BOOMER ZONE

Part 5 - Painting the NiGHT Blue.

The weekly art class was underway again and each prospective Boomer was trying their hardest ti outshine the others. There were the usual suspects - Stiv, SonicFanatic, Chosenoneknuckles - each producing a new, perfect masterpiece. Standing in front of the young prodigies, giving a refined lecture, was Adamis Fox. With his pink quiff flowing in the draught and glowing crest embedded in his chest, Adamis was one of the Artist Humes employed to give everyone a 'masterclass' and he was damned proud of it. The majority listened to him intently, drawing on his suggestions and spawning new ideas. One, however, blatantly refused to conform. Sitting in his striking red blazer with his long curly hair, NiGHTS 3:16 was doing what HE wanted to do. With his watercolour palette in one hand and canvas staring him in the face, NiGHTS had produced an image of a carefree, pink hedgehog skipping through loaming green hills. She wore a green blouse and a short pink skirt and the vision of her firing a hefty medievil crossbow would be conjured in the mind of anyone to view it.

Up on the balcony overlooking the artists, Sin Scorpion and Retrogamer glared at the offending painter and its creator.

"He knows too much," snarled Sin, not removing his gaze from the picture.

"Oh, most certainly!" nodded Retro immensly.

"But...what can we do about it?" Sin thought as he rubbed his chin with his claw.

"Well, we could just arrest him," suggested Retro eventually.

"Excellent!" cried Sin, "That's exactly what you'll do!"

Before the fox could object and a swish of Sin's tail, Retro found himself hurtling towards the ground. Upon landing, a severe crack could be heard as he smashed his jaw and bit his tounge. Not to mention from an immense bout of humiliation. No artist turned to look or help.

"Secuity," whispered Sin into his radio.

Dusting himself down and correcting his face, Retro marched over to where NiGHTS merrily painted. 4 seconds after Sin had called for reinforcements, 2 burly bruisers also randomly appeared through the doors. Together with Retro, the three of them lurked by the side of NiGHTS.

"Umm...?" began NiGHTS curiously.

"Mitchell Cole, I'm arresting you for.....knowing too much," confirmed Retro, sheepishly.

"WHAT!? But that's no...." But before NiGHTS could further object to this most heinous accusation, the two bruisers grabbed him by the arms and dragged him away, screaming. With Adamis stopping talking in shocked disbelief, the other artists were attracted to the commotion behind them. Up above, Sin Scorpion gave a silent mirth of laughter and continued with his duties.

"Order, order!.....OI!!"

No matter how much Mike slammed his hammer down on the remains of Tomog's skull, the assembled crowd continued to banter.

"CONTINUE WITH THE CHAOS!!" squealed Mad_hair60, revealing a button, pushing it and watching everyone in the immediate location twitch in pain as he fried their brain implants. That shut them up.

This location was in fact the Trial by Fair Discussion. Deep below the restricted access of any Boomer, further down in the complex then anyone (except the builders) had ever been, a place you could mistake for Hell (or a courtroom), lay barren, unused, unloved, empty. Until now. It was the day of NiGHTS 3:16's trial and all of his 'friends' had gathered to see whether he was given a free pardon or was 'banned'. Friends was a rather loose term for 'people that wanted excitement'. Nonetheless, they were here to support the accused.

Ed entered the room from the back door and everyone rose. The vast majority of them chuckled at the sight of Ed - long flowing cloak and typical white wig - but they soon stopped suddenly after yet another violent shock. Ed glared at Madhair then turned to glare at NiGHTS.

"Mitchell Own Cole, you have been charged on several counts of 'knowing too much'. How will you plead?" spoke Ed.

NiGHTS had to be careful. Would he let his 'modesty' get in the way of his freedom?

"Not guilty," confirmed NiGHTS.

"The thing is..." continued Ed," You have no lawyer, no-one to defend you or back you up."

NiGHTS rotated and searched around and, indeed, there was no-one there for him. But suddenly, just by chance, the double doors to the courtroom burst open and in ran a very odd teenager with a half-torn robe and streaming eye make-up.

"I'LL be NiGHTS' attorney!"

Shadic was here to the rescue! Mike, sitting beside Ed with a decididly smaller cloak and greyer wig, was baffled.

"How did you know he needed a lawyer, you weren't even in the room?" said Mike in bafflement.

"American intuition," winked Shadic dodgily at NiGHTS. "Shall we begin?"

First to the stand was Boomer Dave. Looking slightly overwhelmed by the whole situation, he spent more time staring at the wooden beams spanning the ceiling than answering Shadic's questions.

"Would you....COULD you believe that NiGHTS knew anywhere near enough to 'know too much'?" asked Shadic powerfully.

"I...I know something," giggled Dave.

"Care to share...?" sighed Shadic, already half aware of the answer.

"I know how to type reaaaaaaaly long stories!" he grinned, scratching his green Reptile outfit before heading off to sit down. Shadic banged his head on his lectern.

Next up was RSM (Really Smelly Mohawk). Keeping a safe distance, Retrogamer began his questioning.

"Do you know NiGHTS personally, RSM?" Retro asked.

"What's THAT meant to mean?" gnarled RSM, banging his hands on the edge of the witness box. "Is that some kind of sick and twisted innuendo you got cooking up there!?"

"N...no..." cringed Retro, "I just needed to know..."

"You people drive me CRAZY! I've got better places to be than this!" RSM pulled out his newly-accquired M4 and proceeded to spray bullets at his surroundings.

"Yaahhhhh! My bandanna!!" screamed Retro as he found a hole in his bandanna, not worried about the bullet hole in the centre of his head. A Retrogamer shaped hole was soon seen in the court double doors.

"I think you'd better sit down," coughed Ed.

Following RSM to the stand, while slipping on Boomer blood, was Ray. A timid-seeming man with glasses and medium length hair, Ray seemed like the first that would answer Shadic's questions.

"Ray, what were your first impressions of NiGHTS 3:16?"

"Well, when I first appeared after an abscence of 12 years, NiGHTS did seem like a rather pleasant boy. However, when I..." Ray was all ready to continue, but a sneeze in the crowd from Mango but paid to that.

"S.....snot!!" yelled Ray. "Snot, bogies, GREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!!" Leaping out from the witness box, Ray treated the onlooking spectators to a spectacular transformation. Green spikes began sprouting from his back and black stripes and blotches appeared on his forehead. Ray had transformed into the super-evil-scary-demon they called Ashura. Letting out a fearless "RRROOOOOAARRRGGGHHH!", Ashura was soon beaten down by the points of 5 MOD cattle-prods.

"This is getting stupid!" yelled Sin Scorpion, leaping to the front of the courtroom and pointing at the accused. "I challenge you to a battle!!"

"Now, Sin," began Ed," this is a Trial of Fair Discussion...."

"Aw, pineapples to that, Reynolds!" yelled Sin. "If NiGHTS wins, he gets off scot-free. If I win, I get the pleasure of killing this heathen!"

NiGHTS, not one to turn down a scrap, leaped into the centre and at that PRECISE moment, a sword feel from the sky and into NiGHTS' hand. Sin lept at NiGHTS in one fearlful leap, tail poised, arms outstretched. Out of pure luck, NiGHTS managed to dodge to the side to see Sin crash into the prosecution lectern. Heading over to see if Sin was dead, NiGHTS quickly found himself on the floor after a floorbound swipe of Sin's tail. Now Sin was on his feet and NiGHTS was nursing a bruised elbow. Sin walked over to the weak figure of NiGHTS and laughed.

"You are guilty after all!" he chuckled as he leapt into the air. But NiGHTS was faking his ailment and as Sin came to plan his claws into NiGHTS' chest, he stuck his feet into the air and kicked Sin in the groin, sending him reeling. Recovering his feet and his sword, NiGHTS thrust the blade at Sin's face.

"STOP!" cried Ed. The two fighters turned to see Ed walk towards them. "It is quite clear that NiGHTS is not guilty of these charges. You are free to leave, Mr Cole."

Sin bowed his head in defeat and despair.

Later that evening, the courtroom double doors were repaired and sealed shut, while Spudiator removed the 'Trial by Fair Discussion' nameplate, replacing it with 'Trial By Combat'. Finished with his job, Spudiator left the Arena of Brute Force, ready for it's next victim.