“We were under the impression that it would be safe.”
“Because, y'know, that's just how we Toons are. We assume everything's okay. Everything is always okay, and why wouldn't they be now? In the three years that the annual End of Summer Festival had taken place, it was always safe.
HQ and their teams of Resistance members always managed to clear out the streets of Daisy Gardens for the occasion—you wouldn't see a single Cog in sight, not even on Oak Street, with the gloomy arches of Sellbot Headquarters looming down on the vibrant pinks, greens, and yellows of the gardens.”
“Even if—that was a big if—a Cog somehow managed to slip through the cracks, some brave, valiant Resistance Officer would swoop in and take the imposing threat down with one swift cream pie to the face.”
“Easy peasy, and everyone could continue on with the festivities.
But this year, it was somehow different. Something was . . . off.”
“It seemed like the officers were more relaxed this time around, at least in my recent memory—because, again, it hadn't happened before, why would it happen this time?—they were hardly at their posts this year, and could easily be spotted throughout the crowd in their varying purple or yellow outfits, golden badges shining like the stars they were shaped after.”
“Because the officers should get to enjoy the festival, too, right? The food, the games, the fun—they were still Toons, just like the rest of us. They couldn't resist.
These factors and more were likely the reasons why no one saw it coming.”
“. . . the number of missing Toons continue to rise as weary families report to Headquarters . . .
The channel cut off. Static. The signal always became sucky when they did large-scale lockdowns for invasions. Even more so if you lived in Donald's Docks like my family did.
After a moment, the news channel slowly flickered back to life.”
". . . among the currently twenty-five missing Toons missing in the Sellbot invasion are eleven-year-olds Peppermint and Periwinkle Sparklenerd, the twin daughters of esteemed award-winning actress, Mayflower Sparklenerd . . ."
“The television suddenly flickered off.”
