Brisco County Junior: Celebrity Status by Travis Bell Send feedback to b_church@yahoo.com As I don't have internet access, Ben was kind enough to post this to me. Brisco County Jr. belongs to someone that is not me. Wyatt and Virgil Earp belong to history. Doc Brown belongs to someone who is also not me. This story was inspired by Ben's Corny Crossover's lists. "So what do you think was so important?" Bowler asked. He and Brisco stood in the foyer of the Robber Barons' club. It must have been important for them to be dragged out of bed. The only other time that had happened was when the Government had needed something. "All I know is what Socrates told me. The Robber Barons have a problem they want taken care of quickly, and quietly." "Quietly?" Bowler grunted. "Huh. I hate secrets." "Well it won't be a secret much longer if the press has anything to say about it." Socrates said. He entered at the tail end of the conversation. "I don't know how they know when something's up, but they're camped out on the front stoop like vagrants." "The press." Bowler growled. "The only thing I hate more than secrets." The black bounty hunter remembered the Penny Novels someone had written about their adventures. "Faithful companion." he sniffed. "Are you still upset about that?" Brisco grinned. "C'mon at least they didn't make you some sort of Indian. Have you say something ridiculous like, Kemosabe or something." "Kemo what?" "I just made it up. Sounds Indian though doesn't it." "How about we just get this done?" Bowler insisted. "I'm getting impatient." At that moment, one of the Robber Barons entered the room, looking, if not upset, then, concerned. "Sorry to keep you gentlemen waiting, but we had to be sure of absolute secrecy. We didn't want any spies to get word of this." "To get word of what?" Brisco asked. "Me and Bowler would really like to know." "Two days ago," the man told them. "Three banks in Arizona were robbed. They were robbed by the same man that's been committing robberies all along the west." "So?" Brisco asked. "Why the secrecy?" "Because," the Baron went on. "Witnesses claim the robberies were committed by Wyatt Earp." "This is totally ridiculous." Brisco grumbled. He and Bowler were riding to a small town in northern California to find the one man who may know where to find Wyatt Earp. His brother Virgil. "I know what you mean." Bowler said. "Everything I've heard about this Wyatt guy says he'd never rob anybody. On the other hand," he said. "He did go on a homicidal rampage." Bowler said this last with a grin. "Can't fault him for that." Brisco said. "My dad used to say that when he finished with Bly's gang, he'd start on the Cowboys. 'Course, he would have brought most of them in alive. Or tried anyway." "Huh." was all Bowler had to say about that. "You ever meet him?" Brisco asked Bowler that night. The sat around a fire, finishing off the snake and squirrel dinner that Bowler had prepared. "Nope." Bowler admitted. "Met Doc Holiday once though. Not a bad guy. I learned the hard way never to play poker with him though." He grinned at the memory. "It wasn't boring though. How about you?" "Can't say I have." Brisco said. "I was in school when he was still in business." "Well," Bowler said. "When we find him, don't forget why we're after him. We ain't out for no autographs." Brisco frowned slightly. "He didn't commit those robberies. I know he didn't." Virgil Earp sat at his desk, his head in his hands. Word had reached him only this morning that his brother, Wyatt had been accused of robbery. He sighed. He hadn't seen his brother for at least half a year, hadn't heard from him in half that time. He had no idea how to find out the truth. "Marshal?" a timid voice said from the door. Virgil looked up to see a young man standing in his door. "What's wrong Tom?" Virgil asked. "I thought you should know sir," Tom said. "There's some men in town asking for you. They should be here soon." "Thanks Tom." Virgil sighed. He had a feeling he knew what they wanted. Brisco dismounted, not sure how to approach the subject he had to bring up. "You sure we'll be able to trust this guy?" Bowler asked him. "I mean, he's the man's brother." "I'm sure." Brisco said. "He'll want to know the truth the same as us." "You're damn right I do." a soft, deep voice agreed. Brisco and his partner turned to see Virgil Earp standing in the doorway of the jail. "Hi." Brisco greeted the man. "I'm Brisco County Jr., and this is Lord Bowler." "County?" Virgil asked, impressed. "I heard of your father. Good man. Heard of you and your partner too. I guess you'd both better come on inside." he said. "No sense gettin' everybody stirred up." Brisco and Bowler followed Virgil into his office. Virgil wasted no time in getting to the point. "I know why you're here." he said. "So let's cut to the chase. I don't know where Wyatt is." Brisco sighed. "Damn. Well then Mr. Earp-" "Don't call me Mr." the eldest Earp brother admonished. "My name's Virgil." "All right then Virgil." Brisco corrected himself. "We want your help in finding your brother. We need to know who really robbed those banks." "It wasn't Wyatt." Virgil insisted. "More likely it was some glory hound after a name." "Yeah? So he took someone else's?" "Wouldn't be the first time." Brisco said wryly. Twice in his career he'd impersonated A Kansas Outlaw. "That wasn't the same thing." Bowler snorted. "You were trying to hide your identity." "Maybe our bank robber thought of the same thing." Virgil said. "Wyatt's famous, but there aren't a lot of pictures of him." Socrates stared in shock at the sight before him. Somehow, the story had gotten out, and now every bounty hunter in the country would be gunning for Wyatt. Sitting on his desk sat a wanted poster, offering a reward for bringing in Wyatt Earp. Alive thank God. "Brisco," he muttered. "Your job just got harder." Wyatt's came awake slowly and reluctantly. Rolling over, he saw that Josephine had already risen. "Well look who finally decided to get up." she smiled. "Sleep well?" "Yes I did." he said, sitting up. The former lawman rose from the bed and went to her. "What should we do today?" he asked her, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. Before she could answer, there was a frantic knock on the door. "Mr. Earp?!" their bellboy called from the corridor. "Mr. Earp are you awake?" "Well if I wasn't I certainly would be now." Wyatt laughed softly. He opened the door and the bellboy, John rushed in, clutching a piece of paper in one hand. He looked very agitated. "What's wrong son?" Wyatt asked, wondering what could have upset the boy so much. "This sir." John held out the piece of paper for Wyatt and Josephine to see. WANTED FOR ARMED ROBBERY MR. WYATT EARP Wyatt didn't bother to read the rest. A picture of him was on the poster. "Where did you get this?" he asked softly. "In the post office sir." "Well," Josephine broke in. "On the bright side, we now know what to do with our day." Brisco looked at the list given to him before they'd left by the Robber Barons. It gave the locations of every establishment that claimed to have been robbed by Wyatt. Fortunately it wasn't tremendously long. There were ten of them. They'd just arrived at the first. "Nice place." Brisco said. It was a large mansion, belonging to Howard Hefner, the publisher of a popular serial novel called "The Playboy". Bowler merely grunted as the gates opened. A young woman in very tight clothes greeted them. "May I help you?" "Uh yeah," Brisco said. He introduced himself and his companions, and told her why they were there. "Oh yes!" she said in a bright, cheerful voice. "He's been expecting you. Won't you come with me?" As they followed her to the house, they noticed several young ladies in tight clothing around the grounds. "What kind of place is this?" Virgil muttered. "Welcome all of you." Howard greeted them. He stood in his study going over a ledger of some sort. "I presume you are the men investigating this business with Wyatt Earp?" "That's us." Brisco said, and introduced everyone again. "What'd he take?" Bowler asked, getting right to the point. "Just what was in the safe in my room." Virgil came forward with a picture of his brother. "Is this the man that robbed you?" Howard looked the picture over. "No." he said definitively. "This isn't him." Virgil and Brisco both relaxed visibly. "Well," Brisco said. "That's one mystery solved." "What do you mean?" the millionaire asked. "Who is this man?" He held up the picture. "That, Mr. Hefner," Virgil answered. "Is Wyatt Earp. Someone is using my brother's name." "He's not in town." Wyatt said to himself. He and Josephine had risked coming to find his brother. But he hadn't found him. He sat at his brother's desk, looking at the note left on it. Wyatt, Have gone to prove your innocence. There's a map of the robbery sites in my drawer. Good luck. Your Brother, Virgil Wyatt opened the drawer and picked up the map. He saw it instantly, he wondered if his brother had. The pattern of the robberies was clear. He knew where to go. "Well," Brisco said, as he mounted Comet. "Now that we know Wyatt didn't do it, shall we follow up on the pattern and see who really is doing it?" "Let's do it." Bowler grinned. Beuford stood on the edge of Eastwood ravine, glowering. So the runt had bought it in some screwed up train heist. At least he was dead. But he'd really wanted to kill him himself. Ah well. At least he could still kill that stinkin' blacksmith. "Hey uh, Beuford, er, Wyatt," one of his cohorts said behind him. "You gonna explain your plan now? Or are we just gonna be in the dark for a bit longer?" The others backed away from the man. He'd not been part of the original gang, he'd joined up in prison, and had stayed with them when they'd escaped. He hadn't yet learned that you didn't question Beuford. Beuford turned slowly, his face darkening, even more than it already was. He glared at the man for a minute and then shot him. "Shut up." he said. "I'm gonna kill that blacksmith," Beuford explained. "Usin' Wyatt Earp's name. That'll get me off scott free." Brisco looked at the map one final time. "I think I know who it is." "What?" Virgil said, amazed. "How could you know just from the map?" "Look at the first robbery." Brisco said. "Just two miles away is a prison. There was an escape the day before." "Who escaped?" Bowler wanted to know. "Guy named Beuford Tannen." "Tannen?" Bowler said, disgusted. "Hell, I heard of him." "And he's just stupid enough to leave such an obvious pattern." Virgil nodded. The sites were in a straight line. "The he's probably going there." he pointed to a town on the map. "Hill Valley." Brisco agreed. "He's known to carry a grudge. And if I remember, he had a long term one against the local blacksmith." "Then let's go." Bowler said grimly. "And hope we get there in time." Emmett blinked in surprise at the plans before him. Of course! It was so simple! He wondered why he hadn't seen it before! It was merely a matter of reversing the polarity of the neutron flow, and heating the flux capacitor to 88 degrees Fahrenheit. "Emmett?" Clara called from the house. "Dinner's ready!" "I'll be right there!" he called back. It had been nearly a year since he'd sent Marty back to the future. He and Clara had gotten married, and were expecting their first child. He'd moved into her house and set up a lab in the barn. He still ran his shop in town, he had to pay the bills after all. Unseen by Brown, Tannen stood in a grove of trees nearby, watching, waiting. Marshall Strickland mounted his horse and rode off towards town. He'd heard that Wyatt Earp might be in the area. What with the robberies committed by the man, he thought it best to get there first. Doc Brown had just swallowed the last of his dinner when there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it." Clara said. She strode calmly to the door and opened it. "Howdy Mrs. Brown." Beuford growled. Clara gasped as Tannen and his gang shoved their way into the house. Emmett leaped to his feet, but he was too late. Two men grabbed Clara, Tannen covered him with his gun. "Ain't life sweet." Beuford grinned. "We may be too late." Bowler warned, peering at the ground. Virgil was astounded at the man's tracking skills. The sun had set a while ago, and Bowler was still able to pick out Tannen's trail. "Let's pick up the pace." he said. "We have to stop him." "What do you want Tannen?" Brown demanded, fighting against his captors. "What do I want?" Beuford crowed. "I want to finish what I started a year ago! Eastwood's already dead, so that just leaves you." He pulled out his gun and twirled it. There was a knock on the door. "You expecting anybody?" a henchman said to Tannen. "You expecting anybody?" Beuford repeated to Emmett. Brown just shook his head. The knock came again. Beuford sighed. "Answer it." He led Doc to the door, and hid to one side. He motioned his cohorts out of sight, then nodded to Doc. Brisco took a deep breath. His plan was risky, but he believed it was the best way. And since Virgil hadn't objected, he guessed the Eldest Earp Brother thought so too. The door opened, revealing a man with wild white hair, looking just a bit frightened. He guessed this to be Emmett Brown. "Hi." Brisco said brightly. "I was wondering if you folks could give me some directions. I'm looking for-" "All right," Bowler said, showing himself, and holding a gun to Brisco's head. He roughly shoved him inside and followed him in. "This is a hold-" he looked around at the scene before him, feigning surprise and shock. "Up? What the hell is going on here?" he asked irritably. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded of Beuford Tannen. "That's none of your business Nigg-" "Uh oh." Brisco muttered. Bowler quickly drew another gun and pressed barrel against Tannen's head. "I'd watch my language if I was you." he growled. "Now as I was sayin', this is a hold up." "Hey," one of Beuford's henchmen spoke up. "I know you two! You're Brisco County Junior and Lord Bowler! You ain't no holdup man!" "No, but I am the guy holding a gun on your boss here." "You don't dare shoot." Tannen grinned. "You do and the lady dies." Bowler grunted, and backed off a little. "Fine." he said. "But anyone get's hurt, and you die first." "Whatever. So, you're the famous County. Too bad you didn't die with your daddy." "And who are you?" Brisco asked calmly. "I'm Wyatt Earp." A shot rang out, and the man holding Clara hostage fell to the floor, a hole in his head. "No you aren't." said the foremost newcomer. "I am." Wyatt, his brother Virgil, and Marshall Strickland stood in the door. "Aw shit." Beuford swore. He looked around at his two remaining henchmen, then at the various lawmen all holding guns on him. He dropped his gun and raised his hands in the air. Epilogue "So once I convinced Marshall Strickland here that I'd been framed," Wyatt said. "He and I headed for the Brown place. That's pretty much it." Brisco, Wyatt, Virgil, Josephine, Emmett and Bowler sat in the saloon in Hill Valley, telling each other their stories. "Probably wasn't too hard." Brisco reasoned. "He had access to the same information we did, so what with the pattern and the escape, he probably just put one and one together." "So what happens now?" Emmett asked. "How can I be sure that Beuford won't come after us again?" "He's been taken to a maximum security prison out east." Virgil told him. "He won't get loose again." "And even if he does." Brisco said. "We'll get him and put him away again. Don't worry." Doc just sighed and drank. Ah well. The End