Title: Another Standard Puppet Master fanfic
Summary: The puppets are given up by their mistress, who has decided that their troubles were not worth having actual living puppets. Blade is put on display to encourage customers to buy him and their trunk. Problem is it's the trunk that gets bought, not him.
A/N: This is going to be another standard PM story, but from Blade's view, and with a slight twist. Instead of a buyer buying him and the trunk from an antique store, the buyer buys the trunk instead, leaving him behind. So now Blade has to hunt down his family and new master in order to do his duty as Leader and Protector, with the unexpected help from Tunneler and Torch.
"Italicized words" = puppet speech
'Italicized thoughts' = puppet thoughts
"Non Italicized words" = not puppet speech
'Non Italicized thoughts' = not puppet thoughts
~*~End of Author's Note~*~
Disclaimer: I do not own Puppet Master or the puppets. They all belong to Charles Band, products of Full Moon Features.
Timeline 2019, Spring
Chapter One
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The bell jingled and I opened my 'eyes' to see a new customer entering my mistress's shop. She had decided to give us up after another round of defending against Sutekh's minions. We had moved to three different states in the last three years just to get away from them, but they always found us. So, last week she gathered us together in the upstairs living room and told us point blank that she couldn't handle us and our troubles anymore and stuffed Jester, Six Shooter, Pinhead and Miss Leech into the trunk before they could react, then threatened their lives if I didn't 'stand still and look pretty' the next morning. Although she did excuse her sudden outburst with assurances that if someone bought me, the trunk will be given as a 'free bonus gift' to the customer.
Tunneler and Torch had managed to escape being unceremoniously thrown into the trunk due to Torch guarding Tunneler. He'd lit his flame, aimed it at her face and growled while the two lucky bastards walked out through the doggy door. I really wish I had curbed Jester's torment now. If I had, maybe they wouldn't have been so inclined to leave us, and helped me defend the others from being thrown into the trunk like unwanted toys. Those two had somehow managed to survive a whole year in the wild without the formula while they trekked back to the hotel. Tunneler had his own knife carved from a wolf's fang, a spear, some rabbit skins and all sorts of hand-made rudimentary items. He even had some scars, his uniform was torn and ratted, and he would not take anymore shit from me or Jester. I really envied him at the moment.
But Torch had to guard Tunneler that night because he was weakened from the formula. Whatever they used in the past wasn't working with Toulon's old formula anymore.
Anyway, I watched the customer walk around the store, picking up some old comic books, a ceramic mug of some sort and an old flask. This was just some nerdy teenager looking to be 'cool'. He didn't look no older than Peter. Kids today grew up faster than they used to nowadays. Four more customers came and went, none looked in my general direction, or Toulon's trunk. I didn't know whether to be grateful or not. But eventually, no one bought me, so I stayed where I was, lest my still-current mistress burn my brothers and Miss Leech. I sighed as the mistress closed up the shop and turned off the lights. She hadn't given us our formula in a month, and what little I had in me was barely enough for me to keep an eye on the trunk.
Another day gone, another night to sleep to preserve my fluids.
.
The next day was a slow day. Ten customers in total before the day was out. Throughout the whole day, she tried advertising me, reduced my price, tried to hand me off at a discount, but nothing worked. I was nearly empty on my fluids and the store was about ready to close when the bell went off again. If I didn't get bought this time 'round, me, my brothers and Miss Leech will find ourselves as firewood!
"Look fast, I'll be closing soon." my mistress said.
"I'm just looking for old trunks." said the customer, with a decidedly British accent. A male, at that. If he bought me and Toulon's trunk, we'd have a master again. I've always preferred a Master than a Mistress. I hated having to deal with feminine problems like their monthly's, chick flicks, the crying of bleeding heartaches, the chocolates, the mood swings. Men on the other hand, didn't have those problems. Except for that one who was more like a mistress than a master, that was just plain weird and . . . scary. I shivered at the memory.
"Well, lucky for you, I have a special today. Whatever you buy, you get this nice looking doll here at half price." my mistress said, placing me next to the register, giving me a better view of my potential new master. He wore a deep blue business suit, red tie, gold rings on his fingers, an expensive stainless steel-platinum watch and just overall had that certain 'criminal' vibe to him. There was no doubt in my mind that if he bought me and the trunk we'd be used as mere killing tools, like Neil Gallagher did. I really didn't want this man to be our new master, but beggars couldn't be choosers when it came to protecting family!
"Really?" the customer asked, deadpanned and raising an eyebrow. He didn't believe her for one minute. And frankly, I wouldn't have either. Not with that approach. But he still picked me up and looked at me thoughtfully. I tried to send out a pleading vibe to be bought. I barely heard the bell ringing again, I was so desperate to be bought so my family would be saved from being burned alive.
"Hey lady, how much for these trunks?" I heard another male voice ask. The man who held me carelessly set me back down on the register counter (on my back) and spun around.
"A-all of them?" my soon to be ex-mistress asked in a stunned manner.
"Yeah," answered the new customer. I openly gasped at that. Someone was going to buy the trunk! And it wasn't this criminal! I felt hope filling my chest. The new customer sounded like he was a fun person. We're going to have another kind master!
"You!" snarled the first guy.
"Ye-es me!" replied the new guy in a teasing manner. "You didn't expect to see me again, now, didja?" he added. I could practically hear the smirk in that.
And then, without any explanation, the two got into a verbal joust over the trunks and came up with all sorts of excuses and reasons on why they should be serviced first.
"First come, first served!" said the first guy.
"Finders keepers, loser weepers!" the new guy playfully shot back. Jester would love this guy.
"And how exactly do you plan on carrying all that? Don't think I haven't noticed your motorbike."
"Because I studied magic. Sim-Maui-Mim-Alabaster-PREEM!" he chanted. "A-donna-a-a-!" he sang, and then there was what sounded like a small poof of an explosion.
"Here you go, lady. There should roughly be about a million in that briefcase." said the new customer. "Ciao!" he bade and left.
The bell jingled, and my mind went blank. I just couldn't believe it.
I was left behind!
.
I went into shock for I don't know how long before I snapped myself out of it and suddenly found myself in a dumpster. Lucky for me though, that it was nearly full so I was able to climb out. Now what the hell was I supposed to do?! My family was gone! Tunneler and Torch disappeared! My mistress threw me out! I was all alone with NO CLUE on where to even start looking for my new master! I was GOD knows where, in a digital age! For the first time in my accursed life, I felt completely and utterly helpless.
A noise caught my attention and I spotted Torch exiting from an old crate. Just my luck. Tunneler hated me for the way I allowed Jester to torment Torch, along with me agreeing to every argument Jester made. But right now, they were all I had if I was going to survive to find the others.
I climbed down as quietly as I could. If they spotted me, they would surely run off and lose me in an instant. But maybe if I talked to Tunneler first, . . . no, Torch would most likely give me a warning before chasing me off. This was not my forte! Being reduced to beg for shelter and help. Boy, have my Leadership skills sunk to an all time low. First, I allow Jester to ruthlessly tease Torch without interfering or curbing it. Then I go and add my own two cents in blaming him for everything that were never his fault in the first place. Like Miss Leech being burned alive that first time back on the farm: Miss Leech quite literally jumped into that problem on her own terms. Or when Torch fried Doll-Andre: he didn't know that Andre transferred his soul to another vessel. Or when Miss Leech was nearly torn to shreds by rabid dogs: he was terrified of them. Torch's innocence was evident in the way Tunneler was constantly defended him.
Maybe if I stuck to the shadows and tailed them, I'll learn how they managed to survive without the formula.
Torch returned carrying a small box and a little baby blanket in his arms. Maybe Tunneler's illness got worse?
I carefully and quietly followed Torch towards the crate, and sure enough, there was Tunneler lying in a crude bed gently snoozing. Torch set the box down then placed the blanket over Tunneler and tucked him in. Then he returned to the box and dumped its contents into a bowl, the contents being a handful of raspberries, then he started mashing them up with some stick until they were reduced to nothing but liquid, strain them for the seeds, mash it up some more before pouring the juice down a tiny funnel that was sitting in Tunneler's chest. Then Torch went over to a crudely built shelf and picked out a little children's story book then sat down next to Tunneler and silently read.
I didn't know he could read. In fact, I didn't know a lot about Torch. Being away from Jester and his constant whining really changed my perspective of Torch. I sat back and thought back to all the times I'd often spied on those two back at the hotel. I remember watching Tunneler reading to Torch in the ruined gardens. I remember looking out the attic window and catching them playing catch with a lost soft ball or a tennis ball. Sometimes Torch would be lying on his belly coloring with broken crayons, coloring books from lost and found, or scribbling on scraps of whatever paper they could find.
And it wasn't always just Tunneler who looked after Torch either. Sometimes Six Shooter and Pinhead would babysit whenever Tunneler rested. Six would take Torch out for walks, Pinhead would take Torch with him when it came to collect firewood, or when Pinhead would go out and look for seeds to try and start a garden. Six and Pin would sometimes read to Torch, or play with him, or just all out spend time with him, but Tunneler was the one who invested a great amount of time in Torch. And, I don't know if it was real or not, but I think I remember listening to Tunneler calm Torch down after he'd woken up screaming in the middle of the night during a bad storm.
Come to think of it, I also remember walking down towards the kitchens one night and heard Tunneler telling Torch about Andre, and about times long before I was even carved. I remember listening in on stories about Jester's early days, how he was once Pinhead's best friend, about Six being the trickster before Jester was born. I even now remembered watching Torch crying one night because Jester ripped a doll out of his hands. I had never seen Tunneler so pissed. My arm still hurts whenever I think about that horrible fight. Tunneler nearly tore Jester to shreds because of that stunt. This was shortly after we'd reunited with them. The mistress had found them sleeping in her garden (back when she was a new mistress) and brought them inside.
I leaned back and looked up at the darkening sky, thinking about the time we'd gotten separated. After Peter Hertz left us at the hotel, we were found by a homeless person and taken to a pawn shop for some quick cash. Naturally, he only selected what he could find: me, Jester, Pinhead, Six Shooter and Miss Leech, along with other knick-knacks. Jester had bullied Torch into seclusion and Tunneler went with him to keep him company, after whacking Jester over the head with a broken pen.
I remember just wanting to everything to end right there. My family was falling apart, Jester and Tunneler were constantly fighting, Six was in desperate need for repairs, Pinhead and Miss Leech were keeping to themselves, Andre was starting to become a no show, I was at my wit's end. So I called up a professional assassin and hired her to 'take care of things' for us. I told her everything about our lives, our secrets, Andre's secrets and asked if she could find a way to reverse our curse so I could finally rest in peace, but Peter managed to get the upper hand on her, thanks to Pinhead. With her last breath, she'd managed to change Peter's mind about us for a fraction of a second, but he eventually left and never came back.
After the pawn shop, Miss Leech was bought separately from us, so when someone came in claiming to be the great-grand nephew of Andre Toulon I thought we were going to be okay. Maybe he could try and reverse our curse. But no, he wanted his own little army. One that would obey orders without question. I was so tired at this point that I didn't even care if we were just being used. We're toys, after all. And he always treated us like nothing but little perfect soldiers. The upgrade wasn't much fun either. I hated my upgrade. It wasn't much of an upgrade at all. All I got was a bigger knife and a bigger hook, that was it. Six shooter got freakin' laser beams! Pinhead got arms that made his head look normal, all Jester got was a mace. And I'll admit that I did feel peeved at Robert for chastising Jester's new weapon. He just wanted to show off his new skills, instead they bite his head off because he smashed some 'priceless' artifact. Sometime after that disaster, we met our last mistress (the one that just threw me out).
.
I followed Torch and Tunneler for a week before I let my guard down one night and Torch caught me. Before I could react at being caught off guard, he grabbed me with a from behind and dragged me off. I'd tried to stand up but he wouldn't let me, so I stumbled backwards, barely off the ground before being thrown in front of Tunneler, who was starting to look better. Well, he was now sitting up in his bed at least.
"Why are you following us?" he asked, his voice was very raspy. He grabbed his spear and hoisted himself out of bed. He was clearly not well enough to be up and moving about yet.
"Someone bought Toulon's trunk, but not me." I answered, trying to figure out the best way to ask if they could help me in finding them.
"And what do you want us to do about it?" Tunneler asked, coughing a bit.
"I was . . ." I really didn't want to do this. "I was wondering if you could help me look for them?" I said. I meant for it to be a statement, but it came out as a begging question! Gods, I hated begging!
"And just why exactly would we help you look for a place where Jester resides?" Tunneler demanded, looking worse the longer he stood.
"Why are you even out of bed? You're clearly not well enough yet." I asked, genuinely concerned.
"Andre's formula has gone rotten, and no longer works for my new systems. Being around Jester increases the negative energies from the rotten formula. If we'd consumed a rotten formula over a long period, we'd wind up turning into selfish beings, like Neil Gallagher." he answered, refusing to sit down because he needed to go with Torch for their next excursion.
"When did you get a new system?" I asked.
"When I was repaired after you left me behind." Tunneler clipped in a cold tone.
It took me a minute to figure out what he was talking about when I remembered he'd been captured by paranormal researchers. Which quickly followed with a memory of me abandoning him to their hands.
"It wasn't like we had any choice in the matter. The farm was an hour's walk away and took another hour to walk back, the researchers hardly ever left you alone, we were all low on the juice and Dead Toulon used what we'd gathered from the farm to make Torch." I said, then did a face palm. That last statement was one Jester always ranted about. "Please, just let me tag along." I pleaded. I was running out of options. "You and Torch survived in the wild for a whole year, and I'll let you guys go if you truly don't wish to return. I just . . . don't want to be away from the family." I said.
Torch growled, peeking out at the setting sun.
"We don't have time to listen to your arguments. You can come along with us tonight, but you have to find your own place to sleep." Tunneler said and gathered a few additional items. Torch doing the same. I couldn't hold back my curiosity.
"Just what exactly do you guys do at night?" I asked, trying not to picture an accusation I'd made some time ago. Tunneler kicked my ass when I said those things.
"We raid that woman's fridge." Tunneler answered. I knew he was talking about the last mistress. After all, we were only a few blocks away from her shop.
"Just her fridge?" I asked.
"Among other things." Tunneler replied. And I remained quiet the rest of the night, knowing I was treading on thin ice with them. This was a trial run and I didn't want to ruin my chances. Even if it meant giving up my leadership.
.
A whole month has passed and I still hadn't learned how they managed to survive without the formula. Although I have seen Tunneler drinking berry juices more than anything. Torch had been collecting bugs and placing them in in his coat. Tunneler had gotten better, now he just had a lingering cough. They still didn't trust me enough to let me room with them, but I was no longer sleeping out in the open. And I'd hate to admit it, but I kind of like not being the leader. I get to sit back and relax, think whatever I want, not be bothered with mundane complaints, no Jester to pester me with his complaints. No wonder Six Shooter didn't mind being bossed around. After a mission, he, Pin and Tunneler would usually head off in their own direction while I tended to think the mission over and try to see if it could have been done differently. Jester would sit close to me and help me think things over. Miss Leech would just go to the trunk and sleep. Then Torch was born, but not much changed in our routines. It was only Jester that changed. He suddenly turned to a darker path of utter hatred when it came to Torch. Every time Torch stepped into a room Jester would go off on a rant about how evil and monstrous Torch is. He'd bring up the incident of the Children's Hospital, how it was Torch's fault that Miss Leech was burned alive. . . .
Now that I think about it, Jester made all his arguments sound so logical that I'd find myself agreeing without hesitation. Most nights after raiding someone's refrigerator, I'd sit and think a lot of things over. Things like Jester's arguments, and how they didn't match up with how Torch acted or what I remembered. Other times I would listen in on their activities. Tunneler would tell Torch bedtimes stories, help him with some drawings, play a few rounds of goldfish or crazy eight. Tunneler was just being a proper big brother. With that realization, it suddenly hit me. Jester was having middle child syndrome. Before Torch was born, we all doted on him. Andre would lavish him with compliments and love and tell him he was so beautiful and keep up his paint job and fix his clothes. And then he was suddenly being put on the back burner in favor of the new member of the family. It was just like the real thing. Similar conflicts happened within families where they only had one child.
Once I put everything into that kind of perspective, I found it easier to place Torch into the role of an infant. The youngest member to be made by Toulon's hands. I remembered Pinhead returning one night with animal brains. He'd gone alone that night, and Dead Toulon used one of them to bring Torch to life. Of course, Pinhead also returned with a stuffed raven as well. Why, I had no idea. And no matter how much super strength Pinhead had, animals would always have the upper hand. He would have had trouble dealing with fully grown animals, plus he was a little weakened from the watered down formula, so he would have had to deal with small animals, possibly babies.
I suddenly felt an immense pain in my gut like I was having my all my insides being ripped out at the same time in a slow and painful manner. And then I lurched forward and started heaving. I closed my 'eyes' as I felt some thick sludge coming up and out of my mouth. I didn't want to see what it was, but I heard Tunneler asking if I was feeling okay and shuffled me into their current place of residence (another wooden crate with a tarp over it). I felt another heave and they leaned me over just in time as another bout of sludge came forth and spewed out of my mouth. It was like coughing up mud.
After five spews, I was left shaking and they placed me in bed. I heard Torch growling softly and Tunneler said something in reply, but I fell asleep mid-sentence.
.
I woke up sometime in the night and caught Tunneler telling stories about Andre, about the Retro Puppets, about his life before he died. It turns out that Tunneler was an original Retro and had actually known Andre in his life. In fact, they met during the first world war, along with the other Retros.
"And then one night, after a show, Elsa came pounding on the backstage door crying out for help about a man being attacked. Andre answered the door and they brought in an old man. That old man turned out to be an ancient Egyptian sorcerer named Afzel. He was the one who taught Andre the Resurrection Spell. A few days after that, some undead men broke into our home and killed us. Andre, in a state of anger and grief, brought us back, and not one hour later, those undead people came back and tried to kill him. But Afzel had also taught Andre the Protection Symbol and had Old Blade carve it into his arm so he would always be protected no matter what. After defeating the bad guys, we got on the train and would have left that night. But those bad guys sent Andre a dream about Elsa, so we had to go and rescue her. Afterwards, the two fell in love and got married." he finished, and I heard Torch make a cute little cooing growl before the tell-tale signs of sleep. I'm just glad he didn't add that corny 'happily-ever-after' ending.
I didn't know I'd inherited my name from a Retro. When I met Andre, he did tell me how his puppets were able to live and they were in fact his friends. He'd known Pinhead and Jester in life before they were killed and brought back as puppets, and I was present when his wife, Elsa was murdered. But I never learned about Tunneler or Six's past lives. They were around before Pinhead was born. I know Pin was older than Jester, after them was Miss Leech, then me, then Torch.
Well, there's a depressing thought. I'm the second youngest. I lined us up again: Six Shooter, Tunneler, Pinhead, Jester, Miss Leech, me, Torch. Jester's got three older brothers, a little sister and two little brothers. Three siblings on each side. Gods, he really was the middle child! I couldn't help it, I found the thought funny and gave a chuckle, alerting Tunneler that I was awake.
"What's so funny?" he asked.
"Jester's the middle child." I said plainly.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"I mean, he's the middle child." I repeated. "He's got three older brothers, a little sister and two younger brothers. He's smack in the middle, and is suffering from middle-child syndrome." I said and sat up the best I could with my 'hands'. Looking over at the pair, I could see Torch was tucked under a torn blanket with a stolen beanie doll for his teddy bear. Tunneler had a little cloth napkin draped over his lap, and he was gently petting Torch's helmet. "You know, before Torch was born, or before Andre died, we all doted on him."
"Yeah, I know. You know, spiritually speaking, Jester's the second youngest. He was barely twenty when he was killed. Herman was in his mid-thirties, Six is older than me by about 2900 years, and Torch's organic material is very likely those of a baby animal. The rest of us are all middle-aged old codgers." he smirked and I quietly chuckled. "How you feeling?" he asked.
"I've been better." I answered. "So, how did you and Torch live without the formula?" I asked.
"I told you that I got a new system when I was repaired. Some time during our stay with Magrew, I found myself thirsty for berries. Raspberries in particular. Torch can sniff out berries like a bear with chicken." Tunneler answered. I chuckled softly at the comment about Torch.
"Torch says you look cleaner, but you still have some blackness in your glow. Not a lot to take control of you like before, but cleaner." Tunneler said before bidding goodnight.
.
.
A/N: The "fact" I stated about the Retros meeting Andre in WW I is something I believe has happened. I also believe that Six Shooter and Tunneler were once part of the Retro Puppets. Also in my beliefs, is that Jester is a young soul, barely out of his teenage years. I mean, he was a Book Keeper and like to play pranks, I imagine he'd either just turned 20, about to turn 20 or had been 20. Bottom line, is twenty years old. Now Pinhead, who was formerly known as Herman, was a truck driver therefore was a fully grown adult somewhere in his mid-thirties or early forties. In the second film, the farmer's wife stated that they had hogs and mules. Pinhead is only so high and the animals, combined with aggression, could easily overthrow him, so he most likely dealt with the little animals. When Dead Toulon was chanting to bring Torch to life, flapping sounds could clearly be heard. The puppet wouldn't have had time to climb up to high places and sneak up on birds and return to the hotel within the same night, not if they were already low on their formula. So therefore Torch's organic material had to have come from a baby hog or a baby mule. His superior strength could have been enough to wrestle the baby animals to the grown, pin them down and gather their brains.
In Retro Puppets we see Six Shooter and Tunneler before they're killed so we know what they look like. Blade is well known to look like Major Kraus but carries the soul of Dr. Hess, Leech Woman is Elsa Toulon. So the mystery ones are Torch, Jester and Pinhead of what they looked like before their deaths.
