Tell It to the Marines #5

Spike and Bat enjoy shore leave in San Francisco until a series of wild mishaps—hiding from gangsters, a Turkish bath escape, and a hayride gone wrong—lands them in hot water with the authorities. When they're mistaken for the very criminals they've been running from, the two Marines have to convince the cops of their innocence before it's too late.

Bat Bentley decides to play an elaborate prank on his bunkmate Spike by planting false evidence that Spike is developing serious mental illness—paranoia, delusions of grandeur, and erratic behavior—all carefully orchestrated over weeks to convince everyone around them. As Spike's supposed symptoms escalate and the commanding officers grow more convinced he's unfit for duty, Bat's joke spirals into something far more dangerous than either of them bargained for. What starts as a friendly rivalry between soldiers becomes a trap that neither expected, with consequences neither can control.