Loonatics Revamp Rise of the Loonatics Episode 1 (Saved)

Chapter 1

Planet Earth
Acmetropolis, U.S.A.

Built three generations ago, that place began as a simple town almost unknown to everybody. Although equipped with the current technology of this era, it couldn't compare to New York or Los Angeles and the number of its inhabitants never picked over a thousand. The Mayor of that time decided to use the calm atmosphere of the place, lost in the coasts of the state of Oregon, to its advantage. He ordered the construction of hotels in the town to attract as many tourists as possible. Thanks to the great marketing of the place, Americans who wished for some peaceful vacations far from their home cities came to seek the promised rest Acmetropolis was advertising. Soon, some great figures like actors, singers, and even politicians followed steps. The sublime scenery of the area, surrounded by both the beaches and the high green hills, may have worked too well for the town; many of the visitors suddenly wished to never leave. They bought or built their own houses and settled down in Acmetropolis. Among these people were rich investors who quickly saw a greater potential for the town. They helped it grow and welcome more inhabitants; they paid for new schools, then for Acme University, the biggest university in all America, and all the structures it required; they actively called for scientists and inventors to come to Acmetropolis to do their researches here; all until houses became skyscrapers, until the small town became the most advanced technological city of America and one of its largest with more than ten million inhabitants.

Of course, while developing the city into what it was today, it was also important for everybody to maintain some green areas. In the middle of Acmetropolis was left a gigantic urban park rivaling Central Park itself, equipped with many structures like plazas, restaurants, and even sports fields. The many beaches of the city were always kept clean from pollution every day, the security of the ocean's ecosystem worth the hard work it demanded. Finally, the hills surrounding the city were also left mostly intact from Acmetropolis' expansion, though houses were still built on them.

We were now on June 12, 2772. The weather was nice that day. Not a single cloud covered the blue summer sky, letting the sun shines its way into the millions of building composing the futuristic city of Acmetropolis. And so, on this beautiful, sunny day, the lives of six of Acmetropolis' inhabitants suddenly changed forever.

•••

Ace Bunny looked at the electronic clock on his nightstand. It was now 9:30 of the morning; in about thirty minutes, the U. S's army's recruiting office would be open. He had everything ready: his papers, his I.D, his medical reports, and even his high school diploma. They were all in his bag, just waiting to be handed to the recruiter.

The grey rabbit got up from his desk and prepared himself, putting nicely shaped clothes on for good impressions. He brushed his teeth and combed his head fur, then looked at himself in the mirror. He was ready. Now he just needed to get out of the house without his father noticing.
Ace took the bag from his desk. His brown eyes caught the picture standing here, in a nice ebony photo frame. His father didn't like technology that much, preferring old-fashioned photographs. It was more authentic, he said. Ace looked at the face in the picture, smiling at him with shining blue eyes. His mother, who he couldn't remember much of. Gone when he was still a three-year-old little bunny. This was one of the sole things he had of her since she passed away, and he treasured it deeply. She was a beautiful woman and, apparently, she was also a very kind soul. Ace hoped she would be proud of his decision, wherever she was now.

"Wish me good luck," he whispered to the picture before stepping out of his room.

He slowly walked past his father's bedroom, located just next to his'. The house wasn't that big and didn't have any floor, making his escapade a little risky. Nao could easily catch him sneaking out of here, and he couldn't hear a noise coming from his bedroom. Either he was still sound asleep – it was Saturday and he only gave martial arts lessons on weekdays – or he was up and somewhere in the house. Better be careful.
Ace hoped his father was in the dojo. When his grandmother came into the then still expanding city of Acmetropolis, she built it right next to the house with only the garden to separate the two buildings. To be honest, the whole property was a reminder of his Japanese roots; the architecture was entirely inspired by those old Japanese rural houses. Maybe his grandmother felt homesick when she moved here and tried to bring her old world with her.

The young man successfully passed across the hall without any incident. The coast was clear when he walked in the kitchen to grab a pack of carrot biscuits he would eat later for breakfast – not a healthy thing to do, but he needed to get out of here before his father showed up.
But just as he turned around, he jumped back, startled. A figure was standing in the doorway, arms crossed on his chest. The oldest rabbit looked at Ace with his stern, dark eyes, clearly knowing something was up. Where he came from, the young man had no idea. Nao was good when it came to sneak silently into a room without being seen, as a true ninja would be able to do.

"And where do you think you are going?" he asked the grey rabbit.

Ace gulped. He needed to think of an excuse, and quickly! Come on brain, be smart!

"Err... to... school?"

The white rabbit before him arched an eyebrow.

"When you just finished the year?"

That wasn't smart at all!
Ace knew he couldn't escape, and certainly not after such a lame excuse. Nao extended his hand toward him, looking sternly into his eyes.

"Give me your bag," he ordered, and his son complied with a sigh.

He watched helplessly as his father picked one by every item from his bag. When he took the paper with the U. S's army application, followed by a motivation letter to join, he angrily stared at his son.
Now, Nao Bunny was not a bad father at all. In fact, he took up his role fully and wisely after his wife's death. But as his son grew up, conflicts between the two had begun to arise. They were subjects they simply couldn't agree on, but the main one was Ace's future. For some reason, his father was against his desire to join the army.

"Ace..." he began to raise his voice, but his son quickly stopped him.
"Wait, dad, listen," he tried to explain, "I know you don't want me to join but they need new recruits more than ever with all the tension all around the galaxy!"
"And what even makes you think they'd choose you?"
"Because I know how to fight!"

Ace then proceeded to show some of his moves, kicking in a swift movement the vase full of orchids standing on the table. It smashed against the wall, spilling water and the poor flowers on the wooden floor. Seeing the mess he just made, the young man looked to his father, who didn't even move an inch, with a sorry look, his ears dropped on the sides of his head.
He laughed nervously. Really, this morning wasn't going well at all.

"I'll pay for that," Ace apologized.
"Oh, you better," Nao answered, even more upset.
"What I wanted to mean is, I am more than ready to enter the army! I've been training to be a martial artist, so why not put all those moves into good use? Plus," Ace added, with a cocky smile, "a super ninja soldier, doesn't that sound great?"
"ENOUGH!"

Ace immediately dropped his smile, surprised by his father's outburst. It was always a bit scary when Nao raised his voice; he was more often cold when he was angry. Maybe he had gone too far this time.

"How many times will I have to tell you?" Nao scolded. "Your place is here, in your grandmother's dojo! She built this legacy so her family would carry it on!"

He knew the story by heart now. How many times had they argued about that? The dojo was everything in Nao's eyes; maybe it was so important because it was the only reminiscence of his own mother. In any case, he was determined to have his son inherit it when he would be too old to take care of it. He wanted him to carry on the legacy Yukiko, Ace's grandmother, had forged here. Except that, of course, Ace had his own plans for his future, and being stuck in this dojo, as important as it was to his family, wasn't part of it.

"Well, how about you let me decide for myself, huh?" he argued back, starting to be fed up with his father's attitude. "I'm not a kid anymore, I can legally decide what I want to do with my life!"
"It had been decided a long time ago already," Nao retorqued. "You are not joining the army and that's final!"