Lady Luck (Sequel to Imperfect Date)

Prologue

Buck

I stared at the lifeless body in front of me in the Cog repair factory silo, completely horrified. All the broken pieces of Dave's structure were in the process of being put back together, but even then, there was no sign of life coming from him.

I was aware that somebody had tried to potentially murder my best friend in the past, but I refused to believe he was dead. I couldn't let him go like this. He meant everything to me and I desperately wanted him back.

"Ith... ith he gonna be okay...?" I inquired, clearly worried.

The Skelecog who was trying to build Dave back again, Sam, shrugged in response. Oh, the audacity, especially when my own best friend was brutally destroyed like this, all the life knocked out of him from whatever killed him.

"I can't guarantee that he will be alive again. But if I do manage to successfully get him repaired correctly again, just be aware that he will experience some side effects." he replied afterwards.

"What kind of thide effectth?"

Sam sighed at my question. "Well... considering how much Dave is emotionally attracted to Toons..."

I nodded. "Yeth, he wath alwayth like thith, to be honetht, but that wath hith way of creating friendthhipth with thothe Toonth regardlethth. What'th the problem though?"

Sam looked at the floor sadly. "That's the thing... but it's going to be a hard thing you'll have to hear from me."

"What do you mean?"

"He... may end up literally falling in love with the first Toon he meets... seriously..."

I had to silently take in what I just heard. The idea of Dave dealing with a side effect like this where he just asks the first Toon he meets out completely terrified me. Dating is supposed to be a slow process, and you had to spend a while getting to understand the other person. It was going to turn out like a complete nightmare here too, a place full of Toons. This was part of Toontown after all. And besides, I don't think any Toon would be okay with dating anyone like... us. No matter how nice we try to be. We're their enemies and will always be their enemies.

This was really going to be a problem.

"I know that was hard to hear." Sam added. "But unfortunately, this might be the only thing you're going to have to help him out on. He needs to stay away from any Toon possible so that these side effects don't kick in. So, Buck, would you still like me to proceed with the repair?"

I felt tears welling up in my eyes. Knowing that Dave needed my help so he can't even look another Toon in the eye ever again broke me. These side effects were worse than I thought. However, I'd rather keep him company like this than lose him.

I'd just have to accept the fact that he'll never be the same again. His old chaotic personality would completely vanish and we'd have to be in hiding for who knows how long.

"Thith can't be poththible..." I whispered, holding back my tears. "Thith plathe ith literally full of Toonth... how are we ever going to manage hiding from them tho Dave doethn't wrongly fall in love with any of them...?"

"There is one solution..." Sam replied quietly. "But you and Dave have to be careful. It's your responsibility to keep Dave safe."

I nodded slightly and wiped my eyes. "Tho what do we need to do...?"

"You two will unfortunately have to be exiled from Toontown, C.O.G.S. Incorporated, and all of Cog Nation... to another place in the world that isn't filled with Toons, just for safety reasons."

I was in utter shock after hearing that.

"What?!" I shouted. "Doeth that mean I lothe my job, if I'm completely thent away thomewhere elthe?!"

"Unfortunately yes, however I've asked the hiring manager at the new company you'll be working for to consider hiring you. That way you two at least won't be unemployed unfairly."

The idea of being sent away to a whole new place, away from Toontown and my old job at Cog Nation working for C.O.G.S. Incorporated, still gave me shivers. I never really liked the idea of working for an entirely different company, when I've gotten used to my job here. I had tons of fun and honestly really enjoyed raising the stakes with Toons, but now I had to say goodbye to all of that. I had to start a new life in a brand new environment with my own best friend.

Just to keep him away from Toons.

The thought of it still left me heartbroken. I had to give up everything I had just to keep Dave safe.

"In case you're curious." Sam added again. "You'll be working for S.H.O.W.S. Limited, a clean energy company located in the southern part of California."

Hearing that made things worse. A clean energy company?! But we Cogs were so used to coal, oil, gas, all that stuff that was meant to pose a threat to the environment. Now we had to work for a company that discouraged these things and we had to start adapting to their new lifestyle.

Could things get any worse?

I sighed and shook my head. "I theriouthly can't believe thith... a whole new life in an entirely different environment, working for a thtupid clean energy company that will take forever for uth to get uthed to?!"

"Buck, it's the only other solution if we want to get Dave repaired again and to keep him safe. I wish I could tell you he would be perfectly fine without any side effects if he got repaired correctly, but things don't go as planned. We just have to deal with this. You just need to keep him safe, okay?"

I crossed my arms and stared at the floor in exasperation. Sam sighed in a disappointed tone.

"Don't sulk." he told me. "This is really the only way to fix things. You want Dave back, don't you?"

Tears welled up in my eyes again and I sniffled. "Yeth... I do... I really do... he meanth the world to me and I mithth him tho much... I really want him back in my life again..."

"So... shall we finally proceed then?"

I took a deep breath and sighed. "Okay... yeah..."

Sam gave me a small smile and he started working. I quietly stepped outside and let him do his business.

I took this opportunity to grasp my final moments here in Toontown and Cog Nation. The fun, the joy, everything that came with having Toons in my life and working for C.O.G.S. Incorporated at Cog Nation would soon disappear and I would have to try to build a new life in California working in an entirely different company. I would hate the experience, but I really didn't have any other choice. If I wanted Dave back in my life, this was my fate in return.

If anything, I'd rather have him back and protect him all I can than accept the fact that he was dead and leave it. I would be a horrible friend that way.

I just wanted to see him again.

I missed him so much...