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Chapter Ten: Marionette

Sam Manson:

Amity Park, Illinois (Timeline 3), 4:41pm Saturday, 19th of September, 2011

“There’s the Crystal Ball.” I told Tucker as I pointed out the glowing glass sphere sticking out of a pile of gold. “Let’s grab it and...”

Before I could finish, a blast of green light came out of nowhere. I felt cold hands grab me. Rope started binding my wrists and ankles. I saw Danny walk up to me, his white boots standing inches from my nose.

“Danny! Please!” I plead, but his red eyes were hard, tired and emotionless. He began to gag me.

Blake Indigo:

Twenty hours. Jazz insisted on helping, Vicki wanted to stay awake, but most of it only required a watchful eye. I wasn’t unappreciative of their help, I had some time to think about a plan thanks to them.

Vicki made sure the fermenting tanks were operational for the Ectoplasm and Mana potion mixtures. She ‘demanded’ that she tag along and she refused to take no for an answer. Even if I tried, even handcuffing her to the bench wouldn’t work. Turns out lock-picking is a useful skill. Jazz mixed the mana potion, following the recipe I wrote out for her. And she, like Vicki, insisted on coming. I think she played the guilt card, saying she wasn’t going to let her parent’s obsession put me in any danger. She’s already lost one little brother. She refused to lose another. I found her in the kitchen making coffee, triple shot expresso. She was wearing that necklace.

“Ok. It’s done!” I called out. Vicki handed me the open container and I filled it to the halfway mark with the thick, glowing purple goo. “Clear with what we need to do?”

“Take the crystal ball, and throw it in the bath.” Jazz answered.

“The neutraliser will act like a buffering solution to both Mana and Ecto.” Vicki explained. “What ever enchantment the crystal ball has will react to the presence of both energies in the bath. Depending on how powerful the enchantment is, it might be violent, so put the lid on immediately.”

Jazz nodded with the information. I wasn’t sure if comparing magic to chemistry was a good idea, but it works.

“And weapons. You know the code to the weapons vault right?” I asked Jazz. She nodded silently. “Hand blasters. Keep them holstered unless you think the Alexandras won’t work.” I explained to her. I turned to Vicki who decided to bring a actuarial gun to the party. “Give me the gun.” I demanded. “I don’t want anyone to get killed if I can help it. If I can’t, I’ll be the one to pull the trigger.”

“Blake...”

“Jazz! I told you there’s no way you can talk me out of it.” I took a deep breath before going on. “I have to do this. Not only for Phantom, but for all the souls Freakshow have tangled up in his plot. Understood?”

“After this is done. We need to talk.” Jazz said looking down. I knew what about when she asked me about a number of articles yesterday when I got home, ignoring the fact that I drove home without licence. Let alone park the borrowed car in the side ally where no one short of walking down it would find it.

“I imagine so.” I doubt it would be about just those articles after today. I don’t know why, but something told me she would find out about her brother.

Vicki handed me the weapon, produced a set of rosary beads and left the lab.

We made our final preparations.

Amity Park, Illinois (Timeline 3), 7:04pm Saturday, 19th of September, 2011

Night fell over the city. The cover of night, and the free show allowed us to just walk into the circus without so much as a glance in our direction. I timed it well with the program I managed to pick up, and the information Madame Belladonna gave me, we could smuggle ourselves onto the train. The ecto-entrappers would stop the train at our connivance.

When we arrived at the train yards by Mr. Lancer’s stolen Toyota there was just one problem...

The train was already gone by the time we got to the train yard. With the exception of the large tent, and the brick wall blocking the exit, I’ll figure out how that got there later, Circus Gothia has moved on.

“They can’t be far!” I declared. I was thankful that a sharp bend on their way to Chicago would slow them down considerably. The streets were empty, and I practically had this stunt driving thing down to an art. Vicki and Jazz were screaming their hearts out, Vicki out of shear enjoyment, Jazz out of fear.

The Fleet Street bridge crossed over the rail route to Chicago, and the train would still be slow from the bend. The car came to a halt, the three of us jumped out.

“Final boarding!” Vicki yelled as we climbed the divider. We jumped... we landed nearly losing the container of Neutraliser in the process.

We got to our feet, Vicki climbed down to get inside the train. We however needed to cause enough noise on the roof as possible and get some ghostly attention. Only way to get to Freakshow would be though his minions. The red headed sister and I ran down the train. It only took two carriages before three green skinned ghosts appeared, and one white haired ghost boy blocked off any escape from behind.

I aimed an ecto-blaster at the largest of the ghosts.

“Last thing I want to do is hurt you.” I said as the gun powered up. “But it’s still on the list I’m afraid.”

Then there was that wild laugh. “Don’t waste your breath child.”

“Good advice.” I lowered the weapon and decided to play my my first hand. “Jazz. Say one last goodbye to your brother. Sorry you’ll lose him all over again.”

The red head looked behind her to the ghost child. It didn’t take long until...

“Danny? Little brother?” Jazz said, her mind clicking the pieces in place.

The red in the ghost boy’s eyes turned green and Danny was hit by a dose of vertigo, grabbing his head. “Jazz? Wh... What’s happening?”

Jazz Fenton:

“Danny?” He looked so pale... so terrified... so confused. He’s as pale as a ghost. He is a ghost, but he’s back... he’s here... little brother? “Is that really you?”

“I...” Danny’s green eyes shifted from one side to the other, like he was struggling to understand what’s going on. “I... I...”

“It’s me Danny. Jazz? Bossy red head sister? Remember?”

“I...” His eyes suddenly changed back to red. “...am a ghost. I have no family.”

“Don’t waste your breath girl.” I heard a voice say, it’s bold, black clad owner emerging with a staff. “He’s under my control.”

“Danny! Don’t you recognise her?” Sam yelled. I didn’t notice her standing behind the white haired ghost. She caught his attention. “Don’t you recognise your own sister!?”

Sister? He’s really... But he’s...

“Sam.” The ghost said weakly. “I can’t fight it. I... I... I...”

Little brother.

...

Little brother...

...

Alexandra Victoria:

“Well what are you waiting for! Get them!” I heard Freakshow yell as I opened the door into the next carriage. This one was different, filled with gold, jewels, paintings, and lots of american currency. And Sam and Tucker were tied up like common livestock. I took out my knife and cut the rope from the two teenagers. Starting with Samantha.

The moment her hands we’re free, she pulled off the gag, untied her legs and ran for the roof.

Tucker had different priorities, starting with his PDA.

I heard tapping from behind the bust of Athena. Three more were tied up, a dragon with black scales, a woman dressed in black and silver, and a werewolf in a green hoodie and shorts. At this rate, I’ll have to knight myself.

“And who are you lot?” I demanded after freeing the woman first, the dragon and lycan was wrapped in chains.

“Madame Belladonna.” The woman introduced herself. “This is my co-star Wulf.” She gestured to the lycan as the lock on his chains cracked and feel to the floor. “And this is my lover Alinax.” Instead of gesturing, the woman leaned down and kissed the dragon’s scaly muzzle. The result to the lock was the same.

The lycan sniffed the air in his first moment of freedom before running out and up to the roof. The dragon however stood and stretched his limbs. “My thanks humans but we must quickly before this train meets the Nine Forty from Chicago.”

“What?” Tucker demanded.

“Freakshow.” Madame Belladonna spat. “The fiend plans to cover his tracks by causing a train accident with the commuter train.”

“We can stop the train.” I said fishing the remote out of my pocket. “Devices are attached to the forward wheels which can magnetise them to the tracks.”

“But that won’t stop the oncoming train. We need to warn them.”

“Or we won’t have to stop at all.” Tucker said coming up with an idea. “If we can make this train intangible, then we’ll just go right though them.”

“And the tracks.” I told Tucker before arrive at a work around. “Unless we use the devices to keep the wheels aligned, even while intangible. They will need modifications.”

Alinax opened his wings. “Then we must fly. We don’t have much time.” He said before the entire train shook with a roar.

“Little brother!” Something enraged yelled.

Bloody Mary. What now?