Chapter II: In Limbo

Tweeg

"What are you up to?" I said spying on Gimmick and his friends with my telescope. He sent the illiop and octopede out to fetch crystals but they came back with something else. "It looks like a person," I focused to get a better view but the lens was too weak. "Blast! LB where are you lout!" I shouted but he didn't come. "Of all the times for you to be slacking off," I said walking back in my castle.

I walk into my quarters and find that useless fool laying on the bed. I grab the sheets and pull him to the ground. "Hey what was that for?" he asked trying to get back on his feet. "I was having a nice dream. I dreamed that I was one in charge you were lackey Tweeze." I told him there are more important things at hand. "Yeah, yeah Gimmick is trying to steal your formula."

"No they came back with a person. Get down there and find out what he's doing there," LB looked at me and said it was probably nothing. "Was it nothing when those two fools joined Gimmick?" The bounder rolled his eyes and headed downstairs.

Jazz

"I came as quick as I...," I began to say when I saw Danny lying unconscious on the couch. "What the Hell happened?" Tucker said Vlad put the hurt on him. I took out my phone and saw that it said the 7th of May. The fruit loop seems to be his most sadistic on that day.

I take a basin and fill it with water. I begin to wipe the blood and ectoplasm from his face. "Plasmius is probably on our tail. We need to get him out of here," Tucker said as I stare at the Ghost Portal. "What are you thinking?" Foley asked as I told him to get some medical supplies and place Danny in the Specter Speeder.

I buckle up and start the speeder, "is Danny secure?" Tucker nods as I open the portal and zoom into the Ghost Zone. He asks again where we're headed. "We need more time and I know place where we can get it," I set the coordinates for Clockwork's Tower.

"Uh Jazz?" Tucker asks looking at his fallen friend. "I think we better hurry, I'm not picking up any signs," he points the the monitor. I ask him he still has the Infi-Map app installed on your phone. He takes out his phone and tell him to take us to Clockwork's "Show us the shortest path to Clockwork's Tower." The phone's voice app says it's calculating and opens a gateway.

Grubby

"Easy now," Gimmick said as he and Teddy placed the boy on the couch. "Now let's see if we can't figure out who you are." The scientist takes a flashlight out, gently opens his eyes and looks at them again. I ask him what he is looking for "Reflexes. You see the pupil should change size to adjust the light," He shines it in them and they shrink. "That is a good sign."

Teddy looks at the boy's clothes and noticed a letter D on his chest. "What do you think it means?" I tell him it might mean danger. "More like he was in danger," I shrug as Gimmick asks him to help clean him off. "Right away," he take a wet cloth and wipes the blood off his face.

He removes a case from the bag revealing a small phial and a needle. "Do you have to use that," I asked him looking away as I am not to fond of needles. Gimmick tells me that it will help with the pain and allow him to heal. "If you say so," I cover my eyes with a hand while the inventor injects our guest. The boy lets out a moan and shudders. "I'm with you," I tell the boy as I hear a knock at the door.

I walk over and see the mail grunge, "package for Newton Gimmick," he hands me a piece of paper and asks me to sign for it. I tell him I'm not Gimmick. "Doesn't matter, the instructions were to get a signature." I take the pen and sign for the box. "Thank you," he said taking back the paper and sticking some letters in my mouth.

"Oh good my package came," Gimmick said taking the box and the letters. . "I can't believe it's finally here," he takes a pocket knife from his smock and opens the box. I ask him what it is. "It's a spectroscope," A telescope that looks at ghosts? "No Grubby, it analyzes light. Here look at the sunlight through it." he hands me the device and asks what I see?

"A rainbow but there are black lines in the colors." He says the lines tell me what created the light. He explains that the lines show that black lines show what the light is made from. In this case the sunlight is made of Hydrogen and Helium. "You mean the stuff makes balloons float?" He nods.

"Gimmick? Could you come here," Teddy calls out as we race over to the boy. "I took his temperature but I think your thermometer is broken." he shows him the device it reads 24.65 degrees. "I thought you said that normal was 98.6?"

"That's not possible. If he had this temperature he would be dead?" he wipes off the thermometer and places it in his mouth. He waits a minute and removes it. "See 98.6," he looks over the boy again. "There are no signs of hypothermia unless...,"

"Unless what?" Teddy asks nervously as Gimmick replies he was experimented on. "What do you mean?" The inventor says that he wouldn't put it past M.A.V.O to test new spells and weapons on living people. "Who's Mavo?"

"It's not a name but a group-Monsters and Villains Organization. It's made of the worst of worst. I think we better keep an eye out in case they try to come back for him."

Sam

I felt dizzy as I slowly opened my eyes. I feel something cold on my face. "Ectoplasm," that's right Vlad captured me. "No worries as long as I have my...necklace," the athame pendant I wear was missing. Plasmius took it. "If anything happens to it the fruit loop will pay."

"You have far more urgent things to think about," his voice said as the slime resided allowing me to see. "YOU!" I spat as Masters knelt down. "I wouldn't waste your breath. This chamber is soundproof, don't believe me, just ask Danielle and she can tell you all about this place." I went pale at those words. "I do have to applaud you. You managed to distract me enough to get Daniel out of here."

"When he wakes up he will kick your sorry ass back to Wisconsin," he laughs and says Danny won't be able to do anything. He explains that Danny is clinging to life as we speak. "What did you do to him?" I demand to know as he laughs.

"Just a few hours of torture not to mention the damage I inflicted him during our little spat." I glare at the older man as he laughs. "You are quite adorable when you're mad. I wouldn't be amazed if Daniel expired before your cohort left." I struggle to break free of the slimy prison. Plasmius clenches his fist as the slime grew tighter.

"Why...don't you just...kill me...," I said between each contraction. He says that he won't kill me. "You are a coward you perverted fruit loop!"He tells me it as nothing with cowardice."I would like to stay and chat but I have work to be done," waves his hand as the ectoplasm covers my face again. I struggle for short time before I pass out.

Teddy Ruxpin

"Did you find anything?" I asked Gimmick from the living room. He says that he's searched through all his books but found nothing about a 'cold torture.' "Could it be magic?" the inventor shrugged saying that magic is out of his purview but maybe Leota might know something about it.

"Grubby you think you could go to her house and tell her expertise is needed," Grubby nods as he leaves and Gimmick returns to his books. "How is our friend doing?" he asks curious.

I was about to speak when he started to toss and turn. I place a blanket around him as his eyes open up. He looks at me strangely and hides his face behind the blanket. "You don't have to hide no will hurt you," I tell him as he peeks out. "I'm Teddy Ruxpin. My friend and I found you laying in the woods and brought you here to get better." I ask him what is name is.

He thinks for moment as if he has trouble remembering and shrugs. "I noticed the letter D on your clothes. Do you mind if I call you 'D'" the boy says that would be fine. "Who did this to you?" I ask but D says he can't remember anything.

"Who are you talking to?" Gimmick said as he enters the room. "My word, It is certainly is propitious to see you return to consciousness," he says as I explain that's his way of saying it's good to see him awake. "I'm Newton Gimmick and who might you be?" he asks as D looks confused. I explain he can't remember anything, "Hmm I have something that might help," he picks up a helmet covered in wires from the table. D looks nervous.

"I think we should wait," I tell Gimmick as he places it back on the table. My friend says he'll go into the kitchen and get D something to eat and drink. "It's okay Gimmick won't hurt you. He's an inventor and makes wonderful things." D's eyes grew at hearing the word 'inventor' triggered a memory. I ask him if he remembered anything.

"I see an inventor in my mind. A pair of them married," he says as Gimmick brings him a a plate of food and a glass of water. "Thank you doctor eh I mean professor." Gimmick laughs and tells him that just Gimmick is fine. "Thank you, Gimmick." he says taking the glass and takes a large sip. "That feels good," he said wiping his mouth.

"I can't seem to recall any inventors like that in Grundo." D raises an eyebrow as Gimmick shows him a map in a book. "Grundo is the name of the land we're in. The southeast if I am not mistaken" he points to it on the map.

"Grundo?" D says as something bangs against the house. I tell him it's just Tweeg firing his cannon. "Tweeg?" I explain he lives not far from here and always trying to stop us. "From doing what?" he asks curious. I tell him our adventure in the Hard to Find City. "You're adventurers?" I nod telling him our quest to find the treasure and rescue the princess.

Skulker

"Technus! Show yourself!" I demanded as I walked into his lair. The scientist says he's in lab working on something. "Do you have it done?" I ask him taking whatever toy he is playing with from him. The ghost of technology said it is but he wants his money first. 'Fine," I hand a bag of ecto-coins.

"Come to papa," he grabbing the sack and shaking it. "I just love the sound of 1,000,000 gold ecto coins," he said pressing a button revealing a black suit of armor. "I give you- stealth armor," I stare in awe of the sight. "This bad boy will make you invisible to everyone- even those who can sense ghosts." I place a hand on it thinking of ambushing the whelp and his friends.

I carefully remove my helmet and float into the armor. "Is this hacker proof?" he nods saying the ghost child's friends won't be able to override it. "Perfect, I have to thank you Nicolai for a job well done. Now if you excuse me I have prey to track." I nodded and teleport back outside.

I activate my thermal sensors. I smile as I pick up a signal. It's the Specter Speeder and they were heading to the far eastern region of the Zone. "Clockwork's," they're taking the whelp there to heal. Clever move, no one would dare assail the tower but Skulker cares not. "Activated silent mode," I said as followed the heat signature.