Behind The Masks

[Vernon]

The music cuts out on the radio, replaced with a loud crackle. “Did it work?” comes a male voice from behind static, somewhat distinguishable as Edgar Penn’s.

“Yeah, we’re on,” replies a cheerful, if slightly nervous, young woman’s voice- recognizably that of Crystal Ross.

“Right, well, you first then,” the male voice says, before falling silent.

She clears her throat before speaking as confidently as she can. “Hello people of Toro. Sorry for interrupting your music, we, uh… Have an announcement, yeah! As many of you know, the title and image of Marshal Toro has been passed down ever since Henry ‘Doc’ Holiday adopted the mantle many years ago. Back then, things were less safe and less stable- we had a government that sucked and very few police. Happily, things are a lot better now! The police do incredible work and I’m extremely proud to be an RTMP Cadet myself, and the government doesn’t suck. Hi Sam!”

After a breath, she continues, “But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a time and place for the Marshal. Not as some kind of lone defender of Toro, because we’re blessed, thank Kyogre, with really capable police and really capable citizens too! No, the mantle has always been a symbol, to some of us. Not to everyone- and that’s okay. If it’s nothing to you, consider it a way for a few of us to remember Doc and what he did for everyone.”

“That’s what our announcement is about. My name is Crystal, Crystal Ross. I’ve been working with Doc Holiday, and then his successor, Aleks Mitchigan, since I was 9. I wasn’t fighting or anything, but in training, to someday help Marshal Toro and Justicar out. Training with them changed my life by giving me a purpose I hadn’t known and helping me turn what used to be only a painful medical condition into, sometimes, an advantage. Above all… well, I learned a lot about myself, who I looked up to, and who I wanted to be.”

“I apologize that the word ‘hero’ is what’s traditionally used in our job description.... because Doc was a hero without his mask, Justicar’s been a hero of mine and one of my best friends for years, and Aleks didn’t get his heroism from a costume. Beyond that… you’re all heroes, for surviving all of the crazy things that happen in Toro and not turning against each other. No matter how hard things get, Toro’s only gotten kinder! So I don’t call myself a hero and I don’t expect any of you to- I know that’s been a sticking point for some people. Superiority doesn’t come with the job, and it never should! The symbols and the masks aren’t about bragging. They’re about identity. So, uh…”

A brief pause ensues before she begins again. “Aleks Mitchigan has left Toro, and with him, that mantle is empty. After discussion with Justicar, we’ve come to the conclusion that Marshal Toro won’t be gone with him. It is traditional for the Marshal also to be a public identity. So… Without further adue, hi everybody. I’m the new Marshal Toro. I know that’s not gonna matter to everyone, and that’s okay. For everybody it does matter to, I promise I’ll be the best I can be and help everyone else who defends Toro every day! As a police officer, a citizen, and the inheritor of this… title that has meant so much to me ever since I was a sick little girl. Thank you, everyone, for listening. I know this is a surprise- I didn’t tell anybody about this change before now. And thank you for… being who you are. Yeah.”

After Crystal finishes her bit, the male voice begins to speak. “Thank you Marshal. Now, I’d like to say a few words myself. Like Crystal, I’ve been working with Doc Holiday and Aleks Mitchigan since I was 12. Over 12 years ago, I started off as the Comubskid, and later became Clypeus. I’ve put my life on the line, helping in fights against Reaper Z, the Black Knight, and Doctor Q.”

“I stand today, at 24 years old, young and still in my prime as the one and only Justicar of Toro. I’d like to use this reveal of the new Marshal Toro to reveal my own true colors as a defender of Toro. Edgar Penn is Justicar.” He sighs, a crackle coming out of the speakers of the radio.

“I’ve lived under the guise of a mask for far too long. I’d like you to all know who’s helping defend you from what. Secrecy gets us nowhere. If we can’t trust those who fight for us, who can we trust? And the same goes for the reverse. If I can’t trust those I defend, who can I trust? You people are the reason why I fight so hard to do what I can to defend Toro. The wonderful people who give hope to a child whose life seemed bleak.” Another sigh, this one content and happy.

“All he wants to do is give back to the region he’s grown up in. So this is how he does it. Like it or not, Justicar is here to stay, now, with or without his suit. Thank you.”

The radio cuts out with more static crackling, then returns back to it’s regular program.