Author's note: Before we start this chapter, I'd like to address something. The month of October has started, and I know it's a big deal for Universal Studios, but I'm afraid I won't be able to publish any chapter about Halloween stuff, this year. The reason is that, technically, Alex is still in the middle of his summer vacation in the Epic Universe, and they're still a few chapters away from being over. This means I'd have to finish them all by the end of the month to get into the Halloween stuff, and with cegep, I'm afraid I won't have the time to do so. Sorry if you guys are disappointed. I can try to publish some later down the line, though.
New York City. The Capital of the World, the Big Apple, the City that Never Sleeps, however you wanna call it. One of the most lively cities in the entire world, and it was no different for the Epic Universe version of it. Whoever decided to pay a little visit to this peculiar place was in for a lot of fun. And tonight was to be the case be for a certain guest and his hat companion.
"I can't believe we're actually here!" Alex beamed in front of a building marked by the logos of NBC and Comcast. "We're actually gonna see an episode of The Tonight Show LIVE! THIS IS THE MOST MAGICAL NIGHT OF MY LIFE!"
"What's The Tonight Show, exactly?" Cappy asked.
"It's a super popular talk show from my world!" Alex told his friend. "It has been around for 70 years and has produced almost 2000 episodes! In this show, a host gets to ask questions to a celebrity and even play some games with the celebrity in question! There are comedic sketches, games, musical numbers - everything to make a fun show!"
Cappy nodded and rubbed his non-existent chin. "Yeah, I think Mario and Luigi told me about having something like this, many decades ago, with one of their cartoons. Apparently, it wasn't that awesome, according to them. But if you say that this show is good, then I believe you."
"From what I heard, Jimmy Fallon isn't the only one to host the Epic Universe's version of the show; they also allow other characters to do so. I wonder if we'll get to see one of them tonight." Alex reached into one of his backpack's pockets and pulled out a ticket. "It's really cool that they included this Tonight Show's Attendance Ticket as part of my vacation package."
"Wait, you only got one? But how am I supposed to go in there? I didn't buy any ticket!"
"Don't worry; just stay disguised as my hat, and nobody will notice you're there." He pulled his ticket away and adjusted his backpack. "Now, let's go! We're gonna have a fun night!"
After staying in line for many minutes, Alex and Cappy finally got to enter the plaza, hanging around the lobby for a while before walking through the plaza's corridors, where they could admire displays of items from the history of The Tonight Show. Television sets from each era of the show, suits and pictures from former hosts, NBC video cameras - the list goes on! And Alex did not forget to take a picture of it all with his cellphone.
Eventually, Alex followed the other guests to the plaza's upper level, where they all got entertained by a performance from the Ragtime Gals quartet. Once their performance was over, the guests all clapped for them, Alex doing it louder than the others. As if that wasn't awesome enough, there even were screens playing some of Jimmy Fallon's popular sketches and lip synch battles. Alex played some video games on interactive desks and took a selfie with Hashtag the Panda. Then, the doors opened, and the guests were allowed to enter the show's room. Alex got to sit close behind the front row, meaning he'd be able to see all the action.
"Hey, hey, hey! How's it going, everybody?!" the announcer asked as the jazz opening song ended. Everybody cheered, watching as the curtains moved aside to reveal the show's stage, and lights dancing all around. "Welcome to The Tonight Show! The show where we talk, sing, dance, play and do everything possible to entertain you, our fans!"
"This looks very promising so far!" Cappy mumbled to Alex, already pumped up by all the energy in the room. He still made sure not to be noticed by anyone.
"Without any further due, I ask you all to welcome tonight's host! From a city where humans and animals co-exist, he is known for committing hundreds of heists, the most famous one being the heist of the Golden Dolphin Award, he is as beloved by the ladies as he is hated by the police, I present to you MR. WOLF!"
The pickpocket wolf came out on stage to a standing ovation, waving to the crowd. For the occasion, he had changed his usual attire for a stylish tuxedo and hat with a tie. He gave waves and winks, mostly to the ladies in the audience, all of whom cheered his name.
"Thank you, thank you. You are all amazing!" the wolf assured with a chuckle as he went to sit down on Jimmy Fallon's usual place. "It's funny; I've always dreamt of having my own talk show. Unfortunately, the rogue life decided to take me instead. You guys better keep a good eye on your belongings throughout the whole show; you never know when I may get tempted."
"Eh, eh, he's joking... Right?" a fan asked, to which the others gave unsure looks.
"But we're not here to talk about me!" Mr. Wolf continued. "Tonight, we will have the pleasure of receiving a guest that isn't from the Epic Universe, but actually from the Networld Universe! Please, stand up and welcome Jane Hopper, aka, ELEVEN!"
From behind the stage came the iconic hero from Netflix's Stranger Things. She waved to the cheering audience before exchanging a handshake with Mr. Wolf and taking the guest's seat.
"Thanks for joining us tonight, Eleven," Mr. Wolf said.
"The pleasure's all mine, I assure you."
"For those of you unaware, the Epic Universe has made a special deal with Netflix to have Stranger Things be one of the many outsider franchises that will be guests for this year's Halloween Horror Nights event. This means that, throughout the entire month of October, you'll have the chance to meet her and her friends, like Mike Wheeler, Dustin Henderson, Max Mayfield, Steve Harrington, and more! Another franchise that will also be present is The Last of Us from the Gamesphere!" Mr. Wolf explained to everybody.
Cappy shivered on top of Alex's head. "I hate this time of the year; everything gets so creepy all month, even in the Mushroom Kingdom..."
"Are you going well, Eleven?" Mr. Wolf questioned his guest.
"To be honest, it could be better," the gifted girl replied. "If you don't know, the fourth season of my show released last year, and I'm still recovering from everything that happened."
"Yeah, my friends and I watched it when it came out, after we got released from prison," Mr. Wolf nodded. "Let me tell ya, it was a-ma-zing! My favorite part of the season was when you-"
"Huh, excuse me!" Everybody turned their head to see Alex standing with his hand raised up. "Yes, could it be possible to avoid spoilers as much as possible, please? I haven't seen the fourth season of Stranger Things yet!"
"But you do know the basic premise, right?" Mr. Wolf asked.
Alex rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I did see some trailers on YouTube last year, but that was a long time ago; I don't remember much of them."
A sigh escaped the canine's mouth. "Alright then, for our Koopa audience member here, we'll try to keep it low with the spoilers." He turned back to his guest. "So? How are you enjoying the Epic Universe so far, Eleven? I hope you don't find it too weird, with dinosaurs going around and wizards flying above our heads."
The young woman shook her head. "Not at all. I come from a world that has parallel dimensions and monsters in it - heck, I, myself, am kind of one, since I can open portals and levitate stuff with my powers."
"Good point!" Mr. Wolf chuckled. "I suppose you got the chance to visit the place quite a lot since arriving. What's the funniest thing you did so far?"
Eleven had to repress a little chuckle before answering. "Well, that would have to be when I visited the Wizarding World for the first time with Mike and Lucas. See, we were allowed to go around Hogwarts and even see inside the castle! Naturally, the boys went full fanboy mode, as it was like a game of Dungeons & Dragons coming true." The audience laughed at this remark. "Anyway, after a while, we went to the cantina to get a snack, and I decided to move our plates with my powers for fun. That's when Hermione Granger, of all people, happened to pass and see me in action. Being true to herself, she started asking me hundreds of questions about my powers and made it clear she wouldn't let me go before answering each one of them. It went on for an hour, but her passion and energy made it pretty fun."
"That's Hermione for ya; whenever she develops interest in something, she isn't satisfied before knowing everything there is to know," Mr. Wolf joked, laughing alongside everybody else in the room.
The episode went on for many more minutes, with Mr. Wolf interrogating Eleven about various topics, such as her role models, her favorite movie, if she ever got to play D&D with her friends before, etc. Ultimately, he ended with the question on everyone's mind: "Can we expect a fifth season from your show? Not to get into spoilers for our Koopa friend here, but the final episode did leave things open for more."
"Yes; they want to make a fifth and final season for my show," Eleven confirmed. "I can't give you much detail about it at the time being, except it will be made of eight episodes and will likely not introduce new characters."
Mr. Wolf clapped his hands together. "Alright, thank you very much, Eleven! I don't have any question left for you. However, maybe our friends in the audience do, so that's why we're going to start the 'answer questions from the audience' segment! I'm going to randomly pick people in the audience and allow them to ask Eleven or myself any question that they want! Only one, though; gotta give a chance to everybody."
Naturally, Alex began shaking in his seat. "Cool! I like interactive shows! Let's see, what could I ask them..."
The fans began asking their questions, most of which revolved around Eleven's relationship with Mike, Mr. Wolf's with Diane, questions about a potential sequel to The Bad Guys, what life is like for a thief, etc. Alex eventually snapped his fingers and raised his hand, having finally thought about a good question to ask. "Yes, you, there!" Mr. Wolf selected him.
"I've got an important question to ask. It's something that I've been wondering for most of my life, but nobody has ever been able to answer before. That's why I hope you guys may be able to give me a clear answer," Alex explained with an unusually serious expression.
"Wow, that sounds big. What is it?" Mr. Wolf asked with a raised eyebrow.
"... When an elephant drinks water with its trump, does it taste like boogers?"
The entire room crumbled under a wave of laughter. Everybody in the audience couldn't keep it straight after hearing the Koopa's question. Even Mr. Wolf and Eleven couldn't hold back their sneakers, despite having to stay professional. Cappy couldn't help but discreetly blush, feeling embarrassed for his friend.
"Well, that's an interesting question," Mr. Wolf said after catching his breath and wiping a little tear from his eye. "I don't think I can answer that, turtle boy; I'm not an elephant expert. Anyway, that was the last question we could take, as we're running out of time. That'll be all for this episode, ladies and gentlemen! Thanks a lot for joining us tonight, and make sure to tune in next week for another episode with your truly! Have a good night!"
The show's closing theme played, with everybody clapping as the final curtains closed. Everybody began leaving the building in high spirits, talking about how much fun they had that night. Once out in the streets of New York, Cappy revealed himself and floated in front of his friend. "Alex, you shouldn't ask questions like this in public."
"Why?" Alex asked with a confused expression. "I just wanted to know if elephants taste their own boogers when drinking water with their trumps."
"I know, but it's the kind of question that people might find weird. And I just don't want everybody to mock you like this. Do you understand?"
"... Not really, but if you think it's wrong, then I'll try to not ask it anymore," Alex replied with a shrug. "Say, do they invite people from other worlds every year for Halloween, in the Epic Universe?"
Cappy nodded. "Yes; Halloween's a big deal here, in the Epic Universe. Every year, starting from the month of October, this world turns into a haunted playground with scare zones, haunted houses and scary shows." He shivered a bit. "Personally, I'm not a big fan of this event because everything just gets so scary. Boos and Dry Bones start roaming everywhere across the Mushroom Kingdom - Mario even told me once about mysterious creatures from outer space known as the 'Hell Valley Sky Trees'. And it's not just the ambiance; from October 1st to early November, every monster of the Epic Universe gets more aggressive and dangerous. The defense forces always have their hardest time during this time of the year. That's why we must be ready to deal with vampires, insane people with chainsaws, zombies, etc. Usually, I lock myself in Princess Peach's Castle and wait for the month to end before coming out..."
Alex stared at his friend and pulled him back on his head. "Wow, that does sound like a big event indeed." He then stared at the ground with a frown. "Too bad I won't be there to see it..."
Author's note: Special thanks to TheDragonSaver for suggesting this chapter idea! While I haven't followed much of its history, I did see a few episodes of The Tonight Show before, mostly those with Game of Thrones actors and WWE wrestlers. That's why I really liked the idea of Mr. Wolf from The Bad Guys hosting an episode.
As said in this chapter, Stranger Things and The Last of Us are scheduled to be guest franchises in Universal Studios for this year's Halloween Horror Nights, which is why Eleven got to appear as a special guest. Unfortunately, I haven't seen the fourth season, so I couldn't really write a 100% accurate depiction of the character. Hope I didn't do anything wrong. And good luck to everybody in Universal Studios at this time of the year.
Next time: Alex and Cappy meet Azrael and his friends at the New Moon Theater.