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It was a typical day in the Daily Times, a relatively slow, normal day. Numerous employees slugged around, a rather brisk slugging, in order to publish their news stories in the new newspaper for the coming day. I arrived as usual, a bit later than the expected time, and saw Tim furiously tapping upon his keyboard with determined defiance.
"Whoa, whoa, Tim! Slow down. What's wrong? Did the computer lock you out again?" I wondered.
He angrily looked up. "They cancelled my show! Those stinkin' surrogates cancelled my show!" He yelled.
"Oh, no. Not Arachnakid. You know your not supposed to write angry letters to companies while on duty..." I warned him.
"No, not Arachnakid. If they cancelled that, I'd hold the place hostage, what I mean is that prank show on kids called 'Tomfoolery' on Nightly Ntertainment."
"Tomfoolery? Hah, that's an interesting name," I laughed.
I glanced at the screen, which to my surprise was not a letter, but a soon-to-be-printed news article scheduled to be released in the Daily Times. And what language it contained was not for the eyes of the weak.
"Hey! You're not actually putting that in the paper!?" I exclaimed, grabbing the mouse in order to delete.
He grabbed it back.
"No! Back I say! Justice must be served! I must thoroughly examine the actions of these criminals and expose them for what they really are! Cancel my show, will they! Well, they've never tangled with the great and powerful journalist, Tim Higher! Muahahahaha!" He cried maniacally.
I looked around with a slightly uncomfortable look upon my face.
"You seriously need to get checked for Adult ADD, my friend," I silently spoke, trying to divert attention.
"But seriously, why did they cancel the show?" I wondered, inquiringly.
Tim raised an eye at me. "Just take a look for yerself," he said, pointing his finger to the screen, revealing his descriptive text.
I read it with great surprise striking my emotions. "What? Well, a show like that should be cancelled! Poisoning children? These reality tv shows are getting out of hand..." I argued.
"No, no no! They didn't do it! I know they couldn't have! Those guys wouldn't really do it! They just play pranks on kids!" Tim defended. "I tells ya, someone else is behind this!"
"Well then, who?"
"I don't know... but I know!"
"Know what?"
"That they didn't do it!"
"What?"
"You're the Face, you should get cracking!"
"What?!"
I searched around to see if anyone had had the ears to listen to such a blatant remark.
"Investigative Journalism, that's what it is! You've done it before, now go and find out who did it!"
"Me? Why not you? It's your favorite show, I haven't even seen it!"
"It's your duty! Part of the Journalism code! You have the costume, this isn't your normal every day case, these are wily hands at work! Besides, I gotta keep my hide here, posting my daily, and very important I might add, opinions and rants on the paper! And I don't like danger. You should've seen the way those kids were launching their candy last night... it was gruesome. And I didn't know it was televised live either until that night. You know, you really learn alot from these shows once a crisis like this happens."
"Wait, wait, wait a second!" I interrupted. "Journalism Code? What, did you make that up or something?"
Tim eagerly opened the drawer from the desk in his cubicle and pulled out a raggedy, dusty old book. He blew on it with a quick breath of air, and particles of dust floated about and into my nostrils. It irritated me, and I let out a great sneeze. He turned the pages for a while and spoke.
"Right here!" he pointed. "Journalism Code Number 346, a journalist must always uncover the true motives behind a criminal act, however miniscule or large, in any circumstance. Some cirumstances may vary, see pages 395, 456, 983, 1049..." he said, continuing a long list of page numbers that I had no care for.
"Where did you get that!?" I wondered incredulously, swiping at the book. However, he was too quick, and quickly stuffed it back into his drawer, locking it away with a well-hidden key.
"It doesn't matter! You read it, you must follow it! When you signed up to this business you didn't think you were signing up to a free-loading, don't-do-what-you're-told, lazy, chair-sitting, do-nothing escapade did you?!"
"I... I..." I couldn't answer. It hit me all so fast, that I was unable to answer. I struggled to think, it was like he had tied my mind into a paltry, undeniable web of lies.
"Now, you are beginning to understand. This is what you must do. It is your quest. It is your destiny. Live it. Let the Face guide your moves," he said.
"Hey, I can do what I want!" I said, disbelieving that I was considering this.
"Go home. Get some rest, I'll cover for you. Dawn the mask of the Face, and discover the truth behind the closing of a great piece of art. The fate of the Entertainment World rests upon it."
And so I decided. And I went home.
2
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