The White Legion
Preshow:
"Do you think they'll like this one?" Image asked on stage.
"Don't know if they'll like it," Mirror replied. "I just hope they appreciate it." She traced the wood patterns on the table while Image doodled hopelessly on her script. Some things never changed.
As expected, the doors flung open. The first to arrive was not a warlord, but a blond haired and lavender eyed bishounen.
Image clasped her hands in front of her, as sugar started to fall lightly onto the stage.
"What happens to me?" Date asks icily. Unlike Ryo before him, he decided to go for the direct approach.
"Nothing. . ." Image replied wistfully. Mirror meanwhile pulled out a shovel to keep herself from being buried by the falling sugar.
"Image," Date asked directly. "You cut off my second scene without me knowing what happens to me, and then I'm mentioned in past tense for the rest of the episode. What happens to me? Do I die?"
"No!" Image cried out, her eyes becoming starry. "Don't ever die on me! That's my job!"
The blond blinked. Mirror was buried up to her waist despite her best efforts. "It's your job to die?" he asked.
"No!" Image cried again. "Never! Not you either!"
"So you don't kill me?"
"Never," Image answered wistfully. Mirror was covered up to her head; the only recourse was to eat her way out of the sugar.
There was a long moment of silence, before Date walked away, muttering to himself.
Image, like Mirror in the previous Pre Show, immediately snapped out of her reverie and looked to her older sister. "Where'd the sugar come from?" she asked curiously.
"Just. Get. Me. Out."
"Okay."
While this was being accomplished, the four MaSho walked onstage.
"What the hell is this?" the all demanded. "What kind of script is this?"
Kujuurou started. "The Shadow, the fighter for good against the forces of evil, doesn't want to get involved? What the hell is all that about? Politics my--"
"Ladies present."
"--butt! All the Shadow ever does is butt his big nose into everyone else's business. I've been listening to those tapes you lent us, so don't deny it."
"Okay, then we won't," Image replied sweetly.
"I'm supposed to play another Paine, aren't I? That guy with the jewel in his arm who did nothing but moan and groan. All I'm expected to do is look nervous and scared, aren't I?"
Image smiled. "You get a lot more dialog in this episode, though; and not idiotic ramblings like you were complaining about. It's real dialog."
"Dialog nothing!"
"Next!" Image shouted, bypassing the snake eyed Naotoki.
"I'm the bad guy AGAIN! That's three episodes in a row!" Jiro shouted. "Are you typecasting me or what? How am I supposed to artistically express myself if all I ever play are villains that die! What is up with that?"
Both twins just grinned blithely.
"And what is up with this episode?" Kayura demanded. She wasn't about to complain about her lack of a presence in the episode. That would be suicide. Instead she said, "You've got politics and newspapers and cults and everything in this show! Where the hell is all this coming from?"
The twins looked at each other. Image said, "You explain it better."
Mirror rolled her eyes but took a deep breath.
"Alright. Let's start with politics. As you know, the show is set in the 30s and 40s. Well, back in the teens and 20s, the politics of the cities were controlled by something called political machines. What political machines basically were, were mob-run political parties. What the machines would do varied from things like write the names of dead people onto a ballet and place it in the voting booth. Since voting wasn't private back then, you could have some big brawny brute standing behind you as you voted and then consider talking with you if he didn't agree with the vote. The level of corruption back then far exceeds what it is today."
The MaSho stared at Mirror, who was wearing a professor's clothes.
"As far as newspapers are concerned, the reason why downplaying something is considered unusual back then is because this is the day of Hearst, one of the most famous journalists in his time, let alone since. He controlled his paper unlike anyone ever has. He decided which stories to run, no matter what anyone else told him, and he didn't care if what he was writing was fact of fiction, as long as it sold papers. It was called sensationalism. In fact, that's how we ended up in the Spanish-American war in the late 1800s. But we're not dealing with that right now. The point was that newspapers would greatly exaggerate any piece of news they received."
Image was now staring at Mirror, who had a pointer and a blackboard.
"And as for the whole cult thing, again, back in the 20s, things were different. In the 20s, the Ku Klux Klan was at its height of power. The allusions to the KKK come from the fact that there is white listed frequently in description, aside form the title of the show being the 'White Legion'. There is also a reference to a mask. If I were to hypothesize without a great deal of facts, I would guess that the main purpose of the of the 'White Legion' was referenced to the political machines and the public's general dislike of them, but there might also be an underlying current to a growing dislike of the KKK as well."
The entire cast and crew were gawking at Mirror.
"What?"
Image smiled, and then looked back to the cast. "So now you know." Her face then hardened. "So get moving!"
Everyone ran from the twins.
The White Legion
The audience had been given a pamphlet before the show that reiterated everything professor Mirror had said, so they waited in anticipation for what promised to be a good episode. Then again, they've been hoping for a good episode for the entire fic and have had yet to find much more than a bunch of costumed bishi. Not that they were complaining, mind you.
The organ produced its deafening chords, signaling the start of the show, and everyone waited for the now almost familiar chilling and sexy laugh of the Shadow.
"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows! Hahahahahahahahahahaha!" Audience members still trembled at that laugh. It was so different than when he was Lamont Cranston.
Ryo's voice followed. "The Shadow, mysterious character who aids the forces of law, and order, is in reality Cale Sasaki, wealthy young man about town. Sasaki's constant friend and companion, the lovely Lady Kayura, is the only person who knows to whom the mysterious voice of the Shadow belongs. Today's adventure: 'The White Legion'."
Ryo gave up on the idea of a commercial, and after only a moment's pause, the film cut to the opening scene.
A certain blond was standing in an office. His coat was off and his sleeves were rolled up, causing several Seiji fans to sigh dreamily, Image included. Seiji pulled at his tie, loosening it and undoing a few buttons. Apparently the room wasn't well circulated. The fans were hardly complaining as he rolled up his sleeves again and continued to look through folders of papers and files.
"You Seiji Date?" a low voice asked.
"No, I'm Seiji Dah-teh. Dah-teh. That's how you pronounce it." Seiji looked up to see Cye, dressed in a milkman's uniform, trying to look intimidating. He was failing; and what does a milkman have to do with this episode? Absolutely nothing. We just felt like throwing one in.
"Got some friends that wanna see you," Cye said, trying to suppress his British accent and instead sound like a ruffian. Again, he couldn't quite pull it off.
"Who?" Seiji asked, somehow taking everything in stride. He did look at the camera suspiciously, though. The twins never said anything about a milkman.
"White Legion," Cye said. He pulled out a six shooter. "Wanna come along quietly?"
"Not particularly," Seiji said, falling easily into a fighting stance.
"Have it your way," Cye said. He nodded his head and Shuu, who had miraculously snuck up behind the blond, knocked him on the head with the butt of his own gun.
Seiji fell to the ground, not quite limp, but doing what he was told.
The Seiji fans were giving Image dirty looks and threatening whispers, but she was too enwrapped in her own work. Artists are like that, I guess. But anyway, the organ rumbled through everyone and the scene cut to what looked like a primitive courtroom of some sort.
The room was filled with tin cans in white robes and hoods, looking atrocious as always. They lined opposite walls, and the far wall held a pedestal and a chair and desk. There was a human sitting there, also robbed and hooded. Who that is, is saved for later.
Seiji, Cye and Shuu on either arm, was lead into this gauntlet, and then thrown to the floor.
"What. Is. This?" Seiji demanded in a strained voice.
Cye, holding a whip, tried to whip Seiji. It tangled on a tin cans legs and tripped it, causing a domino affect throughout the entire room.
The man, we'll call him a judge, was unaffected and flipping through what looked like a script. "Where the hell did they say anything about a whip? Oh, here it is. They used a whip in the original ep? Weird writers. . ." Done with his question. He looked up. "Seiji Date, you are charged with treason against the goals of the White Legion. Do you deny it?"
"I don't even know what's going on!" Seiji cried out, liking less and less what was about to happen.
"So you admit it!" the judge said. "Put him over the trap door."
Seiji's pale face paled even further. "Trap door? Image! What the hell is happening? Trap door?"
Shuu and Cye grabbed Seiji and held him over a small rug that looked as though it was just thrown onto the floor. The judge pulled a rope that was hanging near him. The rug fell open, leaving Seiji standing over open air. That didn't last long, however, as he fell.
"IMAGE I'M GONNA KILL YOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUU!"
Seiji's voice faded away and there was a faint splashing noise, quickly followed by the organ.
Cale and Kayura walked down a mall, entering a clothing store. Cale sweatdropped as he looked at all the items of cloths. The scarred "young man about town" had a small piece of paper that simply said "shirts". Kayura, however, had a list that rolled out down onto the floor, down the aisle, across the store, and into the back room.
"What is on that list?" he asked through clenched teeth. The plot of the episode was so not something he wanted to participate in. Especially in the finale. There was only one consoling piece of news, but that didn't come until later in the episode.
"Well," Kayura explained, looking at Cale and then the list, "I thought I'd take advantage of the fact that I'd be shopping, since most of my clothes come from the Dynasty or the costume department. If we're going to end up in the fanfiction world, I need to bolster my wardrobe."
Cale fell to the floor.
"You what?"
"Just say your next line."
Cale righted himself, and straightened out his fedora. "I was just talking to Commissioner Doji this morning. It seems that Date's corpse was found at sea this morning."
Somewhere off stage, a resounding "WHAT!" Cale smiled. He'd been waiting for that. Seiji's dismay warmed a small corner of his heart. It was supremely satisfying.
"It appears that Date was killed by the White Legion. They were even bold enough to kidnap him in broad daylight." The audience groaned at the pun.
"What about Sehkmet?" Kayura asked. "The District Attorney? Isn't he on some big case involving the White Legion?"
"Yes," Cale replied, glancing to his palm held book, "He's trying Red Talpa for something."
Kayura raided her girly tones. "I'm surprised I haven't read about it in the papers."
"It has to do with that politics thing that Mirror was talking bout before hand. Don't ask me. Ask her."
"Can't you do anything?" Kayura pleaded, her voice dripping in sugar.
"No. Too many politics. I'd have to go after city hall and work my way down."
The organ played for several minutes, giving people a chance to refer to their pamphlets.
Elsewhere in the store, actually rather close to Cale and Kayura, Sehkmet was with his. . . wife, Nasutei. Nasutei was looking through some rather expensive looking luggage.
"You're certain we can leave after the Red Talpa trial?" she asked sweetly. "I would really like to visit my grandfather's grave."
Sehkmet's head was lowered, "I promise," he replied in a subdued voice. "After that case, I'll take a vacation. I am very sorry about your grandfather." Funny. Even though Naotoki has above quality acting, that sounded far more real than anything he'd ever done before in this fic.
Nasutei's eyes softened, and she put a hand on her. . . husband's shoulder. "I understand," she said softly. "I'm grateful that you're willing to do this." Hmmm, someone's been making plans while we weren't looking. I do hope that they know what's going to come in the script.
"After this White Legion stuff, I'll take you back to Japan."
"I'm afraid you'll have to cancel that trip," said a gruff, buzz saw voice behind the, er, couple. Both turned to see a tin can trying to look like a normal human, with a gun pointed at them. "Get moving. The White Legion needs to see you."
Nasutei, not expecting to see this, screamed. Sehkmet, knowing that he was about to be kidnapped, fought back. Unfortunately, the tin can had been to a recycling center and had back up. Someone cried out "citizen's arrest", but the fight continued. Finally, a gun came down rather hard on Sehkmet's head. The tin cans dragged Sehkmet's limp body out of the mall, with Nasutei screaming and crying.
Amazing. Not only could Sehkmet act, but also Nasutei, when she wasn't pissed. Cool.
Anyway, Cale and Kayura come running over to see what all the commotion was about, almost tripping over Kayura's absurdly long list. Kayura went over to Nasutei, calming down the hysterical young woman. Cale, meanwhile, moved to pick up some papers that had fallen from a briefcase that Sehkmet had been carrying, in hopes of returning it to Nasutei, who was hugging Kayura rather tightly.
"He promised he'd take me to my grandfather's grave!" she cried out. "That snake can't keep his promises!"
"Um," Kayura hesitated. "In case you didn't notice, he was taken rather forcibly. Who was he any way?"
"Sehkmet," she sobbed, forcibly wiping tears from her eyes, angry at them. "He said he'd take me to my grandfather. That snake! He knew what the script held!"
"Nasutei," Kayura soothed, "look around. He tried rather hard to not leave, didn't he?" Sure enough, the shop looked rather destroyed.
Cale ignored the silly melodrama happening around the women of the cast and started putting papers back into the briefcase. One folder in particular was rather importantly looking, though Cale wasn't really sure how, considering it had "IMPORTANT" in huge red letter on it, so he slipped the folder into his topcoat.
"Here, let me help you," came Dais's voice. Cale looked up, raising an eyebrow. Ahhh, that was acting.
"Good day," Cale replied, trying to sound suspicious. Oh well, there went the acting.
"I'm Dais Kurada, from the Daily Globe," Dais said easily. "Tell you what; some of these papers might be important with upcoming trials. Why don't I deliver them? It seems that Sehkmet's wife is have a hard time with this."
Cale ignored the sobbing that was going on behind him. He briefly touched the folder he and slid into his coat and smiled. "That's probably a good idea," he said. "From what I heard, this appears to be another incident with the White Legion."
"Really?" Dais scowled, or rather tried to. "I've been cooperating with the police and keeping this quiet, but if something isn't done soon, I'm going to have to do something. But to know that their city leaders can do some of the things the White Legion does, I wouldn't want to start a riot."
Cale narrowed his eyes. Evidently doing facial expressions was easier than acting in his lines.
"Say, that folder poking out of your coat, is that from his briefcase?" Dais asked casually.
Cale looked at the suspicious folder that he had hid away to see it brazenly poking out of his topcoat. Of all the nerve.
"Oh this?" he asked, sliding out some of the folder. "This is part of my friend Kayura's shopping list. Silly women's clothes, like shoes, dresses, skirts, absurd things like that."
Kayura's staff landed rather hard on Cale's head.
"Ah, I see," Dais replied to the flattened form of Cale. "Well, I'll be on my way to deliver these papers to the proper authorities." Dais left, a small smirk on his face. Evidently, he was quite pleased with his acting ability. Again.
The store manager, Rowan, came over, taking Nasutei off of Kayura's hands. "It's okay, Nasutei. You can strangle that snake after the episode."
Nasutei sniffed and let Rowan lead her out of camera range. Kayura, meanwhile, walked over to Cale. "I almost feel bad for him."
"Him? Don't you mean her?"
"No, I mean him."
Cale thought for a moment, then took her meaning. "Oh."
"Now then," Kayura started; a hint of steel in her rather girly voice, "will you be doing anything about the White Legion?"
"But!"
"Certainly, the Shadow can investigate without having to worry about politics, right?"
"But!"
"I'm so glad you agree with me on this."
Cale sighed, the organ starting to blast the audience again.
After the audience took out their earplugs (they had long since learned to wear them when they thought the organ would start), the scene opened to another office. This one, ridiculously more spacious than the tiny office of Seiji Date--
"Hey!"
--had mahogany furniture and a huge desk, at which sat Dais Kurada. He had forgotten a line earlier. When he introduced himself, he was supposed to mention that he was the head of the Bugle newspaper. Not the Daily Bugle, just the Bugle. So he was sitting, looking pompous, at his desk. A beeping noise came into the speakers, and the new guy in the sound booth smartly turned it up so that the audience could hear it.
"S. U. N. M. A. R. 2. 0. 1. 1," Dais muttered to himself as he wrote down the Morse code. Pulling out the piece of paper, he muttered something about his next editorial.
Then there came a chilling laugh.
The audience cheered at the Shadow showing up so early in an episode.
"Dais Kurada," the silky voice said slowly.
Dais looked around. He had yet to figure out how they hell the twins were projecting Kujuurou's voice into the office. He had looked over the room completely and found not devices, no speakers, no anything. That damn voice chilled him.
However, he forced himself to follow his lines.
"Who's there?"
"I am merely a voice," the silk said. "The voice known simply as. . . the Shadow."
"Shadow, huh? I've heard of you. What do you want?"
There came that chilling laugh again. "I merely wanted to inform you that you have a new topic for your editorial. You see, the White Legion will be brought down. And soon. Try running that in your. . . editorial."
And then the Shadow was gone.
The organ drummed through the audience, and the voice of Ryo came over the sound system.
"Well, this is turning out to be an. . . odd episode. What will the Shadow do now? But first, I'd like to tell you all about Petri Wine. They have over one hundred vineyards in California, and they absolutely refuse to sell their wine until it has been turned for exactly one hundred years. Yes, it gives a smooth, sweet taste that you can feel slide all the way down the esophagus. A delicious wine that even the great Dr. Watson. . . Dr. Watson. . .? They're switching their radio dramas. . . That's the Sherlock Holmes commercial. Oh, shoot, I'm not supposed to say that. Uhm, and now, back, to the Shadow!"
The organ rang out again before the audience could fully understand what Ryo was talking about, and then the black screen opened.
It was a rainy, foggy night. Kayura, dressed in an evening gown and looking gorgeous, huddled in her furs as she and Cale, his dark topcoat hiding whatever he was wearing.
"The twins set us up to go on a date, scare the hell out of me by making me wear this dress, and you take me to the docks?" Kayura all but shouted. "What they hell were they thinking?"
"Hey, you were the one talking about bolstering your wardrobe. They told me they were trying to be accommodating."
"By putting me in this and making me go to the docks?" she squealed.
Cale rolled his eyes. "Just pretend it's in the script, damnit, and let's finish this stupid episode."
Kayura muttered something colorful under her breath and then, taking a deep breath, put on her bubbly face. "Lamont, er, Cale, what are we doing here?"
Cale glanced at his booklet, taking a deep breath of his own. "Well, after watching Jiro-kun-"
"My name is Dais this episode!"
"-I realized a few things. First, downplaying the White Legion crap is one thing, but he practically writes it off as urban legend. Second, that SUNMAR2011 thing. Take Superman's decoder ring-"
"You're mixing merchandise!" one of the twins shouted.
"-And you get Sunday, March 20, at eleven. There was also that, er, suspicious reaction when the Shadow told him the White Legion was going down-"
"I never act suspiciously!"
Cale gritted his teeth and kept going. "-So now all that's left was to follow him-"
"With me in a ball gown for no good reason!" Kayura complained.
"CAN'T I FINISH MY DAMN EXPLANATION HERE?" he demanded. Cale fans sighed at the blessed show of emotion. He was so cute when he was mad.
"I AM NO CUTE!"
Okay, then he was adorable.
"SHUT UP!"
Fine be that way.
Anyway, Cale finally finished. "All that's left was to follow him and here we are. Now, let's call Commissioner Doji and get the hell out of here."
Kayura, still in character, smiled brightly. And evilly. "Oh, no! That Shadow still has work to do."
Cale blinked. Acting! "What?"
Kayura all but shoved the scarred Cale onto a rowboat of all things. Apparently they were closer to the shore than Cale initially thought. "See, there goes mean old Dais into that pier, and he has a white hood on!"
"How can you tell that in this fog--?"
"That means the White Legion is having a meeting! There's no time for Commissioner Doji to come here."
"Sure I can come!" Too many voices from off stage are filtering in. Should we threaten the new sound guy?
"But, Kayura," Cale stuttered feebly. "The politics. . ."
"GET GOING!" Kayura took out her Ancient's staff and used it as a golf club, punting Cale out into the harbor.
"I'll get you for this!" Of course, who Cale was talking about is up to anyone's guess. Any curse words he wanted to utter were drowned out as the organ drummed into the sound system.
Sehkmet scowled in the darkness, knowing that a camera was watching him, though he didn't know where. The White Legion had gotten him. He was going to die. And he wouldn't be able to apologize to Nasutei for what he'd done. This sucked. Just what were the twins doing to him? What did he do to deserve this? Oh wait. The twins usually knew what he was thinking.
Back on track, Sehkmet hissed. He wouldn't be able to persecute Red Talpa like he desperately wanted to. That floating head of a henchman was knee deep in White Legion affairs and he had the proof in his briefcase. But now his papers were scattered to the four winds of shopping, and the wrong hands probably got them. He couldn't be in a worse position. As the icing on the cake, he was going to die. This wasn't fair.
"Sehkmet. . ." came a soft chilling, but oddly reassuring voice.
"Who's there?" Sehkmet hissed quietly. Great. He was going insane again. Being insane once in your life was enough. He didn't need to go through it again, thank you.
"Be patient," the Shadow continued, the soft voice sounding very different than when dealing with criminals. The audience was impressed. The Shadow had a tender side. How sweet!
"You'll be able to take Nasutei to Japan," the Shadow stated, ignoring the audience.
"How?" Sehkmet demanded. To be able to finish what he started. That would be one of the greatest gifts anyone could give him. To be able to atone for the mistakes he'd made.
Sehkmet fans swooned, most notably Swiftgold.
"Relax," whispered the Shadow. "Everything is under control. Just do what they tell you to."
"Don't worry," Sehkmet quietly hissed. "I'm good at acting."
The Shadow felt a wave of sympathy for what Sehkmet was going through and put his hand on the snake's shoulder, giving a squeeze of support. "It will be alright." The Shadow grinned, though no one could see him. His plan just might work.
The door to the dark place where Sehkmet was being held opened. The young DA was rather forcibly ushered into the shabby courtroom where Seiji had met his doom at the beginning of the episode.
"NO I DIDN'T!"
Yup, the new sound guy really needed a warning.
Sehkmet was dragged over to the front where a "judge's" bench was. As usual, the room was filled with tin can soldiers wearing white hoods and looking unbearably hideous. Cye and Shuu were suspiciously absent. I wonder where they went. The same man as before was on the bench with the stupid white hood. Like Seiji before him, Sehkmet was thrown down in front of the bench. Unlike Seiji, Sehkmet was used to this. Evidently his previous employer wasn't very nice to him.
"Let's get this over with," the bored man on the bench stated. "You're charged with going against us. Any defense?"
"Yes," Sehkmet spat, standing righteously. "You crooks have been the worst plague this city has ever known. The cruel things you do honest people like Seiji Date won't go unpunished! Your political machine and it's alliances with disfavored cults will be stopped! I may be killed as DA, but the assistant DA will continue my work. Killing me won't stop the fact that you will all be brought down! This scandal will be taken down, if not by me, if not by my assistant, then by the one thing you can't stop. I know what I know," Sehkmet turned to the tin cans in white, "so take the chance to leave that mock throne," he pointed to the bench. Whoa, Sehkmet's getting into this.
Conveniently, the white hood was pulled off by some unknown force to reveal Dais.
"Give me back my mask!" the white haired journalist roared. He jumped down off the bench and grabbed his hood from the floor. Thinking he was on a role, he strode over to the lever that would release the trapdoor that Sehkmet was standing on. "I don't have to listen to any more," he growled. "You have proven that you are against us. You will pay the penalty."
Sehkmet openly laughed. "I have faith in the Shadow. You can't deal with him as you can with me or Seiji."
Somewhere off stage, Seiji was heard sniffing, his eyes watery from the support that Sehkmet was giving him. Even if he was supposed to be dead. This scene is going by way to seriously.
"Enough of your talk," Dais chuckled. "We will deal with the Shadow when the time comes." He pulled the lever and Sehkmet fell.
"I'M A SNAKE! I HATE THE COLD!" was heard as Sehkmet fell. Odd. That wasn't in his script. How unlike him.
The organ let its presence be known.
Commissioner Doji stormed into his office, his fedora tilted and his topcoat slung over an arm to reveal a smart, if middle class, suit. Several fans sighed dreamily or drooled at the eye candy. Doji's face was murky as he all but slammed the door to his office shut, jerkily throwing his topcoat and hat onto a coat stand and falling into his chair. He reached over to a service speaker and pushed a button. "Na, has there been any word on the snake?"
"No," a female voice, obviously a secretary, replied. "Nothing since his daylight kidnapping yesterday."
"Damn." Slumping back into his chair, Doji started muttering to himself. Hey, this WAS a radio drama.
"Much as I'd like to shake their hands for getting fid of that blond bimbo--"
"Look whose talking!"
"I needed the snake to prosecute Red Talpa." Doji rubbed his neck and undid his tie slightly, eliciting squeals from the audience.
The phone next to him rang, jerking him out of his musings. He grabbed the black phone and picked it up. "Commissioner Doji's office."
"Hmhmhmhmhmhmhm," a sinister laugh replied.
"Shadow, I take it?" Doji asked, trying to sound used to such telephone calls but coming off more annoyed than anything.
"You will be attending Red Talpa's trial, will you not?" The Shadow asked, amusement in his voice.
Doji wondered how the hell the twins got Kujuurou to act so damn good when he was the Shadow. His voice was never that silky in real life. Sighing, he recalled his lines. "I suppose you'll be making an appearance, too?"
The line seems to strike the man at the other end funny, and that sexy laugh permeated the sound system. Even non Cale fans were starting to like the laugh. No! Must… stay… loyal…
"I suppose I will," the Shadow replied. "I would like your help in a little plan I am executing."
Doji paused. "Wait. Does this mean I have to take orders from you?"
The laugh again.
"Like hell I will!" Doji shouted. Several heads that were the extras peeked into the Commissioners office to see why he was yelling. Seeing the phone to the man's mouth, they assumed no more than the usual and went back to their work being extras. Doji noticed none of this and continued bellowing. "I've listened to the episodes! I'm always taking orders from you like a puppet or something. You're just a no talent vigilante, I'm the Commissioner, damnit! I don't have to listen to you."
"Then don't. Let Red Talpa escape. Let District Attorney Sehkmet's death go unavenged. It's your call."
"… I hate those stupid twins."
The organ music blared again, the sound guy making it extra loud for some reason. Even the earplugs did little to hide the deafening notes, as the screen opened to a city hall like building, with a statue of that lady of justice person that they always show on Law and Order and stuff. Yeah, the twins know what they're talking about. Really, they do.
The camera quickly cut to the inside of a courtroom. Judge Shuu was presiding, and hammering his gavel loudly in an attempt to keep everyone quite. Giving up, he stood to his full height and shouted "QUIET!"
That worked.
The twins had pulled out all the stops. Assistant District Attorney Ryo was filtering frantically through scattered papers. The Defendant's lawyer, Cye, was sitting and actually managing to look smug as he watched Ryo do so. Red Talpa was on the stand, his face unreadable because of the ridiculous pink mask he was wearing.
"It is NOT pink!"
Moving on, the participants held the rest of the cast. Kayura and Doji sat next to each other in the back, and Dais was somewhere in the middle, his face grinning happily instead of smugly. Rowen was there, and so was Seiji, even though he was supposed to be dead.
"I am NOT dead!"
That's what they all say.
"Image!"
ahem Nasutei was also there, along with the twins themselves, making a guest appearance as well as making sure everyone performed their lines perfectly. Evil us. Everywhere else was filled out with bit characters like Sarenbo, Saberstryke, Gashura, and assorted others. What wasn't a recognizable character was spare tin can. Everyone had been talking when Judge Shuu had shouted. Now they were all silent, except for the filtering noises Ryo was making with the papers.
Is that enough imagery for you?
Finally, Assistant DA Ryo stood up.
"Your honor," he said, his voice cracking. There were some giggles, but Ryo cleared his throat, taking on a much lower voice. "Your honor," he said again, much more confidently. "I move that this trial be moved until such time as we can find District Attorney Sehkmet."
"Why?" Shuu asked lazily. He played with his gavel. "Afraid you can't convict him on your own?"
"I-it's not that," Ryo stuttered. "The District Attorney had in his possession some papers that are the key to this case. Now, with him hissing, er, I mean missing, I fear that such papers have fallen into the wrong hands or have been destroyed."
"So?"
"So, I want time to ascertain exactly what as happened to Sehkmet. His… wife Nasutei is distraught beyond measure--" Said woman wailed for emphasis. "--and if we are to proceed we need to find him."
Judge Shuu mulled this over for a moment, not doing a bad job acting. But then his teeth clenched and he glared menacingly at the twins as he said, "Nah. I got golf in a bit. I wanna get this over with." Under his breath, but not missed thanks to the sound guy, he added. "Yeah, I get the twins making me a judge. But why the hell aren't I just?"
Bypassing the kanji jokes, Ryo stepped up to Talpa, a cold look on his face. No acting necessary. "Red Talpa," he said in a low voice. "Who paid you to commit the murder Seiji Date?"
There came a low growl from the audience.
Cye held his hand up. "I object."
Shuu nodded, still glaring at the twins. "Sustained. This ain't a White Legion case, Assistant District Attorney. Try to keep that straight."
"Your Honor, I intend to prove that this lowlife--"
"I resent that remark."
"--is in fact a member of the White Legion, who has terrorized this city for almost a year now. That he was under the White Legion's orders to commit the murder for which he is on trial for, and…" Ryo suddenly paused, his face going white. He looked to Mirror for support, but she was busy making shojo bubbles. "… and other stuff like that," he finished lamely, completely forgetting his lines.
Shuu looked pointedly at Ryo.
Ryo let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine." He stepped back to his table and pulled out a bagged letter.
"You sent this to the victim," he stated.
Talpa would have smiled smugly, but that could be seen through the mask. "Yes."
"Why?"
"He owed me money."
Ryo seethed. This wasn't his day.
At least that's what he would have thought if there hadn't been a sudden, chilling, silky, and sexy laugh that filled the courtroom. The audience cheered. Up until now, they were getting bored with all the overdone drama.
"Hey!" everyone in the courtroom shouted at the audience. Then they went back to their roles.
Dais looked startled in the audience, and Commissioner Doji had already gotten up and was moving to the back. Only now did the audience notice that the bit characters were plain clothed officers, and one was at every entrance. Hm. Kayura flashed a grin at the camera, giving a quick victory sign before turning back to a slightly startled ditz.
"I doubt that Red Talpa sent that letter since he neither reads nor writes."
"I am no illiterate!"
Shuu looked around suspiciously. "Is there someone who wished to address the court?"
"Merely point out some unsworn testimony."
Cye tried to look troubled. It didn't work. "If it's unsworn, then it must first go through proper channels."
Shuu tried to look angry. He only did marginally better. "I'd like to know who is making a mockery of this cou--"
His sentence was cut off as a green haired drowned rat of a DA entered the courtroom.
"Sehkmet? You're alive?" Ryo burst out his famous smile, and shojo bubble briefly swam across the camera.
"Boy am I!" Sehkmet all but shouted as he stoutly marched to the front of the courtroom. "I have written proof that there are White Legion members in this room, the most noticeable is trying to leave this room as we speak. He is the head of the Bugle paper, Dais Kurada!"
In the back, Dais was making his way to the door, smartly trying to get while the getting was good. Comissioner Doji stood there however. "Remember that one scene the twins wrote where I punched you?" he asked coolly. "I'm in a bad mood right now, so I wouldn't mind repeating the performance."
Dais smirked evilly. "We'll see," he replied quietly.
All attention, however, was still in the front of the room at Sehkmet. If he was living it up, he gave no indications of it. "The White Legion's top members have stolen over ten million dollars from our fair city's treasury! I call for a suspension of this case!"
Shuu, glaring even harder at the twins, looked to Sehkmet and tried to look nervous. "And where is this written proof of yours?"
"It was in my briefcase until I was kidnapped," Sehkmet said, a malicious grin on his face. "It is now sitting on the desk in the office of Commissioner Doji."
"Of which," Doji said, stepping forward with Dais--note the black eye--in tow. "I have arrest warrants for Dais, here; as well as Judge Shuu, Attorney Cye, mall owner Rowan, and quite a few other prominent names. Who would like to step forward first?"
The courtroom was in an uproar; so was the audience. The twins dare make someone other than Dais the bad guy? The nerve!
"I hate those twins!" a certain one eyed man cried.
Sehkmet, not done in the slightest, stood up on the table Ryo had made a mess of and held up his hands. "Quiet! Quiet! I'd like to take this opportunity to publicly thank the man who made all of this possible. Even if he did let me fall into icy cold water, I owe my life to a faceless voice that has helped not only me, but the good, honest people of this city! I give my thanks to… the Shadow!"
Everyone applauded, and interesting noise especially for the tin cans, but when it died down, and everyone expected a speech from the Shadow, there was none. The twins stood up conspicuously, looking around.
"He left!" one of them shouted.
"He's gonna pay for this!"
Before any more could be made out, the organ blared.
"What an exciting episode!" Ryo's voice hovered over the audience as he took his role as narrator again. Being a narrator suited him much better. All he had to do was read his lines. There was no need to really act. Just read. He preferred this much more.
"However, we have a special treat for you today. Seeing as this is the last episode of the season, we have the rising star of Broadway. The talented writer and actor who plays the Shadow, Orson Wells to speak for you."
"What?" several voices shouted. "He hasn't done a thing!"
Meanwhile, the ghost of Orson Wells appeared on the screen, with his young twenty-two year old body from when he actually played his role.
"How did the twins manage that?" someone shouted off stage. The sound booth really needed a warning for all this excessive dialogue.
"Hello, friends," the ghost started. "I would like to thank you all for joining us every week to listen to our little show. I would also like to thank Blue Coal, for making this show possible."
"Excuse me, Orson," came the voice of a female ghost, also appearing on the screen.
"Why yes, Margo, or should I say Agnes Moorehead?" Hint, hint. Agnes Moorehead was the original Margo Lane. Somewhere off screen, Cale and Kayura could be heard fuming as they watched the originals take credit for all their hard work.
"Thank you. Why don't you the audience, let us know how much you like the show? You can send word through your local neighborhood Blue Coal dealer."
"That's a wonderful idea, Agnes," Orson Wells replied. "To all of you, be safe and good night."
Ryo's voice once more sounded through the audience as the ghosts disappeared on the screen. "Don't forget folks, we will be broadcasting older shows at the same time, and on this same station. Have a good summer and thank you for joining us during this winter broadcast season."
The screen faded to black, as the organ boomed over the audience. An eerie voice, low and sexy, laughed menacingly. "The weed of crime bears bitter fruit. Crime does not pay. The Shadow knows, hahahahahahahahahahahaha!"