Chapter Text
It started out like any other evening. There was a show at Birmingham Town Hall, which was going to be the biggest show they'd had in a couple months, and the excitement was everywhere. It was the talk of the town, anywhere you went. Of course, any time a famous person or group was in town it became the talk of the town.
Tonight was a big night. 2,500 people were gonna be filling the town hall, all here to watch improv comedy. What no one saw, however, was the mysterious blip of reality that dropped four seemingly familiar, yet inexplicably different, faces into the city. These four unexpected show-crashers were about to attempt a very large heist this same night.
☆
Two blocks from the town hall, at Fox and Chance bar, four guys sat around a table, drinks in front of them, joking and laughing with each other. Best friends, the group regularly met at nearby bars the day of a show. And, given their great popularity, they were often recognized by many people anywhere they went. They always took a moment for pictures and questions, and, most of the time, people were calm and kind. Occasionally, there'd be a crazed bloke who came in wild and chaotic, but that would happen with anyone of some popularity.
Ask anybody in town today just who these four are, and they'll tell you. “Improv Rockstars” read every flyer, posted on walls and light posts. And it was true; any fan you ask will tell you the same thing. From small stages to big theaters, and just as popular online, it was hard not to know who they were. People came internationally to see them, and were never disappointed.
☆
The four unexpected guests wandered around town. The flyers were everywhere, and looked strangely familiar, yet not quite the same.
“Hey, he looks like me! But…taller,” claimed the shortest of the four, pointing to the tallest on the flyer.
“And he looks like me, but shorter,” added the tallest, pointing to the shortest on the flyer. “Even the goatee...I don't like this.”
“MY HAIR! MY LONG BEAUTIFUL HAIR! WHERE HAS IT GONE?!” Exclaimed the third, gesturing to the bald one on the flyer.
“Relax, it's not you, my friend,” the fourth spoke up finally. “Blech, I hate plaid,” he added, looking at the guy in a plaid hoodie on the flyer.
“If they aren't us…” the tallest guy folded his arms over his purple shirt. “Then who are they?”
“I dunno,” the plaid-hating guy, donning a dark green jacket, responded. He stared further at the poster. “Looks like they're hosting an event.. although by the time on this flyer it's already started. Why don't we pay them a visit and find out?”
The shortest guy, sporting a red shirt perked up. “Can we torture it out of them?”
Green Jacket rolled his eyes. “Really, Tim, we're not going to torture them.”
Purple shirt sighed. “Not even a little?”
“No, Lich.” Green Jacket narrowed his eyes. “Now come on, we have an event to crash.”
They started down the street as the third guy spoke up, his voice fading out of earshot. “What the hell is ‘improv’ supposed to be anyway?”
☆
Evening had come, and the Birmingham Town Hall began to have its seats filled. Excitement was in the air. What was in store tonight? The ones who'd seen a show before knew there was a need for genres, random opening lines, and scene names so they spent the time before the show thinking and discussing what to shout aloud.
A half hour had passed before the seats were fully filled. The lights around the crowd began to dim, and the chatter began to die down. The stage was empty, but that was typical for the beginning of the show. A voice suddenly echoed across the town hall, silencing the crowd.
“Good evening everyone, and welcome to the show! Please welcome to the stage, Improv Rockstars, Shoot From The Hiiiip!” The crowd erupted in cheer as four familiar faces raced out on stage. One stepped further downstage. The crowd momentarily quieted.
“How's everyone doing tonight?” He exclaimed. The crowd erupted again. “Great, great! For those of you who don't know us, my name is Sam Russell, and these are my buddies, Luke Manning, Tom Mayo, and Alexander Jeremy, or AJ.” He pointed to each in turn. “And we are Shoot From The Hip! Who's ready for some improv?” The crowd cheered once more. “Great! Let's get things going, then, shall we? First off, I need a location. Where are we going today?” Many responses followed.
“London!”, “California!”, “Scotland!”, “Neverland!”, “A doctor's office!” were some of the replies.
“This show!” someone shouted. Luke and Sam heard it, and laughed. The others simply smiled.
“The clouds!” Came another response. This made all four of them burst out laughing. The audience always had some genuinely silly ideas.
“Let's go with the clouds!” Tom said.
“Yeah I like that one,” Luke added. AJ nodded.
“Alright, let's go with ‘in the clouds.’ Now I need a task.” Sam said. Many more responses came.
“Flying!”, “Flower picking!”, “Jogging!”, “Singing!”, and “Stargazing!” Were many of the responses.
“Flower-picking!” Sam repeated between laughs. “I like it!” He looked back at the others, who nodded in agreement. “Alright, I am going to let them take this scene where they will.” Luke and Tom took to the stage behind him. “Let's begin!”
☆
The four newcomers managed to sneak backstage to watch what was happening –likely because the show had been going for a short while, and all the normal workers had dropped their guards. The intruders slipped closer to the stage, where they heard voices. They finally were close enough to peer through the curtains in a mix of confusion and awe.
“Darling, are you sure he's dead?” The bald guy asked, going back and forth between staring at the other man on stage, who was shorter than the first, and the man on the floor, whom they noted wore plaid.
“Yes, darling, I'm sure. I shot him in the head,” the short blond one replied, his voice in a slightly high pitch.
“But the zombie plague! You're sure he's not one of them?”
“I'm sure.” The words were barely out before the man on the floor immediately got up and began looking at the other two in a more scary manner. A zombie-like noise came out. “It…it appears I was wrong.” The two looked absolutely terrified.
“AND SCENE!” Exclaimed the tallest of the four onstage. The other four looked at each other in confusion. What the hell just happened? They looked back to see what would happen next.
“We have reached the halfway point in our show, so we are gonna take a quick fifteen minute break and continue to the next half of the show!” The man who was just on the ground, and who had seemingly just turned into a zombie, announced. The four onstage guys walked off, opposite of group. They watched as some of the crowd left as well.
“Lich..what…what just happened?” The shortest asked.
“I'm not sure, Tim,” replied the tallest, Lich. “Jeremy, you got any idea?”
“Nope,” Jeremy replied.
“Zan?” Lich asked.
“I'm not sure either. Maybe we should ask,” the fourth, Zan, responded.
“Let's kidnap one!” Tim exclaimed.
“Sounds like a good idea to me,” Jeremy added. Lich nodded. Zan sighed and rolled his eyes.
“Very well. Jeremy, you're in charge of kidnapping the next person who comes back here,” Zan said.
“Yes, boss!” Jeremy exclaimed, attempting to stand to attention.
“...Don't call me that…” Jeremy nodded in reply. “The rest of us will question him.”
“Can we torture him?” Lich asked.
“For the last time, no! We do not torture!” Zan exclaimed.
“Aww…” Lich and Tim made what looked like puppy-eyes.
“Guys, seriously, no!”
☆
As the crowd settled in, the four walked back out on stage, this time with Tom in the lead.
“Who's ready for a longform?” He called to the audience. The crowd cheered loudly. “Great, great! First we need a genre!”
“Comedy!”, “Murder-mystery!”, “Drama!”
“Oh, I like that one!” Sam said. The others nodded in agreement.
“I don't think we've ever done just a plain drama. Great! Now we just need a title.”
“The Royal Mishap!” Came immediately.
“Let's do that one!” Sam said again. More nods of agreement came from Luke and AJ.
“Sure, why not?” Tom said. “Its gonna have a beginning, a middle, and, hopefully, a nicely tied up end. Can I get a round of applause for THE ROYAL MISHAP!?” Cheer and applause immediately followed.
Luke and Sam immediately took to the stage to start. AJ stood off to the side. Tom sat back down by the curtains, mentally preparing for whatever his friends had in store.
“Dear brother, I do believe today will be a good day,” Luke started.
“I agree, Lord William,” Sam replied.
“Any news on father?”
“No. Far as I know, he's still out on the sea.”
“Oh Samuel, I am worried.” This made Sam burst out laughing. He definitely hadn't been expecting Luke to name him his actual name.
“Over what, brother?” Sam said, regaining his composure.
“Over father, keep up!” Luke said, exasperated. “But…also over Bernard. I am worried he is plotting something.”
AJ swept the scene. He proceeded to mime sailing. Sam made thunder sounds. AJ got a worried look, and Tom came in, acting like a wave, and AJ mimed going overboard.
Luke swept the scene once more. AJ and Tom went off stage. Tom then came back and mimed knocking on a door, stomping his foot for the sound. Sam walked over and mimed opening a door.
“Gerald! What troubles you?” He asked. He gestured for Tom to come in, and Tom followed suit. Sam mimed closing the door behind them.
“It's your father, my lord!” Tom said, looking at Luke. “He's…well, he's dead…” Tom said.
“What?” Luke exclaimed, hints of disbelief and anger slipping into his words.
“I can't believe it…” Sam added. “Brother, what are we to do?”
“I'm not sure. We can't tell Bernard, though.”
“Why not? He's our brother!”
“He's our half-brother, remember?” Luke whispered to Sam. “He didn't share Dad as we did. Besides, the minute we tell him you know just as well as I that he will attempt for the throne.”
“Right, right. Still, he ought to know.”
“Remind me again who received the title and honor of Lord? We may be brothers, but I still stand higher than you.” This caused Sam to burst out laughing at his shorter friend again. “You think this is funny, Samuel?”
“No, of course not, my Lord,” Sam said, returning to being calmer once more.
“Do as I say.”
“Yes, Lord William.”
Offstage, AJ stood behind the curtain, preparing to do some dramatic act. Little did he know, he wasn't alone.