we have no
other friends, nor should we." she retorted angrily.
	Willy sighed before responding.  "Doesn't Montanatos
prove that some toons are good?  You said that the years had changed
me.  They have changed you too.  You are bitter, angry.  You are not as
I remember you."  He shook his head sadly before continuing.  "I'm
going to see my friend now."
	With that final response, he threw himself into the air, gliding
off into the night.

	*****

	Montanatos led Wanda into another room. Looking over a
video monitor that had captured the entire exchange, he spoke.  "It
seems that Willy is too hard to control.  What a shame."
	Behind them stood five massive objects, each covered in a
large cloth.  Each was easily Willy's size.
	Groveley looked at his watch.  "We need only wait for sunrise,
and then ..."
	"No," Wanda interrupted.  "You need to test these ... replacements,
do you not?  I suspect the Tiny Toons will pose little trouble.  What better
way to gauge their abilities?"  She raked her claws across the cloth covering
one of the objects, and smiled.
	Montanatos smiled with her.  "Groveley, is the project ready?"
	"Yes, sir.  The Tin Can is awaiting your orders."
	"Tin *Can*?  It's supposed to be Tin 'Clan'!  What happened to
my robots?" he demanded.
	"Merely a typo sir, my apologies.  I'm sure the writer will be more
careful in the future."  Groveley replied.
	"See that he is." Montanatos demanded angrily.  "My plans
require perfection!  I can't abide a poor writer!"
	

	*****

	Willy came to a stop at the bell tower at Acme Looniversity.
There was Shirley, waiting patiently for him.  As he landed next to her,
he noticed her serious expression.
	"Shirley?  What is wrong?" he asked.
	In response she thrust a newspaper into his face.  The headline
read 'WINGED MONSTERS ATTACK WB STUDIOS, STEAL CHARACTER
MODEL SHEETS'.  Frowning, she added "Is it true?  Did you do this?"
	Willy looked surprised.  "Yes, but we were merely recovering
Montanatos's stolen property."
	"No way!  You, like stole the original model sheets for all of the
Tiny Toons!  I checked with Bookworm in the Hall of Records, or some junk."
	"Impossible!" Willy shouted.  "We took the model sheets that
had been stolen from Montanatos!"
	"I, like, checked.  A few spirits here, a little chakra exercise there,
and I got some information.  Nothing was stolen!  He put in for insurance
claims on the damage to the castle, but never filed a report on *anything*
being stolen!  And those goons we fought?  They were all on the payroll
of, are you ready for this, Montana Max!  That whole thing must have
been staged to make you think something was stolen!"  Shirley was
outraged.  "Montanatos has been using you all along!"

	*****

	Meanwhile, back at the castle, a large helicopter had touched
down in the courtyard.  Buster Bunny, Babs Bunny (no relation), Fifi
LaFume, Dizzy Devil, Plucky Duck, and Hamton J. Pig all piled out of the
vehicle, and were greeted by Maximillian Montanatos.
	"Greetings, friends!  Welcome one and all to my humble abode.
There are refreshments, and afterwards, the unveiling of my new project!"
He gestured behind him to a large banquet table laden down with food of
all kinds.
	As the toons made their way over to the table, Montanatos looked
them over carefully.  Heading back inside, he was interrogated by Wanda,
who had been keeping out of sight.
	"Where is the loon?" she demanded.
	"I don't know, but don't worry.  One loon, even one with psychic
powers, is unlikely to ruin our plans.  Soon, my dear, and our victory will be
complete!" he then laughed evilly, rubbing his hands together.
	"I wonder where Shirley and Willy are?" Hamton mused innocently.
	"If zhat, zhat bird-brain 'as won 'is leetle 'eart, Fifi weel be, 'ow you
say, crushed!" Fifi sighed.
	"You'll be crushed?" Plucky started.  "Lemme tell you something.
If that little hairball even *tries* to move in my girl, I'll have him fired so fast,
he'll forget what show he was on!"
	"People, people, don't go all Delta Burke on me here!" Babs exclaimed.
Looking to Buster, she added, "Hey, if you can't steal your own lines, than
who *can* you steal from?"
	After the furor died down, everyone started on the food.
Montanatos had been more than generous, making sure that there
would be food for everyone, even after Dizzy whirled through.
	"Um, Buster?"
	"Yeah, Babsie?"
	"There's just one thing I don't understand?"
	"Just one?"
	"Ha ha, seriously.  Doesn't Montanatos look, well, familiar?"
	"Now that you mention it ..."  Buster's thought was cut off
by the bright red streak of light that sliced through the plate of food
he was holding.  It struck the table, and exploded.
	Everyone turned towards the origin of the blast.  There were
five large, metallic robots, all standing in a row.  They all looked like
robotic versions of Willy in his wolfgoyle form, large, barrel chested,
and with bladelike wings.  The lead robot had a small laser that had
popped up from a housing in the right forearm.  The laser was still
smoking from the blast.  Next to the robots stood Montanatos, Wanda,
and Groveley.
	"Now that I have your attention," Montanatos said.  "I don't
suppose any of you will make this easy for me?"
	"Make WHAT easy for you?!" Buster yelled.
	"Your funeral, of course.  If you'll all look down over the far
wall, you'll notice a vat.  That vat is filled with Dip.  Ultimately, you'll
all be taking a bath in it."  He smiled evilly.  "Now, you can jump
voluntarily, or you can have help.  It's your choice."  Looking over
the side, they saw a tremendous vat filled with Dip, the one substance
that could completely destroy a toon.
	"Oh puh-lease!" Babs retorted.  "Do you really expect us to
just give up?"
	"Actually, no.  I expect you to resist."  He looked to the robots
and issued an order, "Attack."
	Instantly the robots reacted.  The wings snapped out and
extended, accompanied with loud metallic sounds, and the single jet
engine built into the back of each one roared to life.  As one the five
robots launched into the sky, making tight arcs and swinging back
around towards the startled toons.  Laser blasts rained down on them
as they scattered, with Dizzy in hot pursuit of one as it swooped low
over the courtyard.
	Latching onto the robot by the tail, Dizzy held tight.  Encumbered
by the weight, the robot landed, whirling around.  As it tried to get a target
lock, Dizzy whirled around in front of it, staying mere inches away from the
lethal blasts of energy.
	Fifi, seeing that the robot was occupied, crept up quietly behind it.
When she was in range, she called out to Dizzy.  "I 'ave 'im, Dizzy!", and let
loose with her trademark stench,  The green cloud of fumes was so powerful
that the robot was reduced to a puddle of green goo.  Fifi gave a satisfied
smile and blew the last fumes from the end of her tail as if it were a smoking
gun.
	Hamton had been wildly dodging the blasts, racing up the stairwell
of one of the towers.  As he reached the top, the floor was blasted out from
under him.  Reaching desperately, he caught the edge of the wall and hung
on, trying to pull himself up.  As he began to make headway, the stones
came loose, and he fell into the courtyard with a loud crash.  He didn't get
up.
	"You see, Groveley!  A vast improvement over the original.  Metal
instead of stone.  They fly instead of gliding, and best of all, they're
completely obedient to me."  Montanatos gloated.
	Meanwhile, Babs had been thrown over the side of a tower by a
near-miss.  The force of the explosion had knocked her out, and Buster leapt
after her.  Gathering the love of his life in his arms, Buster then tried to
address his next problem: gravity.  Looking down quickly, he noticed a
flagpole jutting out from the side of the building (conveniently placed,
no less).  Muttering a silent prayer to the writers, he held onto Babs
tightly and thrust his feet out to catch the pole.
	The two rabbits hit the pole straight on, and held on tight as it
bent down under the strain.  Finally, the pole snapped back into place,
rocketing the pair back towards the castle.  Unfortunately, their combined
weight was too much (Babs and her cheesecake, Buster cursed silently), and
they landed short, flat against the castle wall.  As he held onto Babs with
one hand and the castle wall with the other, he realized he was a sitting
duck ... and wished it was Plucky who was here instead.  Hearing a high-
pitched noise, he turned to see one of the robots bearing down on him!
	Meanwhile, the robot's HUD (Heads Up Display) had locked onto
Buster, and was in the process of turning red to signify a target lock, as
another object flashed in front of the robot.  Suddenly something smashed
into the robot's side and slammed it into the side of one of the castle towers.
It was Willy!
	As the wolfgoyle swooped away, arcs of electricity began to play
across the robot, and it exploded in a fiery hail of debris.  Willy then soared
underneath Buster.  "Give her to me." he said.
	Buster nodded quietly and dropped Babs into Willy's arms.  He then
managed to get to another tower as Willy landed in the courtyard, laying Babs
next to Hamton gently.  He then looked up angrily and launched himself into
the sky again.
	As one of the robots screamed around to deal with this new threat,
Plucky dove under the table, shivering.  "Sheesh!  The things I'll go through
for a free meal."
	Willy silently flew above one of the other robots, and landed on it,
in the small of the back.  As the other robot tried to lock onto him, he reached out
with his powerful hands and grabbed the wings of his unwilling ride.  Willy
yanked, and the robot screamed up and back.  As the other robot approached,
he prepared.  At the last instant, he leapt off, and both robots collided in midair,
exploding.  The shower of debris made Wanda and the others take cover.
	"There's only one robot left!" Wanda screamed.
	Montanatos looked at her calmly.  "I guess it's up to us then, my dear."
	Both figures raced back inside as the final robot began another strafing
run.  Plucky, Dizzy, and Fifi had rushed over to check on Hamton and Babs,
helping the shaken toons to their feet.  The final robot locked onto them and
prepared to fire, as the oblivious toons helped their comrades.
	Willy landed on the tower overlooking the scene, and saw that part
of the wall had been destroyed.  He then pushed on the intact portion with
all his impressive strength, trying to bring it down.  Wordlessly, Buster popped
up next to him and tried to help.
	Between their combined efforts, the stone began to crumble, and finally
gave way.  The sizable piece of wall fell, landing on the lone robot and slamming
it into the stone courtyard.  A muffled explosion marked the demise of the last of
the Tin Clan.
	Smiling ear to ear, Buster high-fived Willy.  "We won!"
	A new voice greeted them.  "Fools, you've won nothing!"
	Willy and Buster were both thrown into the air with a massive
explosion.  Buster landed in the courtyard with his friends.
	"Hiya, Buster.  Long time no see."  Babs said unenthusiastically.
	Before anyone could react, Montanatos pointed a large laser
rifle at them.  "Uh-uh.  Let's just let them play out their little drama, shall
we?"
	Wanda was holding a large bazooka, which was still smoking
from the blast.  She advanced on Willy, who had landed on one of the
castle walls.  He rose to his feet, confused.  "What are you doing?" he
asked.
	"You're a fool, Willy!" she snapped.  Then, with an evil smile,
"But then you always were, weren't you?"  She frowned again before
continuing.  "The plan was perfect!  It would have worked!"
	"Plan? What plan?"
	"To replace the Tiny Toons with us!  Those model sheets we
stole were to ensure that after we'd done away with them, Warner Brothers
couldn't bring them back!  But *you* had to side with them!" she spat
angrily.
	All the toons looked up, their eyes wide.  They were all stunned
by this revelation.
	"But why?" he pleaded.
	"You can ask me that, after the way they treated us?  Look at the
treatment our kind gets from *all* toons.  Look at what they did to you
before!"
	"There is good and evil in all of us.  *You* should know that
better than anyone!  After all, none of this would have happened if it
weren't for you!" he accused, pointing at her.
	Shock played across her face momentarily, only to be replaced
by anger.  "No, don't say that!  It was the writers!  Always the writers!"
	Her expression softened, and she walked slowly towards him.
"Willy, this is your last chance.  Warner Brothers is a sickness that must
be purged from the animation business!  You loved me once  You trusted
me once.  We have found each other after a thousand days of loneliness.
Does that mean *nothing* to you?"
	Willy looked at her, and then towards his friends.  The look was
unmistakable, he would not help her.
	Eyes glowing red, she took aim with her bazooka.  "If you are not
my ally then you are my enemy!" she hissed, firing.
	Willy ducked the projectile, but was thrown forward by the explosion
behind him as the shell his the castle tower.  Landing squarely on his back,
Willy was stunned momentarily.
	Wanda advanced through the smoke and haze.  At first, only her
silhouette and glowing eyes were visible.  Then she walked through the
cloud, putting her taloned foot on his chest.  She then pressed the muzzle
of her weapon over his heart.  "Good-bye, Willy."
	Before she could pull the trigger, Shirley came dashing out of the
smoke, tackling the female wolfgoyle and knocking her down.  As they fell,
Wanda's weapon went off, the projectile streaking skyward and destroying
part of the wall overhead.  Both women watched in horror as huge pieces of
stonework came crashing down around them.  The section of wall they were
on was broken by the impact, and began to slide of the side towards the lethal
Dip.
	Montanatos was hit in the back of the neck with a chunk of debris,
knocking him out.
	Wanda tried to take flight, but a large piece of rubble struck an
outstretched wing.  As she tried to roll with the impact, another piece struck
her in the back.  Crying out in pain, she fell over the side.
	Shirley tried to hang on to a portion of the wall as it fell, and it
came off in her hand.  Screaming, she fell also.
	Willy leapt over the side, tucking his wings in tight to increase
speed.  He could only save one of them.  Catching Shirley in his arms, he
unfurled his wings and caught an updraft back to the castle.  He landed
and placed her gently on her webbed feet.  He then looked over the side,
where Wanda and several large portions of castle fell until they were out
of sight.
	Standing at the edge, Willy thrust his head skyward and let out
a mournful cry of grief and rage.  He then turned to the prone form of
Maximillian Montanatos, who was beginning to stir.  Snatching him up
by the collar of his jacket, he held him over the side.
	"She wanted me to destroy the Tiny Toons.  I think I'll start with
*you*!" he growled.  Willy was going to throw Montanatos into the Dip!
	"Go ahead." Montanatos replied calmly.  "Without me, your
project will never become a reality."
	Willy snarled angrily in response, tensing.
	"Like, don't!" Shirley shouted.  "You can't do this!"
	"Give me one good reason not to drop him!" Willy growled.
	Shirley looked thoughtful for a moment before answering.
"Because, like, even without all that icky guilt and stuff, if you do,
you'll be no better than Wanda.  I know it's a cliche, but ..."
	"She's right, you know." Buster added.  "Is that what you
want?"
	"No." he answered, throwing Montanatos back onto the castle wall,
at the feet of the other toons.  Then, looking down into the mists, into
the vat of Dip, he asked, "Do you think she survived?"
	Buster looked up at him.  "If she did, we'll know soon enough.
They never found any trace of her in the vat, and writers can't resist
bringing villains back."

	*****

	As Montanatos was being marched outside towards a police car,
an IRS auditor approached.  "Mister Max, Montana Max?"
	"What?  Uh, no, I'm Maximillian Montanatos."  he replied.
	"I'm afraid not.  We have it on good authority from one Shirley the
Loon that you are indeed one and the same.  I'm afraid we'll have to confiscate
the castle, the mansion, and cite you for all damages.  Of course, none of that
includes the fines for false reports, late fees, or any other penalties.  Oh,
and none of that even begins to cover the fines for illegal possession of Dip,
or do you have a license for that?" he added, gesturing to the huge vat still
sitting outside the castle.
	"Noooooo!"  With that, Monty abandoned the Montanatos identity
completely, reverting to his usual obnoxious self.  "You can't do that!  I'll sue!
There are laws to protect the rich, you know!"
	He was still ranting as the police car drove off, using Lil' Beeper as
the siren.

	*****

	Willy perched atop the castle wall, looking out towards the horizon.
	"Like, come *on*, it's gonna be sunrise soon.  If you don't change
back, you'll be here all day." Shirley pleaded.  The others stood behind her,
waiting.
	"No." he rumbled.  "I have need of this form one final time.  Then, I will
never use it again."
	"But, like, what good is it now?" Shirley asked.
	"Stone feels no pain." Willy answered plainly.  With those final words,
he sat in a 'Thinker'-like position, and was frozen in stone as the sun rose.  A
single tear rolled down the stone cheek, unseen by everyone but the loon.
	Her eyes full of tears, Shirley turned away to be consoled by her friends.
To his credit, Plucky managed not to say anything stupid or tasteless.  The toons
headed home, so they could be ready for classes in a few hours.
	"What'll we tell the teachers about Willy?" asked Babs.
	"I'm pretty sure Bugs'll be forgiving, considering all the little guy's gone
through." Buster replied.
	"Shirley?"
	"Yeah, Feef?"
	"Per'aps we should leave zee wolf alone, non?  'E may need time to be weeth
'imself."
	"Yeah." she replied quietly.
	They all looked back to see the stone wolfgoyle, perched atop the castle
watching over them all.


	THE END


*****

	Hi guys!  Well, if you're reading this, you must have managed to get through
the entire story.  I wanted to save this until the end, as a sort of 'Why I did it".  First
off, this whole idea was inspired by Curmudgeon's review of 'TOON WOLF' (read it,
plug-plug).  He mentioned prejudice among toons, and it seemed the perfect way to
do a 'Gargoyles' rip-off.  For anyone that's seen the show, this is a fairly close
adaptation of the series-opener "Awakenings".  'Gargoyles' has always
dealt with hatred and prejudice, and I have had experience in writing
'Gargoyles' fanfic as well.
	Originally, I was going to do a short, with Buster as Goliath, Elmyra
as Demyra, Monty got to play what I envisioned, Maximillian Montanatos,
Babs would be Elisa Maza, Byron as Bronx, Hamton as Broadway, Plucky
as Brooklyn, Calamity as Lexington, and an older Bugs as Hudson.  Things
change.
	Anyway, this idea grabbed hold of me and wouldn't let go until I
finished.  I really, really want to give a lot of credit to Disney for this, *they*
wrote "Awakenings", and I took a LOT from it.  I just don't want anyone
saying I tried to grab too much credit for this.
	The Animaniacs cameo was put in for laughs, and casting Shirley
as Elisa was largely to offset the advantage Fifi has had in spending so
much time with our lovable wolf in the last two fanfictions
	If anyone wants to see more 'Gargoyles' plots with Wanda,
Willy, and the rest let me know!  There are over 70 other episodes I
can "borrow" from.  Specifically, I was looking at "The Mirror", "Temptation",
"Enter MacBeth", and "Thrill of the Hunt".
	I am extremely grateful to everyone reading this,  Without
someone to enjoy this, there would be no point in my writing  Thank
you all for your patronage.  Please send me feedback.  Without it, my
work will never improve.