Just An Experiment: Animaniacs Epic Novel (Back in Black and White Edition)

2: Surprising Discoveries

A courtroom, Two Months Later . . .

Wakko frowned as he and Scratchansniff watched the proceedings. Poor Yakko was brought out in chains with a small army ready to take him on if he tried anything.

I remember that, Wakko thought. No one trusting you, thinking you were psychotic. It was horrible! I hope this defense holds up for Yakko too!

Yakko's offense stepped up first, and showed all the evidence against him again. Yakko couldn't even look. How could anyone ever do anything like that? It was barbaric. But then, the defense spoke up.

"If you look closely at the hatchet or the mallet, you'll see something very small," Yakko's defense started. "A small emblem. This small emblem can be traced back to only one company. Nowhere near Burbank and nowhere in the public eye," his defense stated seriously. "Now remember, there were never any fingerprints on the hatchet that Yakko Warner was said to have. None! And now we find out this hatchet should not even be in his hands. Your honor, this emblem is from a scientific research facility that is all the way from Plainesvillage, Nebraska. This town is so small that there are less than 100 residents," his defense offered. "He had no way of getting this. We all know the Warner Brothers have no common sense and no computers in the tower. They couldn't order it without some traces, and they had people watching them constantly. They could never leave Burbank without someone knowing for too long. So I ask you. Does this make sense? A hatchet from a company that does not make hatchets?"

"Interesting," The judge said as she looked toward her gavel. "That's still not good enough though. They were seen by eyewitnesses."

"Yes your honor, but they were never captured on camera or even on film," The defense reminded him. "And now, this mysterious little company in Plainesvillage, Nebraska? This small little town with only 100 residents at most at the time . . ." The defense smiled. "With some digging and getting through some red tape, we have found that all six witnesses were in fact employed at this small little research facility."

"Really?" The judge seemed surprised. "The hatchet found in the Warners' tower, with no prints, was made by a small local company thousands of miles away . . . and somehow all six eyewitnesses managed to be hired by it?"

Yakko's eyes were lighting up as he looked toward Scratchy. Freedom might be possible after all.

"Hmmm . . ." The judge stopped to think. "This little research facility. What is it exactly they study?"

"Well, when we called, we were told they just studied mice," The defense said. "Does that make sense to you, your honor?"

"Well, do you have any motive for why this research facility would want to create these vicious crimes just to frame them?" the judge frowned. "Because that's we need."

"No, but we do have these." The defense held up some papers and handed them to the judge. "Two of the eyewitnesses gave their written confessions that state they had, in fact, committed perjury."

The judge took the papers and examined them. "And the other four eyewitnesses?"

"Dead," The defense replied. "They were all found murdered with a hatchet. The same logo. And yet, Yakko was in prison the entire time."

"Four of the eyewitnesses are dead. Two claim they committed perjury. There was in no way Yakko Warner could have been responsible." The judge did not look happy. "Is there anything else you gathered about this research facility?"

"No your honor," The defense said. "They refuse to speak anymore."

"Well, that's it." The judge looked at Yakko. "You had no fingerprints on the hatches or mallets, your eyewitnesses are all dead except for two who claim they committed perjury, there's a strange company I don't understand that seems to be involved against you that we cannot get any information out of. As far as I'm concerned, there is nothing here credible to hold you anymore. I find the defendant not guilty." The judge hit the gavel on his desk. "And I want to know what is going in that research facility."