A/N: I don't own any Puppet Master characters, they belong to Full Moon Features and Charles Band. I do however own Jasmine Belle, the Archer puppet and the man behind the taking of the puppets.
I would also like to thank eveyone who has read and reviwed this story. I didn't expect to get as many views or reviews as it has in such a short time ^^ Thank you everyone
"Blade..Blade!"
The world was spinning as Blade woke up, his head was throbbing and his vision blurred.
He tried sitting up but his arms seemed to slip through the floor, his back and head crashing down.
Once his vision cleared he saw why he couldn't properly put his arms down.
He was in a cage but he wasn't alone.
Sitting next to him was a rather unamused Torch.
"Bout time you woke up." He said helping Blade to sit up.
"Thanks and why?" Blade asked.
Torch used his flamethrower arm to point to two more cages, Jester and Pinhead in one and Six Shooter and Tunneler in the other.
"Is everyone ok?" Blade asked.
Everyone nodded and Blade took a look around, they were back in the factory they were in before they were sent to Jasmine's.
"The one time I want your flamethrower to work." he said seeing the lock on the cage needed a combination.
Torch shrugged and growled when a tall man walked over.
The man was wearing the same clothing that the masked man wore when he tried to rob Jasmine.
"Well well well, I finally have you lot. Especially you." he said pointing to Torch who looked confused as did the others.
The man took off his ski mask to reveal he had healing burn marks on his face.
"Remember me? You're the one who set me on fire."
Blade turned to Torch.
"I thought you said you killed a kid."
"Looks like he lived, that git deserved death for whipping me." Torch growled
"Wait he whipped you?" Blade said confused.
"You never told us that before." Jester said.
"You never gave me a chance to tell you. He *points to Blade* went ballistic and you two *looks to Jester and Pinhead* never spoke to me for I don't know how many years after that." He said.
There was silence between the puppets as the realization hit them.
Torch hadn't attacked for the sake of killing.
He'd attacked to defend himself.
The man smirked.
"My boss will be happy to have you."
"HEY!"
The man tuned around seeing Jasmine now aiming an arrow at his heart.
"Let them go." She said slowly.
"I don't think so. I've been promised alot of money to get these puppets and you aren't getting in my way." The man said pulling out a gun.
Jasmine looked at Torch and nodded.
The metal puppets eyes glowed red as he let loose his flamethrower to the other puppets shock.
The man however backed off and with one shot permanently disabled Torch's flamethrower.
Torch roared in pain falling onto his back gripping his shot arm, green and black fluid seeping out the wound.
The man smiled until he started being shot in the shoulder by Six Shooter who didn't have the best view or best place to stand.
After a few moments a loud shot rang out, an arrow whizzing past the mans shoulder.
The puppets turned in time to see Jasmine fall to the ground, a look of shock and pain on her face.
"NO!"
Behind Jasmine a younger man than the other in his late twenty's was standing holding a handgun.
The man was tall and was wearing a simple black business suit, white shirt, black trousers and black shoes. His hair also black and his eyes brown.
He smiled in a sadistic way walking to Jasmine and picked up her backpack and nodded finding the formula and the Archer puppet.
"Thank you very much Miss Belle." He said and turned to the other man frowning.
"You idiot I told you I didn't want them damaged!" He said and seemed surprised seeing Six Shooter and Torch.
"Hey you told me to get the five your grandfather had. There weren't a female there so I picked the other ones up." the burned man said holding his shoulder.
The business man nodded and with another shot killed the man in cold blood.
He turned to the puppets, there was something familiar about him.
"Now that those two have been dealt with let me introduce myself. I am Matthew Gallagher, your new master." He grinned.
Torch growled and looked up at Blade, quickly shutting up upon seeing the leaders face.
Blade had fire in his eyes, his blade and hook raised.
He was seething with rage.
"Now to prove I'm not such a bad guy I'll bring your little friend back." Matthew said and after removing Jasmine's keys from her pocket so he could retrieve Toulon's journal and trunk later used a syringe to extract the brain and blood he needed and quickly mixed it with the small amount of formula Jasmine had with her to give life to Archer.
He nodded and opened up Blade and Torch's cage going to throw Archer in when Blade leaped out at him.
Anger and fury were not the words to describe how Blade was feeling right then as he slashed at Matthew's wrist and arm, Matthew quickly knocking Blade down and stomping on his back.
"Stupid puppet." Matthew said tossing Archer in with Torch.
If Blade could yell in pain he would be screaming, the pressure on his back was something he had never felt, his gears threatening to snap or stop at any second.
After a few moments of struggling he reluctantly gave up, the pain too much.
Matthew picked Blade up by the throat.
"Are you going to be good and behave? Or do I have to kill your friends?" He asked pointing the gun he had in his other hand to Jester and Pinhead, Pinhead pulling Jester behind him so he wouldn't get hurt.
Blade looked down as best he could.
"Good."
After putting Blade back in his cage Matthew left to get the last few things he need.
Blade looked down.
"I'm sorry I failed."
His friends were asking if he was ok, he'd lie if he said the pain wasn't as bad as it was.
Finally Matthew returned and soon had the puppets loaded in the back of his van.
The journey was silent, Blade kept Archer close for when she woke up.
Finally Torch spoke up.
"Blade, I'm sorry. I know you liked her." He began but when Archer started to move he shut up.
Blade looked at her and said the only thing he could think of. The only thing that could assure her he would keep his word of protecting her.
"It's ok Archer, whatever he dose I'll always be here. I'll always protect you"
To be continued in Strings of Fate 2: Surviving Evil