The monster roared in hunger. A pair of hands grabbed the mask revealing a blaring ed.
"Hi guys." Ed said, back to normal.
"Mom says no one is allowed unless I'm invited." Sarah said angrily.
"It's none other than bun cake for brain ed boy!" Rolf said from his spot on the wall.
Ed's eyes twitched and his face started to grimace with pain.
"Ed?" Double D asked.
"What's up with lumpy?" Eddy asked, just as confused.
Ed growled and with his handmade tentacles grabbed his mask. Sarah lost her look of anger and watched as her older brother started to thrash around. His tail knocked her away into a pile of his laundry. Ed opened his eyes and to everyone's surprise they were red! He grabbed his fallen mask and put it back on his head. To everyone's horror, he opened his mouth and let out a vicious roar and advanced onto Double D and Eddy. He swiped at them, sending Eddy into the wall next to a patch of chewed up chunky puffs and Double D went right into the arm chair. Ed turned to Eddy and looked ready to face him head on.
"Ed! ED stop!" Eddy waved his arms in fright as his monster friend came closer with hunger in his eyes.
"There's nothing you can do. He will listen to me, and to me only."
Everyone turned to see a man hiding within the shadows of Ed's room. As soon as he stepped out into the life, they noticed Sarah looking scared, she was shaking uncontrollably. The man snapped his fingers and Ed stopped growling and moved towards him, like he was literally a dog.
"Remember me Sarah."
"U-u-uncl-le F-f-fred?" Sarah stuttered.
"That's right my dear. It's your dear old uncle." He said with a smirk.
"What'd you do to Ed?" Sarah asked, scared out of her wits.
"What have I done? Why I'm so touched you asked. Let me shed a little light on the subject shall I? I owe a thank you really to you two gentlemen." Pointing to Eddy and Double D.
"Us? What did we do?" Eddy asked frantically, trying to get away from Ed.
"You made this beautiful costume for my nephew, for a scam you three were concocting and it was just too perfect to resist."
Everyone glared at Eddy and Double D.
"Because of this, I made a small chip which is on the back of his neck and now he is under my control. I have to say the idea to use his imagination was a nice idea."
Double D and Eddy were both freaking out. Ed was now actually a monster because of this guy here.
"I say dear man, let our friend go. Ed's just pretending." Double D pleaded.
"Hmm," The man placed his hand to his chin, rubbing it in thought, "I think…I'll just let him loose on you. Oh Ed…" Ed turned to Fred, "Sick him."
Ed growled and started to advance onto Eddy.
"AHHH! DOUBLE D!"
Double D was frantic as he began looking around for something to use as a weapon. All the kids stuck from the ceiling sported scared faces as Ed was getting ready to attack Eddy. Double D spied the garden hose outside the window. He slowly slinked against the wall and went for the window. Ed's attention was on Eddy where he shaking in fear as his friend was coming right at him.
"Hold it right there, mister." Double D said.
Everyone turned to Double D who had managed to get the garden hose into the basement. He sprayed it with full force and blindsided Ed. Ed roared as the water got him, blinding him. Double D put his thumb on the nozzle so it sprayed at Ed and the kids. The chunky puffs beginning to ooze off the kids.
Double D kept spraying Ed and came closer to Eddy. He yelled to everyone, "Outside, through the window. Hurry."
Nobody needed to be told twice as the kids started to scramble outside through the window. Double D handed Eddy the hose and went for Sarah. He grabbed Sarah and ran back to Eddy.
"Eddy, let's go." Double D said.
Eddy for once, listened and dropped the hose, following Double D out the window with Sarah on his arms.
As soon as everyone was outside, Double D said,
"Everyone we need to find some place safe. Ed is sure to come after us again." Double D said.
"Why should we listen to you dorks? This is all your fault to begin with." Kevin said.
"Hey we didn't do this. You think we really wanted Ed to act like this?!." Eddy shouted at Kevin.
Sarah was shaking in Double Ds arms, scared out of her wits.
"Chill Kevin, besides Double Ds right. We can't just stay here. We need to find a place to hide." Nazz said.
"Rolf suggests we go to his house and hide in his underground cavern. Follow Rolf."
Not knowing what else to do. Everyone began to follow Rolf to his farm. Rolf quickly led them to the back of his shed where he turned the knob to the faucet. Nothing happened. Until it jiggles and opened a trap door where everyone fell in and tumbled down the stairs in a heap.
"Rolf believes we should be safe here. Ed boy must be still looking for us." Rolf said as he picked himself up off the floor to look around.
"Still, I don't understand. Why would Ed and Sarah's uncle do this to Ed? I know Ed has an over active imagination but this is plain torture for anybody."
"Double dweeb's got a point. Even I wouldn't wish this on the dork." Kevin said for once feeling sorry for Ed.
Everyone turned to Sarah crying who was trying to be comforted by Jimmy, but with no prevail.
"Sarah, can you tell us about your uncle Fred?" Double D asked gently.
"He's a monster. He's done this before. To me and to Ed. But he's done it to Ed more." Sarah said with tears running down her cheeks.
"Sarah, like what has he done to you guys?" Nazz asked, sitting on the floor next to the little girl.
Sarah sniffled and rubbed her eyes till she turned to Nazz, "Fred is smart. Like Double D, only he used to experiment on me and Ed. When he started babysitting us, he would enjoy using us as test subjects for his experiments. He did it to Ed more because he was always trying to protect me from Fred. Mom and Dad never talked about him after we moved to the neighborhood. Hoping he wouldn't follow us out here. That's why Ed is what he is. Because Fred messed with his head too much."
Sarah started crying again as painful memories came back to her mind. Everyone was shocked to hear this. No wonder Ed was a bit on the screwy side. It was because of his uncle?!
"Whoa." Kevin said numbly.
"My lord. I can't believe such family would do such a thing." Double D exclaimed.
"That's so terrible. I feel so scared for what that monster might be doing to Ed right now." Jimmy said.
"Rolf feels guilty for the nobody home Ed boy." Rolf said with a tear in his eye.
"Man, and I thought what I went through with my brother was bad." Eddy said, feeling sad for Ed.
"We have to do something. I don't want Fred to hurt Ed." Sarah cried out.
"He won't. I say its high time we put our heads together and figure something out." Double D said.
"Why should we help? We were glued to the wall with chewed up cereal." Kevin said bitterly.
"Kevin, have some sympathy. Ed's not acting out on his own." Nazz said.
"My point exactly Nazz. That mad man needs to be stopped and it's our job as friends to see this through. We can't let Ed be controlled by the actions of his own uncle. Imagine. Trapped forever. Unable to do anything for himself. OH THE INSANITY!" Double D exclaimed loudly.
"Rolf agrees with the yakkity yak Ed boy. He will assist you with helping the halfwit Ed boy." Rolf said, pulling his trousers up higher than normal, looking ready to go to war.
"I'm in." Nazz said, waving her hand.
"What's that buddy? Plank says we're in too." Jonny said.
"Good, now let's devise a plan to help Ed."
Double D got down and started drawing out some graphics. All the kids, including Eddy, huddled around him. They had work to do.
Outside, it was quiet. Perhaps too quiet. Double D opened the door to the shed and looked around. There was no sign of Ed. Double D ushered everybody out. Everyone was wearing some crude looking armor made of duct tape and cardboard or burlap sacks and had something to use for a weapon. Double D came out with a broom, wearing a bucket on his head, Rolf had a pitch fork wearing a Viking helmet, Sarah had a baseball bat and was wearing a football helmet, Jimmy was huddling behind her with a sharp cake cutter, Jonny was holding onto Plank for dear life while holding a bottle of ketchup and mustard in both hands, Nazz had a long thick stick, and Eddy had himself a shovel. The kids all looked around and saw no sign of Ed. But that didn't mean he wasn't close by. They all heard growling and stopped. Double D saw the end of a tail slithering out of sight. Ed. Double D ushered to Kevin and Rolf and they both moved up with him. The growling was coming from the construction site. They all slowly moved to the construction site and saw Fred was having Ed build something, but what they couldn't find out. There was also a van and snarling could be heard from inside. Ed was still in his monster costume. His eyes still red. Double D took out a pair of homemade binoculars and saw the back of Ed's neck where the chip was. IT almost looked like a spider lodged onto Ed's person. He ushered the kids to hang back. Everyone left the construction site and back into Rolf's yard.
"I saw the chip on Ed's neck. It won't be easy to get it off, but I think we can do it. We just need to distract him and have someone get it off."
"Shouldn't be too hard." Kevin said.
"What about his uncle? What are we gonna do about him Double D?" Nazz asked,
"Two of us are going to have to jump him from behind. Without him controlling Ed, we should be able to get the chip off Ed."
"Who's going to jump the mad scientist Double D?" Jonny asked.
"Good question. I think it should be me and Eddy."
"What? Why us?" Eddy exclaimed.
"Eddy. We put him in that costume. It's our responsibility."
"Alright." Eddy grumbled.
"Very well, now we just need someone to distract him."
"Me and plank can do that." Jonny said a bit too loudly.
Everyone gestured him to be quiet and looked back at the construction site. Ed didn't hear them, making everyone sigh in relief.
"OK, now its show time." Double D said.
Fred was working on something inside the van. Ed was still building something which was looking a bit like a fortress. Jonny sneaked along the piles of dirt and passed the cement mixer with plank. Jonny spied Ed and grinned wildly as he jumped out and shouted,
"Hey Ed," Ed looked at Jonny, "Can't catch me and plank hahaha."
Jonny ran and Ed started to go after him. All the kids watched as Ed chased Jonny and began to sneak to the van. Fred was not realizing Ed had left and kept on his work inside the van. Everyone was freaking out as they tip toed from dirt pile to dirt pile. Jimmy though was not watching where he was going and tripped over a fallen piece of wood and fell to the ground. Everyone turned to him and it was enough that it alerted Fred. He turned and saw the kids. All they could do was stare as Jonny came through again with Ed chasing him.
"Ed cease." Fred ordered.
Ed stopped chasing Jonny, "So, you thought you could save your little friend. Well, it won't be that easy. Ed," Ed turned, "Sic 'em."
Ed roared and charged, making everyone scatter. They all cried as Ed ran after them. Kevin and Nazz both got caught by the tentacles as Jimmy ran to hide behind a dirt pile and Sarah and Jonny could only stare in terror. Rolf stood his guard and tried to fight Ed off as he came closer.
"Be gone Ed boy. Fight the madness of the scientist. You are stronger than he is, yes."
Ed only roared as he tried to get Rolf with his pitch fork.
Double D and Eddy both went around the van and saw Fred had a control device in his hand. That had to be for the chip on Ed's neck. Double D and Eddy both slinked against the metal trying to get closer. They were almost to the back of the van but stopped as they saw Ed smack Rolf away like he was a fly. Throwing him nearby the remaining eds.
"Fools, you can't stop me. Your friend is mine and mine alone. And before I forget I have a little surprise for you Sarah. I believe you remember Rex…"
A snarling came from inside the van and with a malicious grin, Fred unlocked the cage and out came a snarling German Shepard. Sarah cowered as soon as she saw the dog. His face in a snarl looking right at her. The dog started bounding after Sarah barking all the way. Sarah ran but soon stopped as she found herself trapped by the fence. She was shaking uncontrollably as she watched the dog come at her. She then cried out,
"ED! HELP ME!"
As if someone had turned a lightbulb on, Ed found himself hearing his baby sisters voice and her fear. The monster boy turned and saw the dog going for Sarah. His eyes were still red, but he knew what was going on now. His baby sister was in trouble. Ed took off his mask and pulled his eyebrow into two and yelled,
"BIGGG TROUBLLLE!"
Ed lunged to the dog as it got closer to Sarah. Tackling it to the ground. He snarled in his own way and barely registered Rex had chomped on his arm. Ed kicked the dog off him and stood between it and Sarah. Everybody watched as Ed and the dog circled each other, growling and snarling. Eddy this time took notice of what that man was going to do to Ed and he had enough. Eddy felt rage at what this guy did to his friend and this time acted out for Ed. He grabbed a nearby pole and smacked the control device out of his hands. It landed next to Rolf's feet who went for his pitchfork and destroyed the thing. Smashing it to the ground. Double D also acted out as he blind sighted the man by throwing dirt in his face. Nazz moved in and conked the man out on the head with her stick and he fell to the ground in a heap. The chip had fallen off of Ed's neck, but he didn't notice it as he kept his eyes on the dog. Sarah scooted away from the fight and went to Double D who pulled her away as he too watched Ed handle Rex. Ed growled and Rex snarled. Rex leaped for him and Ed did too and the two tangled into a major dust cloud consisting of yelps, bites, and Ed exclaiming, 'ouch' as he fought the dog. The fight carried on near the back of the van to where the cage was. Ed was thrown to the ground by the dog who tried to lunge for his face. Ed barely missed its incoming teeth and then threw Rex off him and back into the carrier. Eddy shut the carrier closed and missed having himself getting bitten as the dog tried to storm out.
"Ed?" Sarah peeked from behind Double D.
Ed turned, "Baby sister?"
Sarah ran from Double D and hugged Ed tight crying, Ed was shocked and had a confused face till he shrugged and hugged Sarah trying to comfort her. All the kids could do was watch as brother and sister held one another.
The cul de sac was filled with police. Nazz had called them after the fight was over. Ed and Sarah's parents were frantic with Sarah and Ed after they saw the dog bite on his arm. Fred was carted to prison shortly afterwards while Rex had been handled by the animal control. All the kids went home and after Eddy and Double D had apologized sincerely for the mishap with Ed's monster costume. Ed was given some money for keeping Sarah safe by his mom and treated his friends and himself to jawbreakers.
"Hard to imagine it turned out this way." Eddy said sucking on his jawbreaker.
"Ed deserved it Eddy. Rewards can be when you protect your loved ones Eddy." Double D said, sucking on his own jawbreaker.
"Yeah, I guess so. Who'd thought lumpy would be such a fighter?" Eddy said.
"Because I'm a big brother Eddy, "Ed said putting a jawbreaker in his mouth, "No one messes with Sarah while I'm around." Ed declared.
"Very well said Ed." Double D said.