"The Metropolis Story…"
Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse, . You might want to take a gander at the Cicelyverse page to get a handle on the Cicely Addams material.
Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...
Summary: Poet/Champion turned reporter/Champion (hey, the vampire thing was involuntary) for the second least respectable news organization in Metropolis, William Soames Walthrop is assigned the job of uncovering the secret behind the mysterious silence of a famed, deceased silent film star of the great film inspired by the greatest city on Earth. Both the other reporter/Champion and other reporter/seedy investigator of things mysterious in town hate his guts.
(See the "Metropolis Story" video at the Buffy Rebecca verse, Cicelyverse page, "The Metropolis Story"…)
Metropolis, 2011…
Glorious, gleaming, sky-raking city on a hill to her elite. Hellhole, but beloved hellhole…Whatsit to you, buddy? To many not so elite.
Some still arguing the Continental Congress of 1776 should never have changed the name from "New York" to end its ties with royalty.
The offices of the least…No, Fox News, Metropolis holds that title now…Second least reputable news outlet in Metropolis…Independent News Service, Metropolis.
And specifically, just outside the large if rather grimy office, of Tony Vincenzo, editor-in-chief…
Where the staff, primarily concerned with monitoring the daily soaring, if disreputably-based ups and sudden, stunning downs-to-earth of their news service, is startled to see Vincenzo in a benevolent mood.
"There he is! My boy!" Stepping forward with widely open arms for a dangerously powerful hug…
Ah…But look whom it's aimed at. Collective glare…
The new fair-haired…Quite literally, too…Boy…
Walthrop…The Brit…Though some still insist the accent's either phony or Australian.
A few incredible stories of the city's underbelly…Impossible stories, many would say…Though until disproven, far too lucrative to turn down…And the punk kid is on top.
And according to Harry in HR…Such HR as we got. The kid's so-called credentials from LA and London stink like a 3 months old overfed baby's diaper.
And we don't mean the age of the kid…
The little, if surprisingly tough punk kid…If the report from Karl…Our good, old, beloved Karl Kolchak…
Kolchak from his desk frowning equally at the collective staff eyeing him sympathetically and Vincenzo…
Since when did this collection of freaks, geeks, and news media losers ever give me the time of… See Lou's on his way further down…Said new-fired Dobbs passing down the corridor of desks wanly, bottle and box of things in hand. Told Tony the guy was ruined goods and could never handle an objective column…That "Lou's view is the real America's view" crazy rant was to be expected. They say at Fox he claimed he had a direct line to Murdoch's ear…
Guess everyone knew that but Rupert…
Though the real story…Awaiting confirmation…Involves the Missus…Or "Tiger girl" as Lou called her. Chinese master (ok, mistress) spy and potential victim if that tale of Murdoch's seeking a little life-extension via brain transplant can be verified.
Or so Dobbsie claimed…And a few of my sources at Imitation News backed him up.
Still, is grating to see this kid…Whom I trained on his first weeks here…Grabbing what little gratification and glory is to be had here. He eyes young Walthrop…The young man (right…) clearly as embarrassed as all round but Vincenzo and Margaret, the pale, gentle and clearly smitten receptionist were annoyed.
I mean, one must give a world-saving Champion who won back his soul on his own cahones his due. I guess. And his work doesn't fully suck as much he does at certain times…
But if I hadn't owed Liam Angel a…Well, several favors…For those times back in LA…
And come to think of it, I did go a long way out for the other one. He eyes gentle, dark-haired, pale-skinned Margaret…Who smiles warmly back…He briefly returning one of his very few reserved smiles.
Though, given her history…Who could turn down the chance to help that poor kid…?
"Our brightest star!" Vincenzo bubbles, rocking the embraced, embarrassed Walthrop… "Another scoop yesterday…We even beat out the Planet! White must be 'great Caesar's ghostin' all over the place!" chuckle.
On some crazy story that alien invaders had latched on to the minds of the Mayor's and Police Commissioner's wives and they were about to hatch open a nest of tiny jellyfish body-snatchers? Various staff members eyed each other…
And I put him on that story, Tony? Remember?...The one you rejected? Kolchak glares at Vincenzo, still overflowing with the milk of human greediness.
'Course, a downside is potentially there, given the two ladies are in the hospital in comas. Not so bad, if one knew them before… But crippling to our dear Mayor whose divorce plans must now remain in permanent holding pattern, thanks to our ace and heroic reporter who managed to not only save the city and the dear possessed ladies but prevented our noble boys-in-blue from shooting the dear girls to ribbons.
Almost a pity in some ways…The Commish told me he'd never had better sex or a more loving relationship with the Missus than when a malevolent alien jellyfish's tentacles were buried deep within her cerebral cortex.
"And Karl, too…" Margaret suddenly called from her desk, clapping his way.
Hmmn… Vincenzo looked over at the image of past glories and disasters. Oh, yeah…Good ole Karl…
"Right, great idea putting this guy on the trail, Karl." brief wave. Followed by renewed hug… "Oh, you wonderful kid…!"
Kolchak gave a second, unprecedented in one day, smile to dear beaming Margaret…
Lord, to think two years that sweet kid was a deranged two hundred year old killer…
"My responsibility…" Angel had told him.
And quickly washed his hands of her after restoring her to Humanity and giving her a new name and new memories of a calm and peaceful life that only resembled the human life she'd lost when he'd…
Still, who could not try to help a sweet kid as she'd turned out to be, once free of the deadly killer demon thing…
Though of course good ole LA-saving Angel much preferred to see her helped at considerable distance from him and his new family…
"But now…" Vincenzo had relaxed his grip and allowed Walthrop to escape the fatal embrace.
Kolchak's and a fair number of colleagues' ears perked up…
All, all-too-familiar with the sudden down-to-earth at INS.
"We have to discuss a few…Matters…Karl!" he looked over to Kolchak.
"In my office…"
Kolchak reluctantly rising…His rumpled attire drawing the usual looks…
Stay on the job all night sometime, pantywaists, and you might look like a reporter. He sauntered to the office and followed the other two. Catching Margaret's apprehensive glance at Walthrop…
Poor kid…
But perhaps some memories never quite die. Or can be physically purged…
Gotta give Walthrop credit though. He's not taken advantage. And I accept that any threats I initially made on that subject were not likely to discourage him, should he wish to trifle with the young lady's affections.
Then again, may be the kid's gay. Always had my doubts about Liam and he sure seemed obsessed with this one. Could be the long-term effect of vampirism, oughta have Miss Emily look it up sometime in the library.
He entered the office…
"Sit down, Karl…" Vincenzo, already seated behind his littered desk, pointed to the less-comfortable chair. Walthrop likewise already seated in the more comfortable of the two…
"Trouble in Paradise, Tony?" Kolchak took a seat. Nodding at Walthrop, who gave a sheepish shrug back. Look, boss…Not my idea…
"Nah…Well…" Vincenzo looked at each man…(or, Unman in one case if you like…Kolchak noted to himself. Though souled Unman, of course.) "We did get a little flak from the Mayor's office for our 'unbelievable assertions'. And a request for any information we might have on the aliens' physiology." wink… "But the reason I brought you in is that I've decided… With a little help from corporate above…That our ace ought to try a less…Current…Field. Just for a bit…"
"Mayor Lindenquist upset over having to hold his dear wife's comatose hand for the cameras for the rest of his political life…?" Kolchak suggested.
"That didn't improve his attitude toward the people who accused him of allowing a terrorist, if alien terrorist, plot to destroy and enslave the city to take shape under his roof…" Vincenzo, drily.
"Pity it couldn't have ended with a big and well-photographed funeral. Followed, after a reasonable mourning period, by a very happy wedding…" Kolchak smiled.
"That was a shame…" Vincenzo eyed Walthrop.
"I couldn't let them gun the poor woman down." William interjected.
"No, I guess not…" Vincenzo perked up again. "And in any case, then the Mayor would've hushed everything up and probably tried to pin his wife's death on you. And we got the scoop. Left White and his Planet in the dirt…" beam.
"Still, it leaves us here. Corporate feels you're a white-hot property, Walthrop. But a little too-white-hot right now… They want a little 'cooling-off' period. Give the Mayor a chance to see this could still be an asset. As long as she remains in the coma…"
"So…Am I suspended…Laid-off?" Walthrop stared.
"No…Not at all…There's an important assignment that has your name on it. Just not so current as some of the stuff you've been doing. It's right up your and Kolchak's…As your editor…alley. A little history, a little mystery...Glamour…" Vincenzo raised a solemn finger… "And best of all, some travel…You're from Europe, right?"
"Depends on which Englishman you talk to…" William, drily.
Travel? To Europe? Kolchak stared/
Just how angry is the Mayor? And since when did INS corporate ever spring for…?
Oh…Right.
Good ole Liam intervening once more…No doubt…
Well, so long as my protégé has a good Angel looking out for him, why shouldn't one Kolchak also reap a bit of the golden crop?
"Just what is this one, Tony? And do I get formal promotion to assistant editor? Before we leave for Europe…" hard stare.
Nonchalant return from Vincenzo…
So, it is Liam footing the expense bills. Nice…
"It concerns the history of the film that took its inspiration from this great city…" Vincenzo, expansively. "Naturally when the time comes for research in Europe I want the full team there in support of our boy. And yes, but no raise in pay…"
"I figured…Accepted…With an office." Kolchak, firmly.
"An office? Well…I guess we could have that one in back fumigated now that Dobbs is out."
"Margaret as my help. She's been looking for more to do…"
"You're killing me here, Karl. The man who nurtured you all these years, accepted those crazy stories, protected you" Vincenzo frowned. Leaning forward in chair…
"Made a bundle off me and my 'crazy stories' and hasn't given me a promised raise or office in 20 years…"
"What can I say? You know how the news business is these days…"
"Sir?" Walthrop cut in. "About this story…?"
"Right, right…Ok, you know the film… 'Metropolis'…Our own beautiful name for our own beautiful city…Was recently restored."
One might say that if one hadn't seen the original screening in 1927 as I did… William eyed Vincenzo…Though they got most of it back.
"There's a mystery associated with this film, boys. And to celebrate…"
Exploit…Kolchak corrected inwardly.
"…the history of our city's ties with its greatest portrayal in film, I want my ace team to solve it." Vincenzo beamed.
…
Offices of the leading Metropolis news organ, the Daily Planet…
Just outside the office of the editor-in-chief…Rather magnificent in comparison to those of his somewhat disreputable rival at INS…
Newspaper flung from door…Several staffers nearby glance and note that it is a copy of that INS ragsheet. A picture of the Mayor and his wife and the Commissioner of Police and his wife, each wife with what appeared to be a giant glob of jello covering their heads. The women standing on a trampled city… "Conspiracy of the Century Foiled!" the blaring headline…
One curious staffer hastily grabbed the paper up, glancing nervously at the office door, then scanning the cover page…
William S. Walthrop on the byline…The staffer, hearing an approaching storm, fled, dropping paper back onto floor…
"Kent!" harsh cry from open door of said office… "My office!"