Author's note: Good thing I like this character so badly, he is for me better than many of the "villains" of nowadays. With a few changes in the cartoon, of course. But Earl is some guy. Let's go on with this!

Moving on with the reboot and getting a better look on what's cooking.

2. Lonely Night

"Child of the Wilderness,

born into emptiness;

Learn to be lonely,

Learn to find your way in darkness"

Andrew Lloyd Webber

When night falls and everyone leaves, Earl has the building for himself. It is the only time of the day when there are no pesky kids, principals, nor anything. He is alone and for once, the school seems even too big for him and only solitude and sorrow fill each corner around. That magnificent plan he was about to put in motion is starting to shake off its feet. Earl had little choice but to forget it, especially when he realized that it would mean putting his real chore in jeopardy.

He sits down in a corner and glances up to the ceiling. He put a rule to never leave the place but for once, it all feels like a prison to him. And there is little to be done about it.

He has sworn to take revenge and not to let the Principal and those kids get what they want but his strength is giving out. He has been beat to the dust and no matter how many schemes or busts of rage, nothing changes. No respect, no nothing.

What can he do?

"Hey, Phanthum." Raticus is having a look at all the rubbish bin. "Check this out"

"Would you please let me be tonight?"

"… Oh, uh. I know it's been a long day but I'm just trying to cheer you up"

"Well, not happening"

"Why not?" a murderous glance is the answer. "Oh, ok"

"I've worked so hard for the last twenty years. And even before that! I am the greatest and most important schemer in more than three hundred worlds! Ring Master of Mysteria and most fearsome villain in all corners of the Multiverse!" Earl barks in anger. "I adopted this stupid universe because I could work with more simple and devastating ideas without exerting myself and what do I get? FOUR ANNOYING CHILDREN WHO KEEP ON BEATING ME!" he's tired, too tired. Earl's large shadow, Big Bad Wolf, the one-eyed monster, thunders from the walls. "I worked hard for years! Centuries! I reinvented myself, reincarnate, ravaged my brain and defeated millions! These punks shouldn't be a problem and yet they keep on ruining everything I do!"

"They're just lucky"

"Lucky. Lucky? LUCKY?!" Earl roars. "Nobody's that fortunate, you vermin! Those four have burnt my energy and pushed me to the ends of my rope!" he breaths and almost chokes. "Their only luck is the fact that I can't leave this dimension whenever I want or else, they would be in REAL trouble!"

"…" Raticus knows that he's telling the truth. "Still, they are just kids, Phanthum… You have move demons and monsters like playing chess. Those four are just…"

"Just what?"

"Uh…"

"Well?"

"The… good guys?" a tense moment follows. "But, hey, don't worry, Earl! Do you miss the boiler room? We'll be back in no time. And besides, those kids are ninnies, stupid. I mean, they have to say all that about you. As if actually they beat you… every… day" That does it. This rambling has finally burn his defenses down.

"Silence!" He screams from the top of his lungs, and his soul. "SILENCE!" Earl throws his hat away. The whole Multiverse shakes with his anger, Big Bad howls and Raticus cowers. "I'm sick of this, of those kids, of that rhino and above all, I'm sick of YOU!"

"You don't mean that" whispered the rat.

"Wanna bet? I'm going to leave this place and let those good doers get their happy stuff. At least for some time. You can go and find other rats if that suits you. But I need some space right now! No more Phantom until I say otherwise. And that's final! I got other worlds to conquer! I got an eternity to live to be cooped in here with the likes of YOU!" Recovers his hat and walks back to the boiler room. With a resigned glance, shuts down his computer and sits down in his chair. His entire soul is in flames. He could even set the place on fire and drowned with it. He once did put it on fire but changed his mind half-way. Earl sighs. The sorrow is unbearable and the fire idea looks just fine. But then Lydia's words tingle in his head. She has faced him thousands of times and yet, has come to understand his loneliness He can't just leave this place, it would put everything at risk but he has no strength to do so. Perhaps now, they will see him in a different light when he's gone. But only time can tell. "Keep an eye for me" Earl looks at Big Bad and the wolf nods. "And tell me if that girl really meant those words or not" He will not be the Phantom for some time. Earl needs time to think and then we will see. He turns off the lights and leaves a note at the door. Very little he cares about what Raticus is going to do. Right now, it's just him and the world.

"Gently as we go, gently as we go

Steady as we go, steady as we go

I can sense in opening the front door as we came in

You were burning a hole in my back

Can we turn this around from where we lost you in the evening

Before things get out of hand

One by one eyes go arctic, we're becoming the beast"

If I was Earl I would have kicked that rat's butt more than a hundred times for not listening and being so loud mouth.

Anyway, what is going to happen in the school without Earl?

Is he really going to quit? Of what dangers is he speaking of? What other things don't we know about the Phantom?

Next stop: After the fire.