Chapter 47: Ketchum on Trial
A large paper roll was unrolled on a table. The Turtles, Pikachu and Brock looked to the large sheet, seeing the schematics and hardware listings made everyone awe. "Oh…" thought Donatello. "It looks like the equipment and schematics to making this new Trans-Dimensional portal shouldn't be too hard. It's going to take at least two weeks to build."
"But that doesn't mean they're going home right when it's finished, right?" wondered Leonardo. "From all we know, they could end up in a completely different dimension like one with dinosaurs, or one that have residents that look like Krang."
"Yeah, one Krang's bad enough," Raphael gulped.
"Believe me, we're anxious to get back to May and Max," Brock spoke.
"I know that feeling, dude," Michelangelo agreed. "It's all for your help in putting Shred-Head and his Technodrome in their place." Pikachu cheered to the chance of returning to the Pokémon World. Ash wasn't paying attention. He sat on the couch with a smile, almost like he was sleeping in his seat. Hearing no reaction, everyone turned to Ash.
"Hey, is something up?" asked Raphael. Ash didn't react. Leonardo came over to Ash.
"Are you thinking about Buffy?" teased Leonardo. Ash irked and turned to Leonardo after being discovered. It wasn't long ago when Ash was on an adventure protecting Buffy from Shredder and his mutants while sending Team Rocket to a jail in Dimension X. Ash recovered and giggled.
"Sorry…" he apologized. "It's… the first time I actually admitted to loving someone. It's not that I lied, I'm just… It's not like me to suddenly fall in love with someone."
"Hey, no one said you're not allowed, Ash," Raphael assured. "We were just talking about getting you guys back home." Ash nodded, just as anxious to return to his friends.
"I can imagine May and Max's reactions if they saw you," he thought. That's when he stood up. "Sorry… but I'm gonna head up to the surface for some fresh air."
"Okay, Ash," Donatello excused. Ash started his way out of the sewers.
("Let me come with!") requested Pikachu. Hearing his partner, Ash turned to his Mouse Pokémon.
"Sorry, but I'll be fine," Ash dismissed. "Besides, if anything does come to attack me, there's Casey Jones I can team up with." Pikachu mulled but accepted the decision. Ash headed topside and started walking throughout Manhattan as twilight formed in the sky. Ash snickered. "Now, this is what can make New York City beautiful." From behind, Burne and Vernon hid behind a corner.
"I can't believe Clayton wants this brat," Burne grinned.
"It's rather cumbersome for this to have on his show," Vernon mulled. "I'm not going to like this."
"But think of the ratings! Even Clayton knows what the audience wants!"
"If you say so…" Using a long straw, Vernon waited until Ash passed them before he blew into the utensil when a large dart emerged. The dart jabbed into Ash on the neck.
"OW!" he winced. He reached and pulled the dart from his neck.
"Now, you'll be coming with us!" urged Burne. Ash looked back and gawked to who it was.
"Mr. Thompson?" he realized. "What's going… on…" He suddenly felt drowsy. He fell into Burne's arms.
"Well, he didn't get a chance to rebuff," he shrugged. "Let's go!" Vernon grabbed Ash by the legs before they loaded him into the van nearby. Vernon drove away, but someone saw the event with blue eyes. About an hour later, Ash was on a chair as he started to wake.
"Where… am I?" he groaned. The room was dark. "Why did Mr. Thompson do that?" Suddenly, a voice.
"Welcome, Ash Ketchum!" a man's voice rang out. Ash turned, sensing where it was coming. Two spotlights shone down: one on Ash and one on an empty chair. "You've been invited to the show of controversial talk." Entering the second spotlight was a middle-aged curly brunette man wearing a sky blue shirt with a blue neck-tie. "After all, you're…" The lights soon flashed on and highlighted the crowd.
"ON TRIAL!" the crowd cheered. They applauded and cheered, rowdy to see the show.
"I'm your host, Clayton Kellerman," the brunette announced. "Tonight, we have a boy that has become a menace in Manhattan, even brought some of our station's members into a different dimension. Of course, I'm talking about none other than Ash 'Kid Chaos' Ketchum." His hand offered, Clayton fed off cheers of the boy.
"Clayton Kellerman," Ash repeated. "Oh yeah… The Turtles told me about you, and how aggressive you can be. All you want is what you want to hear."
"Oh please," Clayton scoffed while shrugging his shoulders, palms up. "I try to give my guests a fair chance to speak. Of course, this is the first time I've had a child appear on my show." Ash stood up when Ash started to look for an exit.
"Now, you're not going anywhere, Ash!" urged Burne as he directed him back to the chair. Ash recalled what happened when he fell asleep.
"Says the one who struck me with a tranquilizer dart!" he stammered.
"Consider it a moment for you to defend yourself for all of the misgivings you've given this town," Vernon pointed out. "At least you don't have those pesky Turtles to help you out." Ash felt pressured to go with this interview. In the Lair, Pikachu started to get worried about Ash. He'd been gone for awhile.
"Hey, bud!" called out Michelangelo. "What's up?" Pikachu squeaked to the orange-masked Turtle with his worry. "I'm sure Ash is fine. Besides, he's more than capable as a Turtle as well as a Trainer." Pikachu didn't feel any better as April entered.
"Hey guys!" she greeted.
"Oh, April!" gawked Michelangelo. Seeing Pikachu, April started to assume Ash would be here as well.
"I wanted to treat Ash out for something new after his time protecting the new CEO of Shellhammer Chemicals."
"He said he went topside, but he hadn't come back yet." The news didn't sit well with April.
"When did he leave? I know you have a clock somewhere, right?" Entering while hearing April, Donatello had an idea of time.
"He's been gone for an hour and a half," he answered. "I'm also a bit concerned about where he could've gone for a long time." Pikachu turned on the TV. It was on the station of Clayton's show.
"Ash, you've been a nuisance to Manhattan ever since you arrived, let alone after you teamed up with those slimy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," he mentioned as the camera was on Ash. Those watching gasped, shocked to see Ash on TV.
"ASH!" they shouted. It alerted Raphael, Leonardo, Splinter and Brock to the living room.
"What prompted you to be with those mutant freaks in the first place?" questioned Clayton. "I bet they have something to do with other kids who think 'I can also help with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,' and become vigilantes like yourself!" Ash feigned to answer, his brow furrowed.
"Kellerman has Ash being his defendant!?" gasped April. "Ooh, the nerve!" At a different place's bedroom, Zach turned on the TV to see Ash on the same show.
"It's Ash!" he alerted. "What's he doing on 'On Trial!?" A honey blond young man wearing a white shirt with a blue "5" on it came in.
"Zach, what are you talking about?" he wondered. Seeing Ash, he became curious. "Is this one of the new Turtles?"
"Yeah, Walt," confirmed Zach. "It's one I told you about.
"There's a fine line between vigilantes and doing the right thing," Ash explained to Clayton. "But that tells me you don't want good Samaritans to be involved at all."
"Don't be so naive to the discussion," Clayton scoffed. At the Shellhammer Estate, Buffy turned on the TV after her latest business meeting when she saw the same program… and her boyfriend on there.
"Ash!?" she gasped.
"Then what is it that you want me to say?" argued Ash. "I support mutant animals?"
"What I prefer is that you resent being this 'Freedom Fighter' and leave the action to the proper authorities," Clayton suggested while gesturing air quotes.
"Then tell everyone!" pointed out Ash. She muted the TV and placed a tablecloth onto it as her father entered. Ash seemed done with the conversation. "I'm done! I got better things to do than hang around in this dump of a program!" He started to get up, but Vernon clasped the shoulders and anchored him down. The camera wasn't on him.
"He's a little upset," Clayton teased. "But we don't let people out of the fire like that." The crowd became restless. They began to shout at him, mocking his behavior.
"Take the stand, child!" one man shouted from the audience.
"Just cry, crybaby!" a woman mocked. "It's easy to just confess!"
"No one can escape from Kellerman!" another man warned. Clayton seemed to be feeding off the crowd.
"It would be easier to just come out and explain why you need to be this hero over the police," he sneered. The yelling from the crowd to cave to Clayton's demands, Clayton urging him to forfeit being a protector, Ash trembled and shook. Vernon backed away before Ash stood up and turned to the crowd.
"WHY DON'T YOU SHUT UP!?" he bellowed. The crowd became silent, spooked at how loud Ash became while Clayton smirked. "You want to tell me what to do!? Tell it to my face! Don't hide behind someone who calls the shots! Or are you afraid of what I have?" Not one person made a move.
"Now, I got the real feelings from you," Clayton snickered. "You should know that you cannot always be a hero. There will be a time that you'll turn on everyone. Here, I'm showing you what your actions during your time here has caused." Ash looked to Clayton as the crowd started to act up again.
"My actions? Have you ever once considered what prompted me to these actions that actually protected them? Maybe you should have Shredder on trial for the crimes he's committed... and besides, why don't you answer me this: were YOU the one who saved April O'Neil's life at Fort Charles?" Poking, Ash jabbed a finger to Clayton as he shouted "YOU" to him. "Were YOU the one who stopped the Technodrome from sending the entire planet to Dimension X when the military gave up? Were YOU the one who stopped the Zipps from eating the city alive?" Turning from Clayton, Ash faced the studio audience. "Did any of YOU PEOPLE save the city from those giant bugs? No! Those were done by me, Brock and our good friends, The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and unlike you cowards, we had the courage to stand up and fight the good fight!"
"It's not as straightforward as you might think, brat. After all, it starts with you at the power plant and those creatures. Maybe bring one of them out to show the crowd." The crowd cheered for Ash to bring out his Pokémon. Vernon became a bit unnerved at the thought.
"Don't let it be the rodent," he gulped. "Anything but the rodent!" Ash crossed his arms and shook his head.
"I'm afraid I don't have any of them on me," he briefed. Vernon breathed a sigh of relief at hearing Ash not have Pikachu.
"Did you forget that he was alone?" reminded Burne. Vernon shook his head.
"You don't have them?" repeated Clayton. "Or you're too afraid to show us?"
"You know we have laws about attacking other people," Ash proclaimed. "And besides, what will you do? Call them mutants like the Turtles you so despise?" The audience booed at Ash's refusal. Suddenly, all the lights turned on. Clayton and Ash looked befuddled at the lighting of the room. That's when men in black business suits emerged. Seeing the suits, Clayton ran out without Ash noticing.
"Everyone, file out!" one suited man ordered. "The show is over!" The crowd booed and hissed at the suits as Pete arrived.
"Pete?" realized Burne as he reached Pete with Vernon by his side. "What are you doing here!? And with all of these suits!?" Pete didn't react, just showed a scorn on his face. That's when two of the suits grabbed Burne and Vernon's arms and pulled them behind their backs as stunned audience members were herded outside. "What the-!"
"What are you doing!?" gawked Vernon. "Unhand me!" That's when Pete pulled out a badge and showed it to Burne and Vernon. Burne gawked to the shield badge on it.
"Wait, the National Newscasters Bureau!?" he read the badge.
"Peter Rockman, agent of the Bureau!" briefed Pete. "I also have the FBI joining." The suits cuffed Burne and Vernon as Ash came over. Another man in a suit stopped him with a hand on Ash's shoulder. "Burne Thompson and Vernon Fenwick, you're under arrest for felony kidnapping, tax evasion, embezzlement, use of a dangerous drug and insurance fraud." The two handcuffed seemed shocked to hear of the charges.
"No fair!" whined Vernon. "Why should I have to go with him!?"
"You have the parent station to answer, Mr. Fenwick," Peter corrected.
"I do not accept the charges!" snapped Burne as he tried to shake himself free. "Insurance Fraud? Embezzlement? You can't arrest me for that! How did you-"
"Did you forget when Shredder used the Ming Dynasty statues on us?" reminded Peter. "And that you didn't want the van damaged? Or how about sending Miss O'Neil to the botanical gardens over the missing comics? The Feds dug up what it was about."
"You know this station can't afford a new news van!" argued Burne.
"This station is no longer yours," Peter denied. "By the notification of the National Newscasters Bureau… Burne Thompson, you're fired." He thumbed over his shoulder for the agents to escort Burne and Vernon out of the building.
"I want my attorney!" shouted Burne.
"I want my mommy!" cried Vernon. Ash looked on, stunned by what just happened. Peter turned to Ash.
"I saw you get the dart," the newly discovered agent briefed. "Are you okay?" Ash nodded.
"I had no idea that you're an agent of this bureau," he awed.
"I had gathered information and relayed it to both agencies until they said it was enough to detain Burne. This station may be blacked out for a while until someone new comes around."
"But then, all of that past… like you from Madison…"
"No, all of that was true… I didn't want to expose myself until the time was right. I know you're okay, but I have EMS outside to make sure." They walked out with a couple of other agents as April and Pikachu arrived. Seeing the agents with Peter and Ash, April couldn't believe the sight.
"Pete?" she called. Peter turned his head away.
"Miss O'Neil," he addressed. "Report back to your home and the bureau will contact you and Irma tomorrow. There's… a lot going on." Pikachu squeaked somberly, thinking Peter's facade broke. "Pikachu, I still want to be friends with you. Would that be okay?"
("Of course!") cheered Pikachu. April accepted and started to walk out. With Ash being attended to by doctors on scene, Peter opened the ring case. He felt that if there was a chance, it was lost. What will happen to Channel 6? It doesn't have anyone running the station.
TO BE CONTINUED…
(Shout out to the South Carolina Lady Gamecocks for their perfect season and to the UConn Huskies as National Champions of college basketball.)