The Land of Dreams
Sunday
11pm
Dr. Caligari was about to have a midnight show a few blocks away, so the streets were busier than normal that night. Archduke Juan North was happily strolling along when he passed by Lance Bloodman.
“Hey, Phantom,” Lance said. “What’re you so happy about?”
“Fantômas,” the Archduke corrected.
“What did I say?” Lance asked.
The Archduke explained, “Fantômas is a feared master of crime. When people say ‘Phantom,’ they are either talking about a sewer dwelling freak or a purple-”
“No one cares, Juan!” a bicycling Dracula screamed at Fantômas as he sped by on the sidewalk.
“Bike in the street!” yelled Lance. He turned back to the Archduke. “Sorry, Fantômas. Anyways, why do you seem so happy?”
“My good man, I feel my time is at hand! I have been checking out the culture down on the real world lately. It’s a villain renaissance. The bully from an 80s movie has a popular television show. The heavy from a 45 year old novel has a tv show. A movie about a clown gangster just won two Academy Awards! Surely, the time is ripe for Fantômas.”
Wu Fang had been following behind for half a block, and decided to add his two cents. “Sure, Juan. People just cared about you in 1966, so, I think you’re due.”
“Shut up, Wu Fang. You’re just envious of my lack of, what do the kids call it?”
Lance thought for a moment, “You’re problematic AF, Wu Fang.”