Shaggy’s arraignment went as he expected. The judge laid out the facts of the case and explained each charge against him. When Errado entered his not guilty plea, though, things ground to a halt. Shaggy was still on his personal dolly, so he couldn’t turn very well to see the prosecution. But the judge had a sour look on his face. Apparently, he had been expected to roll over.

With each charge where Shaggy plead not guilty, the judge’s face grew more and more grim. When Shaggy’s only guilty plea, Vigilantism, was entered, the judged sighed theatrically.

“Mr. Robertson, the HLO has an iron-clad case here. I am talking genetic evidence, recording drone footage, and witness testimony. Are you set on taking this course of action?”

Shaggy grinned as he glared up at the judge. As restrained as he was, Shaggy was having fun with the entire process.

“Your honor, I also have recordings. As well as decent arguments for all charges. Which may not grant me an acquittal, but will clear up some mistakes the prosecution has made. Although, I haven’t had time to gather witnesses.”

The judge’s face turned red, and he coughed angrily. Shaggy tried to turn again to see the prosecution. But his head was still strapped to the damn dolly they had him on. A smooth and casual voice spoke from near him, though. Filling the near-empty room with its sickeningly saccharine tone.

“Your honor, if Mr. Shaggy wants to drag this out in court. Then I say we let him.”

The judge’s eyes were on the speaker, somewhere off to Shaggy’s left. The chubby, pale green alien nodded his head in approval a few times. Shaggy rolled his eyes at the obvious and blatant subservience. The damn bastard was clearly on the HLO’s payroll. Shaggy stopped paying attention at that point. The judge droned on about what was going to happen, but Shaggy ignored it as he initiated his own batch of surprises.

They wheeled Shaggy out, Mr Errado walking alongside. It was then that Shaggy got his first glimpse of the prosecution. One human male, and two aliens. All in tight black suits. They were chatting away happily as Shaggy was wheeled back to his own room in the building. His bench trial was scheduled for that evening. Which was ridiculously fast.

The suits stopped talking as Shaggy drew past them, but said nothing. One lawyer sneered at him, her large tusks making the gesture appear hostile. Shaggy merely winked at her and snuggled back into his less-than-comfortable ride.

Mr. Errado stayed quiet until they got back to their room. Two large guards in heavy tactical armor were stationed outside. Although Shaggy didn’t think they were necessary. Between the heavily reinforced door, and him being strapped to a damn dolly in a metal straitjacket, he wasn’t going anywhere.

“What footage are you talking about?” Mr. Errado asked.

“Before that, can we get a new judge? This one is obviously tainted by the opposition.” Shaggy asked.

His lawyer brushed a hand down his face. “Yeah… But I doubt it will work. We’d have to prove some kind of tampering or bias somehow. I can get the paperwork submitted, though.”

“Do that. Also, be on the lookout for a reporter somewhere in front of the courthouse. Her name is Ruby Shroud.”

Mr. Errado glared at him. But Shaggy ignored it. He was busy on the in-game forums, sending Ms. Shroud a criminal amount of credits for her footage. She was an in-game Super Reporter, able to hear the smallest bit of news and hunt down the tiniest lead. At least, that’s how she presented herself. But with the speed with which she compiled all the footage on the Cog Raid, maybe she was worth it.

Shaggy’s plan had been to buy himself some leniency with his participation in the Cog raid. He had performed a public service by killing the bastard. Thanks to the number of players that were recording the event, he had a large swath of footage that proved that he had not only taken part, but was responsible for Cog’s death. Which he was sure would buy him some goodwill with any normal judge. But the chubby green asshole on the bench right now probably wouldn’t give him a chance.

Mr. Errado surprised Shaggy by returning not with Ms. Shroud’s footage, but with Ms. Shroud herself. The Player took one look at Shaggy and busted out laughing. Her flat cap nearly fell from her head as she guffawed at Shaggy’s predicament. Over her shoulder, Shaggy could see the telltale shimmer of invisible recording cameras. They twisted the light around themselves and almost telegraphed their presences to other players. Making the invisible part kind of pointless.

Ruby Shroud snorted as her laughter died off. Adjusting her over-sized green jacket, she said.

“So the Great Shaggy has been laid low by the justice system, huh?”

“The Great? Really? I’m just the asshat who got lucky with Cog. Did you bring the vids?”

Ruby shook her head. “Nuh-uh, you're not getting away that easily. Especially now from the looks of it. I’ve heard that you had a personal stake in the Cog situation. Something about a Blood God and broken promises? Any comment?”

Shaggy sighed and rolled his eyes. “Seriously, you're playing the reporter shtick now?! Come on! I need that footage.”

“Please. I’m a professional. I have the compiled footage of your glorious actions during the Raid. As well as some juicy tidbits from witnesses and even a spot with a registered Super. So how about a little info for the camera?”

“You get experience for this, don’t you?”

“Of course. The more noteworthy the story, the more XP I get. Plus, it is actually good practice for real life. So can you comment on the Blood God connection?”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“Yes, I am the Champion of Xang the Blood God. Cog reneged on a deal with my patron and I was tapped to put him down. Happy now?”

Ruby’s pearly smile widened as she nodded. “Oh yeah, recorded footage of your connection to an in-game God. Excellent stuff. How about the rumor about the romantic relationship between your God and the Mad Witch Korrigan?”

Shaggy blinked. “Yeah, I’m not touching that one. I recommend you not call her that to her face, though. She’d fry your ass.”

“Ha! Fair.” Ruby said as she summoned one of her invisible cameras to her side.

With a few keystrokes and some menu work, Ruby pulled a data stick from thin air. Introducing player-edited footage into the game was always tricky. But Shaggy was sure the game’s AI would handle everything fine. Ruby checked her menus again, probably looking for Shaggy’s payment. Once she confirmed she got paid, Ruby slapped the stick in to Errado’s hand.

“I need to go submit this as evidence.” Errado said.

“Make a copy first!” Shaggy shouted as his lawyer bolted from the room.

“Please. I got you, Shags.” Ruby smirked as she pulled another data stick from her menus. “I always keep copies. No sense in my ass getting burned. So what’s the HLO got on you?”

“How do you know it’s the HLO?”

“The HLO damn near tries everyone. It’s why most of these little proceedings are all bench trials. It’s fast, efficient and clean. The win-rate for prosecutors is over ninety-five percent in the game. Which is in no small part because of the player-base. A bunch of people who went vigilante got snagged early and were immediately tried and convicted. It was wild.”

“They got a bunch of nonsense on me. But they are making it looking bigger than it is.”

Ruby’s small button nose twitched as she sniffed the air. Shaggy eyed her wearily as she pushed closer to his restrained form. Her eyes fluttered as she continued to sniff the surrounding air.

“Oh yeah! You smell like trouble, Shaggy. What’s going on here?”

“What the hell was that?”

“I can literally smell a lead in a potential case. But don’t change the subject. What’s going on with the HLO?”

Shaggy rolled his eyes again. “It’s a long story, and I don’t think you want to play with these people, Ruby. The HLO plays rough and they are out for keeps now.”

“Bah! I’m a player. I’ll survive. But I can’t help but feel this branch of the HLO is up to something. So what’s the skinny?”

“I don’t know if what I have is it. But the HLO is trying to push a portion of the population out of a neighborhood.”

“Why?” Ruby asked excitedly, her cameras hovering around.

“Because they want to build their damn Hero Academy.”

“Hmm..”

Ruby fell deep into thought as Shaggy tried to not think about the itch on his elbow. His Moldi-metal jacket was pissing him off again. But he was still low on healing power. While he had rested and his health had been restored, if he played by his old rules, he’d get chopped to pieces. He needed food. Badly.

He was about to ask Ruby if she had any when she took off her cap to scratch her head. Shaggy blinked as two furry cat ears stood out from Ruby’s head. Glancing around, he found a long furry tail sticking out behind her green coat. He hadn’t expected the reporter to be a cat girl, not with her overly human features. But after some thought, he brushed it off. Hybrids were a thing.

Ruby caught him staring at her ears and one of them flicked forward. “Yes. There’s an alien race of Cat-people. Big surprise. How do you think I get my news stories?”

“I literally thought you were a Super-Reporter.” Shaggy blurted, unthinkingly.

“What? Like I had super reporting powers? What the hell, dude?”

“I don’t know, okay? Besides, why would you even choose a species like that? You know how some of the… fans of cat-girls get, right? How have you not been mobbed everywhere you go?”

Ruby groaned as she slammed her hat back on her head. “Why do you think I wear all these clothes?! Everywhere I go there is some asshole asking me to end my sentences with ‘NYA!’ Like they lose all their damn sense when they see the ears and tail or something.”

“So, why did you do it?”

“I didn’t think it would be that bad. Also, the ears are super sensitive to sound and I’m sneaky as hell. Not to mention, smelling trouble wasn’t a clever euphemism. I can literally smell when it’s time to head for the hills.”

“Like a danger sense? Shouldn’t that mean that you need to run away from me?”

Ruby snorted. “Oh, you’re not that bad. You smell just enough to be interesting. Although the stench flares up whenever someone mentions the HLO. But that just creates an itch I need to scratch.”

“You know what they say about curiosity and cats?” Shaggy deadpanned.

Ruby chuckled as the door to the room opened and Errado walked back in. The young lawyer looked haggard and sweaty as he dashed over toward Shaggy. He glanced between Ruby and Shaggy a few times until Shaggy gave the man a nod. Errado straightened up and announced.

“The paperwork for a change of judge is in and is likely to go to both parties soon. We’ll get an arbiter down here soon and they’ll hear our evidence.”

Shaggy did his best to roll his shoulders. “So the first step is discrediting the judge.”

“Oooooo…” Ruby chuckled as she glanced at Errado.

“We need evidence of wrong-doing on the judges’ part, Shaggy.”

Shaggy grimaced as he cast his mind about for an idea. Ruby sauntered over to the couch and sat down. She gave Shaggy and grin and he wanted to strangle the cat-girl.

“What do you got?” He asked the other player.

“Right now? Nothing. But get me some credits and a computer and I can work some magic.”

“I don’t want to be hearing this, do I?” Errado exclaimed, covering his ears and moving away from Shaggy.

“How much?” Shaggy asked, ignoring his lawyer.

“Twenty-five hundred credits and a computer. But if there’s nothing there proving you right, I get to keep the money.”

“Deal.” Shaggy said, bringing up his in-game menus and getting a credit transfer ready.

Ruby stood up again, tail twitching happily. “Also, I want in.”

“Excuse me?” Shaggy said, sending the money and closing his windows.

“I want to be front and center when whatever happens to you happens. I feel it is going to be big.”

Shaggy eyed the curious cat-girl for a few seconds. Partially wishing he hadn’t already spent the money. Not that he doubted the player’s goals. But he really didn’t want to bring a cat-girl back home to Levy. She would never let him hear the end of it. Growling over his shoulder, Shaggy addressed Errado.

“Get her a computer, Errado.”

“You people are going to get me fired. I just know it,” Errado exclaimed, rushing back out of the room.