![[Fred and Life.] \n Fred: So why are we here again? \n Life: It's a murder trial. [Fred and Life.] \n Fred: So why are we here again? \n Life: It's a murder trial. [Fred and Life.] \n Fred: So why are we here again? \n Life: It's a murder trial. \n [Fred is confused.] \n Fred: Huh? \n Life: Remember? Max tried to kill you? \n [Fred squints.] \n [Life is annoyed.] \n Life: Yesteday? \n [Fred scratches his chin.] \n [Realization.] \n Fred: Ohhh! \n [Fred shrugs it off.] \n Fred: Nah, that's in the past. Water inside the bridge or something. Cleared of all cherubs. \n Life: But-but he tried to kill you! \n [Fred shrugs.] \n Fred: Happens to the best of us. \n Life: No it doesn't! \n Fred: Really? You've never had a mortal you needed to smite? \n [Life has a regretful flashback.] \n Life: I did the dishes yesterday! \n Man: No you didn't! \n [Fred smiles.] \n Life: Fine. \n [Zoom out. Max and Time are now visible.] \n Fred: So...what is this place, exactly? \n Time: Universe HQ. this is how your nephew has his powers. let me tell you a story... \n [Flashback to a charred room. Fred and a worker are picking up nuclear waste and putting it in a box. Fred has a contaminated SD coffee cup and is removing his mask.] \n SIGN: MARGONSFIELD, CA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT \n Worker: Ok, that's all the waste. \n Fred: Phew! \n CAPTION: 3 YEARS (AND 1 DAY) PRIOR \n [Fred drinks his nuclear waste coffee.] \n Worker (off-panel): Hang on, Fred, there's some in your coff- \n Fred: Five second rule! \n [Fred freezes in place, eyes wide.] \n Worker: Fred, that was incredibly dangerous! Spit that out! \n [Close-up of Fred. A network is forming in his eyes and his skin has green veins.] \n Worker (off-panel): Fred? \n [Zoom-out. Fred grows muscles and fangs and flexes them in anger.] \n Fred: GRAGH! \n [Cut to a neighborhood. Alex is trick-or-treating as a vampire, and Max as a bug-thing. Fred is still in the background.] \n Alex: Hey Max, I need to get something. Wait with Uncle Fred, ok? \n Max: Ok! \n [Max drops his costume and walks towards Fred.] \n Max: Hi Fred! I saw you on the weather news today! Check out my bug costume! \n [Beat.] \n [Max is nervous.] \n Max: ...Fred? \n [Zoom in. Fred lunges and bites Max's arm.] \n SFX: CHOMP](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfWQuKx5OqHITdrBKw_x7Ua1574yZS-PfMuEY5QhaFhvGsKQ488jGtvbjjqe_CGSKBRiX4t95opz252oAWxRRf_NavvFy8KMsOggMbqP00LTU5utX3BHWe8mP7nOK7dIFcNw2caBdQ4ws/s2048/OneTrialPartFour.png)
Hi everyone! Sorry this comic is late, I was on vacation. You might need to read #54 to get this. The non-flashback part of the On Trial series is set on November 1, 2020. This flashback is set October 31, 2017.
I'm not sure what exactly the COVID situation is in the Tinyverse, by the way.
![[Life and Time. Time is growing angry and red.] \n Time: you MARRIED a MORTAL? \n Life: It gets lonely here with only you to talk to! \n [Time begins to assume his true form. Life's essence is sucked toward Time.] \n Time: there are hundreds of Managers here, and *billions* of humans in your "Afterlife"! \n Life: Whoa, calm down... Your don't want to annihilate HQ again, do you? \n [Time calms down.] \n Time: sigh...you're right. i guess- \n [Fred enters, glowing green. Time gets angry again.] \n Fred: Hey guys! \n Time: what-WHO WANTS TO EXPLAIN WHAT A MORTAL IS DOING HERE? \n [A confused Life squeezes Fred's face.] \n Life: Fred? How did you get here? \n Fred: Same as last time... \n [Flashback to glowing saltines surrounded by "-1"s.] \n Fred: ...One too many saltines.](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2cT-pDA66QOBbIOrAjgNbeIUZ7-9oMFPuSQp1TFmFA_80CZsVGYzO-XzhsKXPlDRmpeJ0DigXyukwEEHTjO_ms8fc_nEmuwNM2YdGaVVLt9fxheCa-4PtPmqq8Qebnr6K4qWzj_FuXo/s1600/OnTrialPartThree.png)