Out in the Darkness

**"Out in the Darkness"**is the third episode of *Justice* and the 21st episode overall.

It was published on June 1, 2018.

In the episode, on the day of the attacks, as the Toon Resistance fights, Alice Carver, Bradley Wolfe, and Vidalia VaVoom wrestle with their apathy.

## The Episode

===Estate===

=Day of the Attacks=

As the Toon Resistance launched coordinated strikes on Sellbot, Cashbot, and Lawbot Headquarters, Deputy Aleck Harding breathed in the crisp, fresh air of a Toon estate. It was once owned by the VaVoom family as a second vacation estate in the Gardens, but the family hardly ever used it once the children grew up. Once Alice Carver and Bradley Wolfe were found, Vavarro VaVoom graciously donated the estate in its entirety to the Toon Patrol to help victims of violence and crime find housing. Alice and Bradley were given a permanent home on the estate, which consisted of six houses. They were each painted a vibrant different color, and Bradley and Alice settled on a yellow one. Aleck noted when they chose it, they steered clear of the green one on the opposite side of the estate. Green, like the color of Dr. Adam Molecule's skin.

The other five houses on the Estate were empty for now. Crime in Toontown has always historically been low, and thus Aleck could hardly fathom a reason for any of the other five houses filling up soon, but VaVoom was unwavering in his donation. He said it was for the good of the town, and of course for Bradley and Alice. The pair were shocked when they heard of his gift and insisted it was too much. VaVoom personally visited both of them and apologized for the years of torment they endured, even though he had nothing to do with it. Aleck Harding had in that moment decided that Vavarro VaVoom was a good man. He was already the wealthiest man in Toontown, but now he was also considered the greatest philanthropist.

Aleck had decided that in order to ensure maximum security for Alice and Bradley, a full-time force would need to be present on the estate. Instead of building a new structure, the red house on the estate would become a base for Toon Patrollers to keep an eye out for Cogs and keep the two safe. Aleck couldn't really understand it, but Alice and Bradley were convinced that the Cogs would one day return for them, and spirit them away to Chipper Acres. Aleck told himself he didn't have to understand. He just had to protect them.

Alice and Bradley toured their new home with interest. They marveled at every detail, even if it was nothing grand. Alice cooed at the bland wallpaper and wooden floors. Bradley remarked how spacious the bedroom was, even though it was tiny. Alice loved the wilting flowers outside. It eventually dawned on Aleck that they were just enjoying their freedom and ability to live in the open. That was all they had ever wanted. Both of them hooted with joy when they saw the vaulted ceilings. Aleck had heard of the cramped quarters in which they had been confined while under lock and key of Dr. Molecule. A vile man, for sure.

"That is the telephone," Aleck said, pointing at a vintage contraption on the wall. The VaVoom estate had not been outfitted with the latest appliances and it would take too long to rewire the place, so Aleck had Dr. Kilo Byte reconfigure the old telephone to be an emergency system.

"All you have to do is ring twice and the Patrol next door will come running. To make a regular phone call, just dial. The newest Cattlelog was delivered by Clarabelle this morning. I left it on your coffee table."

"We have a coffee table," Alice Carver said with glee. Bradley seized the Cattlelog and began flipping through it. Aleck watched them with interest. They were remarkably kind individuals, each with exceptional manners. They had bene scarred and tortured and seen unspeakable evils but they wanted nothing more than to enjoy their lives. It was inspiring, to say the least.

"Do you have any further questions about your new lodgings?" Aleck asked. Alice and Bradley looked at each other, still smiling.

"Not really," Alice said. "You've been so thorough."

"Thank you," Bradley said with sincerity. "We can't say it enough."

"Of course," Aleck said, returning the grin. "It has been my pleasure. And you both have my personal number that you can call if you ever need something. Hopefully you know how much Constance and I care about you two."

Bradley and Alice's smiles faltered only slightly and Aleck kicked himself. It was a small mistake, but by emphasizing how much the Toon Patrol cares about Alice and Bradley, it reminded them how they had been neglected by the Toon Patrol before, in the years when they were regarded as cold cases. Aleck quickly changed the subject.

"I have to return to Toon HQ to meet with Slate Oldman."

"Oh really?" Alice said, crossing her arms. "The fabled Blizzard Wizard? He once spoke at my school. Or was that his father...?"

"No that was Slate," Bradley said. "He spoke at my school too for science class. The man's a legend."

"Well," Aleck said, "Would you like to come along? I'm sure he'd be thrilled to meet you."

Alice and Bradley's faces lit up.

"That'd be wonderful!" Alice exclaimed.

"Thank you so much!" Bradley said.

===Toon Patrol Headquarters, Toontown Central===

"Has Slate arrived yet?" Aleck Harding asked the secretary.

"Not yet."

Aleck turned to Alice and Bradley, whose faces were full of anticipation and delight. They were also looking around the station with fascination. Aleck had never seen people so happy to be inside the police station.

Aleck said to the secretary "Would you mind telling Slate that I'm in the basement?" and then beckoned to Alice and Bradley. The three of them descended into the basement, where the 27 Togs were kept. Aleck was shocked to hear their mechanical voices, all of them.

"What are they saying?" Alice said when she reached the landing. She and Bradley stood closely together in the middle of the hall so as to not get too close to the cells, as if close contact would be dangerous. But the 27 were all sitting in their separate cells on their cots, staring blankly into the hallway. They were muttering Toon words in Coglike voices, a dialect that had been called Cogspeak.

"Poor souls," Aleck said sadly.

"They're speaking in unison, I think," Bradley said. "Can you tell?"

Aleck listened and his ears perked as he noticed a sort of rhythm to their voices. They were all inhaling at the same time. They weren't saying the exact same words at the same time, but they were speaking with a quick cadence.

"Interesting," Aleck said. "I'll have to tell Slate when he arrives. It's..."

"Psychic," a soft voice said behind them. Slate Oldman was descending the last set of stairs. He looked concerned.

"A psychic link," he muttered. "Something that the Cogs can access...a way to communicate with all of them...subconsciously..."

Slate bent to look directly into the eyes of Soggy Bottom, who was staring straight ahead. She was murmuring evenly.

"If the Cogs are able to communicate with the Togs...then the problem isn't just their hearts. It's their brains as well."

"Oh my..." Aleck said.

"It would be unprecedented," Slate said, sighing and standing.

"An exodus to another world is just as unprecedented, Mr. Oldman," Alice said. "And yet Toons figured that out. We can solve this."

"Can't we go back to Fantasyland?" Bradley asked. "Everyone was happy there."

"It's impossible," Slate said. "And I would argue that no one was truly happy. Ignorance is bliss, but bliss is not akin to happiness."

Slate began pacing along the hallway. Aleck, Alice, and Bradley followed.

"That world was destroyed as soon as we left. It's not a permanent physical place...I can't fully comprehend it and I don't think anyone else in Toontown can either. Dr. Nimbus alone knew how the system worked, and to a lesser extent...Patrick."

Slate stopped at the cage of Professor Patrick Prepostera. The blue horse was bent over, whispering.

"Professor Prepostera lost his memories at the Final Battle," Bradley said. "When he sent me."

"Precisely," Slate said and frowned. "I fear that when he returns from this state, he won't remember anything of his former self. The memory loss was designed to restore memories when it rained in Fantasyland and we returned to Toontown. Professor Prepostera is the only one to give up his memories and not go to Fantasyland."

Aleck nodded.

"The Emergency Portal is dead."

"It is," Slate said. "We are I suppose 'stuck' in reality and we must focus on fixing our town. We can't run away anymore."

Bradley inhaled sharply. He seemed struck by that statement. Aleck placed a paw on Slate's shoulder.

"Shall we make our rounds?"

"Sure," Slate said and opened the first cell, stepping inside.

===The Docks===

Ahab Ishmael growled as the scuba divers strapped on their gear. The fishing boat was resting perfectly still in the bay. The Docks was the only neighborhood in Toontown that bordered water. Dreamland and the Brrrgh were surrounded by enormous mountains that dropped off into vertiginous cliffs. The Gardens was set inland because the outer regions were too swampy for inhabitation. The Cogs somehow turned that swamp into a desolate coal mine. Similarly, Cashbot and Lawbot Headquarters, the infernal bases of operations, were set into the mountains. Toons were incapable of constructing there, but the Cogs had found a way.

Ahab leaned against the railing and gave an apathetic nod toward the scuba divers, who got into position and then flipped over into the bay. Ahab squinted at the foggy horizon, where the cragged rocks kept the Toons safe from outside intruders. It had taken the original settlers a full month to find the only entrance to the bay, a small strait that was too choppy to navigate during daytime hours. Only in the early hours of dusk could a small boat sail through. The founders of Toontown had not arrived by sea, but nonetheless wanted to ensure they were protected. The harsh and cruel mountains in the north protected the Toons, who had nearly died in their trek to surmount them. The cragged rocks and violent waters protected the Toons from the south. The cliffs on the west and east encircled the town. Toontown had been around for over 300 years, and nothing threatening had ever arrived at their borders.

Until the Cogs rose from within. Because of Dr. Molecule and Flippy. Their treachery.

Ahab was irate at Eileen Irenic for calling him out in the last meeting, wishing an end to his political career. He was only trying to think of his citizens, the ones who had voted him into office in the special election following Exodus, when it was revealed that Councilmember Melville Jesop had died in the Final Battle. Perhaps a better fate than the one that faced the Togs.

Ahab watched the scuba divers search underwater. The bay was so clear that the first 50 feet or so could be clearly seen. The scuba divers kept going deeper, their lights attached to their helmets sparkling.

"What are they looking for?" the boat captain asked candidly. He was smoking from a pipe.

"Tunnels," Ahab said simply. "Cog tunnels."

The captain looked alarmed. Ahab noticed a Toon Resistance membership pin affixed to his shirt.

"You fight?" Ahab asked with absolutely no interest. The captain straightened his posture and puffed out his chest.

"Sure do! Gotta protect the town! I got my new squirt gag yesterday. Been waiting all day to try it out on some Cogs."

"Hmm," Ahab grunted. If those attacks went as planned, the captain would have no Cogs to try gags on. Unless the scuba divers found the underwater Bossbot Headquarters right now.

"What about you?"

Ahab jumped.

"What's that?"

"Do you fight?"

Ahab crossed his arms and stared at the horizon. The thick fog was beginning to roll into the bay as it did every afternoon. By evening, fog would envelop the Docks and by nightfall, the streets would be dangerous. For those that lived outside the Docks, the fog seemed like a burden, but Ahab had grown to love the fog. It provided a clock by which everyone could abide. It reminded children to return home before curfew, or else be swallowed by the fog. And after Bradley Wolfe vanished during a particularly foggy night, and ever since the advent of the Cogs, people were sure to be safe in their homes before the fog swept through the streets.

The scuba divers suddenly emerged from the water.

"Tunnels!" one of them shouted. Ahab leaned over the boat's railing and peered into the water. He couldn't see anything, but the scuba divers were now returning to the boat with underwater cameras. The photos were to be developed and sent immediately to the Mayor.

But, Ahab thought as he lowered the boat's ladder to the divers, there would be no harm in him taking the first look.

===Punchline Place===

Vidalia VaVoom daintily picked at her salad with a silver fork encrusted with an emerald handle. Clarabelle Cow sat across the luncheon table, chewing delicately. Vidalia breathed in the fresh air streaming in through the open window overlooking the rather deserted corner of Punchline Place known as Glamor Grove. It was where the most affluent citizens of Toontown lived. Vidalia always thought it was kind of funny to name part of a street that was only specific to two homes. Glamor Grove was comprised of two mansions: VaVoom Manor and the Mayoral Mansion. VaVoom Manor was the largest house in Toontown. It spanned a full city block and was occupied by Vavarro VaVoom, his wife, his daughter, and the staff. Because of the vast amount of empty rooms, Vavarro also took in the children of Toontown orphaned by the Cogs and opened Toontown's newest and finest orphanage in the west wing of the house. Vidalia had been shocked by her father's selflessness in regards to that matter and was so proud of him for it. She was doubly impressed when he gave away the old summer estate to the Toon Patrol.

From the front hall of VaVoom Manor, one could see the vast expanse of the Mayoral Mansion. It housed the first three Mayors of Toontown before the people agreed that the Mansion was gaudy. The fourth Mayor detested the Mansion and opted to remain in their own lodgings and use the newly-invented transport network to get to Toon Hall. Later Mayors either stayed at home and teleported or took up lodgings in Haha House, a simple but beautiful house at the beginning of Punchline Place. The Mayoral Mansion was instead partitioned into multiple houses for Toontown's wealthier residents. VaVoom Manor had actually been combined together from multiple houses when Vavarro earned his enormous fortune. The VaVoom family fortune began when Vidalia's ancestor, Vivienne VaVoom, invented the transport network. Vavarro expanded the fortune when he revitalized the electrical grid in Toontown. It was Vavarro who bought all the houses on Glamor Grove and made it VaVoom Manor. Vidalia was the heiress to his fortune.

But today, as Vidalia looked out the window at the opulent front drive she had grown up on, she felt a sour taste in her mouth. She had been convincing herself that she was helping the Toon effort with her phone calls and emphatic patriotism. But today she was sitting in the parlor of her mansion with her best friend, eating an expensive lunch, and doing nothing while the Toon Resistance members fought valiantly against the Cogs.

"I feel guilty," Vidalia said to Clarabelle, who looked up in surprise.

"Guilty?" Clarabelle inquired.

"Yes," Vidalia said. "I'm not doing anything to help. I'm just sitting here. All these Toons are out there risking their lives, fighting for their town--our town--and I don't even know how to use a gag. Not even the small ones."

"That's not quite fair," Clarabelle said. "You make all the phone calls."

"Phone calls!" Vidalia sneered. "Encouraging everyone to head to the front while I sip tea in these halcyon halls."

Vidalia replaced her teacup on its tray and leaned back in her chair.

"I want to join the Toon Resistance."

Clarabelle spat out her tea, and then gasped at her lack of etiquette.'

"Join?" she gasped. "Vidalia..."

"I want to join," Vidalia repeated. "I want to learn how to use gags and I want to fight the Cogs. I want to do good and help out."

Clarabelle leaned across the table.

"Vidalia, my dear, you mustn't! You'll get dirty...and...and...gross...and your nails will not stay sharp if you're handling...gags!"

Vidalia furrowed her eyebrows. Those were not good reasons at all. She simply shrugged.

"I'm tired of sitting around the house."

"But you've been helping in the orphanage!" Clarabelle nearly cried.

"Yes," Vidalia said. "I can still do that and be a fighter."

"There's no more fight," Clarabelle said with a scowl. "The Toons will have won today."

Clarabelle gazed out of the open window.

"I wish we could return to Fantasyland. My life there was so serene. I was just the telephone operator. I made calls. I didn't have to worry about Cogs. And gags. And the fact that I'm the only cow left in Toontown."

Vidalia swallowed hard. There it was. The topic Clarabelle hated most. That she was the last cow. Last of her species. She quickly steered the conversation elsewhere, even if it was abrupt.

"Clarabelle, darling, you haven't seen Papa's newest upholstery in the drawing room! You simply must see it! Divine, really!"

Vidalia scooped Clarabelle's arm and pulled her away from the table. The two chatted about nonsense as they traversed the house. All the while, Vidalia kept thinking about how best to approach Eileen Irenic about joining the Resistance. She knew Eileen would be somewhat skeptical, since Vidalia couldn't help but share a juicy story with the public when it arose. Eileen thought Vidalia was an incessant gossiper, and Vidalia couldn't help but agree.

===Toon Patrol Headquarters===

"Bradley, you can't be serious."

"I am, Alice. I think we should join the Toon Patrol. Be useful. Help others."

"Have you forgotten how they neglected us? How they left us to die at Chipper Acres? Where were the search parties? Who..."

"Alice," Bradley said gently. "These people are different. They care. They do. They helped save us. They're giving us an estate..."

"An estate we should be using to take refuge. To relax. To recover! To retreat and never show our faces again. Never again to Cogs, for sure."

"I don't think we should hide," Bradley said. "Without a job we'll have no purpose."

"I don't want a purpose. I just want to relax."

Bradley and Alice stared at each other. They weren't coming to any agreement.

"I want to be alone," Alice said. "With you. But alone."

"We were alone for twelve years," Bradley said. "Now we should surround ourselves with others. With people who care. Hiding won't make us feel better. Can we just try it?"

Alice shuffled her feet. She scratched at her facial scar.

"I suppose," she said.

Bradley's face lit up.

"Really?"

Alice grinned.

"Really."

===The Executive Suites, Bossbot Headquarters===

"The Factory's has been stormed," the Chief Executive Officer said. "Sellbot Towers has been abandoned. The Sellbots have retreated to the barracks beyond the mines. The Mints have been infiltrated and the Coin Mint is officially offline. Lawbot Headquarters was breached but the DA Offices remain untouched. Bossbot Headquarters has, to my knowledge, not been found. And there are no more Cog buildings on the streets. We tried but the Toons moved too quickly. And the power..."

The CEO paused and looked up at the blackened lights.

"The power is still out."

The Chairman sat angrily in his chair, a single kerosene lantern lighting the executive office chamber.

Sellbots, all but destroyed.

Cashbots, offline.

Lawbots, uselessly far away.

Bossbots, the only force that remained strong.

Cog Nation was falling apart. Without power, they couldn't use the trains, they couldn't transport a mass amount of Cogs, and they couldn't create more if the Factory was offline. The Chief Financial Officer, Chief Justice, and CEO were licking their wounds and trying to recuperate, but how could they operate in the dark?

The Chairman desperately yearned to break the 27 Togs out of Toontown Central, but where they were housed--the Playground as his other four Togs told him--was off his map. It was as if the playgrounds were hidden.

The Chairman turned to Doctor, Smokey Joe, Lucy Tires, and Silly Sal.

"Finish sending the codes to the Cog leaders." He paused. "Not the Vice President. We won't promote a new one until the Sellbots have recovered."

He stared at them. They got the message and backed out of the room. Then he rounded on the CEO.

"Get out."

The CEO rolled toward the exit. Once the door closed, the Chairman closed his eyes in fury. He hated the Toons, hated them. They were obnoxious, idiotic, inferior pests and they must be destroyed.

The Chairman let out a clamorous yell, so powerful and forceful that his face cracked from side to side.

## Production

### Continuity and Story Arcs

Alice and Bradley move into their pemanent home on an estate donated by Vavarro VaVoom to the Toon Patrol. They later decide to look into joining the Toon Patrol to help solve the Tog question.

The Whispers network is first mentioned, a bygone product of the War. Toons regard it with distaste. The Whispers network is a parallel of the in-game mode of communicating with others, called "Whisper."

The Togs in the basement of Toon HQ have been muttering in unison in what sounds like Cogspeak.

Slate Oldman informed the others that a return to Fantasyland is impossible, because it was a temporary plane that only Professor Prepostera and Dr. Nimbus understood. The former lost his memories in the Final Battle and the latter is dead.

Ahab's scuba divers indeed find underwater tunnels for the Cog trains beneath the Bay surrounding the Docks.

Details of the original founders' trek to Toontown is revealed in this episode. The first Toons are said to have arrived by land from the North, traveling through the harsh and unforgiving mountains just north of Toontown. No one has ever arrived by sea, as cragged rocks surround the Bay and there's only one point of entry. Due to the cliffs that surround the town, plus the mountains and crags, they are safe from outside forces.

Vidalia VaVoom, rife with guilt over her apathy, resolves to join the Toon Resistance.

The VaVoom fortune comes from Vidalia's ancestor, who invented the transport network.

Clarabelle Cow is said to be the only cow left in Toontown.

The Cogs are crippled in the coordinated strike and the Chairman becomes infuriated.

### References

Aleck Harding told Bradley and Alice to ring twice if there is an emergency at their estate. This is a reference to the antiquated practice of a postman ringing twice on the home doorbell to inform the occupants that an urgent telegram had arrived and needed an instant response. Because telegrams were expensive in this age, urgent telegrams were only delivered in extreme circumstances, such as the sudden death of a family member. Thus, ringing twice was a sign of forebodement.

   Glamor Grove on Punchline Place is modeled after an actual city block on that street. VaVoom Manor is located where Seminar Hardy Har Har is and the Mayoral Mansion is across the way.

## Trivia

* The title of this episode comes from the *Les Miserables* song "Stars" in which Javert laments that Jean Valjean is a fugutive running "out in the darkness." The title in terms of Storytime refers to the Cogs who are biding their time in the darkness beyond Toontown's borders.
* This episode was originally slated to be released on May 29, 2018, as a tribute to the publication of Storytime's first episode. However, due to the death of the author's laptop on that day, the episode's release was postponed.
* Glamor Grove was originally going to be located on Silly Street, but the author couldn't find a suitable location for it and looked elsewhere.
* This episode only features two main characters, but only one with a speaking line. It is the episode with the least amount of main characters featured.
* The Cogs are credited in this episode, even though none appear except high level bosses and Togs.