Here's the end - of this story. It's a trilogy, so this is really just the beginning. *dramatic music*

*************

"....And that's the story." Curly leaned her elbows on Gyro Gearloose's worktable.

Gyro wiped his hands on a grease rag and parked a hand on his hip in interest. "So, besides rebuilding him, what do you think I can do?"

"What I know you can do, Gyro," Curly corrected. "You can reprogram him, make him nice - you know, not all evil and fun-hating. You can give him a personality and stuff." She locked eyes with the inventor. "After all, you've been looking for a peaceful solution all this time. Maybe this is part of it."

Gyro nodded his reddish head slowly. "I suppose you have a point," he said with a smile. He took the gag bag of gears and stuff from Curly's hands. "Come back tomorrow and I'll see what I can do."

Curly flung her arms around Gyro's neck quickly. "Thanks, Gyro!" she yipped. "You're the best!"

And she darted off toward home.

******

The next day, Curly, Lefty, and Violet went over to Gyro's house. Gyro greeted them, holding a wrench in one hand and a remote in the other, face beaming. The Flunky stood in the corner, eyes closed.

Curly squealed right out loud. "You fixed him!"

Violet gave a squeal of her own. "Is he really going to be a good guy now?"

Gyro smiled. "Well, there's only way to find out." He wandered over to the Flunky and held up the remote. He started to push a large red button, then stopped. "Oh, there's one other thing I thought you three should know. He's immune to gags - "

"WHAT?" Lefty cut him off. "Okay, now I know you're all insane."

"- until he uses a Cog attack," Gyro finished. "That way, it's impossible for the Toons to strike first."

Violet nodded slowly. "That make sense."

"I suppose," Lefty grudgingly admitted.

Gyro did push the button then, and Curly felt her whole body tense up. She could see the fur bristling on the back of Lefty's neck, and Violet buried her face in Curly's shoulder.

The Flunky's big eyes fluttered open, focusing in on the foursome. He gave a small smile. Then, with a series of short, jerky movements, he raised his arm and waved timidly. Curly felt her heart melt.

Gyro wore a grin of triumph. "Do you know who you are?" he asked the Flunky.

The Flunky nodded his shiny bald head. "Yes," he said a serious, slightly-squeaky-but-still-metallic voice. "I am a Cog. A good Cog. And these Toons over here -" He waved his hand in their direction. "They are - my friends?"

Gyro smiled crinkles around his eyes. "Absolutely."

Curly watched this play out, feeling about ready to explode from excitement. She bounded over to the Flunky and shook his hand. "Hi," she said, feeling her own grin nearly squinting her eyes shut. "I'm Weird Curly Megaquack."

The Flunky's smile grew wide. "Pleased to meet you. I am Flunky 11489-7B."

Curly blinked. "That is FAR too big a name for a cute little thing like you."

Violet wrinkled her nose. "I thought Cogs had smaller names than that."

The Flunky shrugged clumsily. "Our naming system has been kind of...disorganized ever since the Vice-President knocked over the file cabinet and scattered our records all over Sellbot Headquarters."

Curly felt a smile twitch across her lips. Good ol' VP.

"So - you need a new name," Violet said, nodding as if everything were all worked out. "How about the Goodbot?"

The Flunky shook his head.

"Flunky?"

Another shake.

"Nice Doodle?" Curly joked.

The Flunky gave her a look of utter bewilderment - which was pretty much a Flunky's default expression, anyway.

Gyro ignored them all. "If we announce this to everyone, we can be acquiring Cog excellence very soon..."

"I've got it!" Lefty broke in. Her smile was so wide, Curly could see an idea gleaming behind it. "Gyro, what did you say we'd be doing?"

"Acquiring Cog excellence?" Gyro repeated.

Lefty bobbed her head, an I've-got-it-all-figured-out look on her face. "It can be an acronym. Acquiring Cog Excellence. His name can be ACE."

The Flunky's eyes grew bigger than ever, and he slowly began to nod, too. "I like it," he announced to the room in general. "Can it be my name?"

"Absolutely!" Curly howled. She stuck out a paw and initiated another handshake. "Hiya, ACE."

"So where is he going to stay?" Lefty asked. "We can't just take him to Toontown and say, 'Hi, this is really a good Cog. Please don't blow him up!'"

"He'll stay with me for the time being," Gyro mused. He glanced down at ACE. "I don't suppose you'd rather go back and live with the CEO."

ACE shook his head. "Nuh-uh. He yells too much."

"He's adorable!" Violet whispered to Curly. "ACE, I mean."

"I'm glad you didn't mean the CEO," Curly chuckled.

Wagtail, Curly's Doodle, bounded into the room then, yipping excitedly. Curly bent down to scratch her tummy. "Hey, girl," she said softly. "Did you follow me here?"

Wagtail wagged her skinny little tail, and then her eyes shifted. Her face went up into the air, and she sniffed several times. The fur stood up on her back and she growled low in her throat. Her face was pointed right at ACE.

ACE whimpered and grabbed Gyro's arm.

"Easy there, Wagtail," Curly cried, grabbing her Doodle in her arms. "He's a friend. He's a good Cog. He won't hurt you - or me."

Wagtail turned a confused face up to her owner, but she left her fur back down and stopped growling. Curly looked up to see ACE standing beside her. "Sorry about that," she said. "Instincts, ya know?"

ACE nodded until she thought his head would roll off. "Yes," he said. He looked down at the now-curious Wagtail, who was sniffing his shoes. "Can - can I pet him?"

"It's a girl," Curly replied. "And, sure you can. Just let her smell your hand first."

ACE nodded again and reached his pudgy hand down, dangling it in Wagtail's face. Wagtail gave it a quick sniff and then slurped it. ACE giggled. The sound did Curly's heart good.

"You know, ACE," she said quietly as he awkwardly patted Wagtail on the head. "I think this could be the start of a beautiful friendship."