Episode 12: Darkness
"Alright class today we have a special guest." The teacher said.
"Oh boy! This is gonna stink!" Frida said.
"Yeah remember the clown that visited the kindergarteners? All the kids got scared and started hitting him with baseball bats." Manny said.
"And now may I present El Dante! The magician."
"Oh great! Just we need." Manny said sarcastically.
Then in a mist of smoke a man with sickly gray skin and red eyes appeared. He was tall, dark, and creepy he also had black fingernails and was wearing a gauntlet with a red skull.
"Good evening." He said. "I am El Dante and for my first trick I shall set the stage on fire!"
He snapped his fingers and flames surrounded the stage. Quickly he blew the flames out with one breath. The kids clapped with excitement then he walked over to Zoe Aves.
"You have pretty hair." He said.
"Uh thanks." She said.
"It would be a shame if something was to mess it up."
He pulled out a pair of scissors and cut a lock of her hair.
"Why you jerk!"
"It's okay just watch."
Then he reattached the hair to her head. Once again everyone clapped and whooped.
"Wow! You're good." Frida said.
"Thank you my dear!" He made a black rose appear in his hand and gave it to her.
"Hmph! He's not that great!" Manny mumbled.
"Oh really." El Dante said.
Manny was shocked El Dante had heard him then before he could blink El Dante was right in front of him.
"And who are you?"
"Um Manny Rivera."
"Rivera!" He smiled wickedly. "Well Mr. Rivera why don't you assist me in my next act?"
"I don't know-"
"I insist!" He held the gauntlet to Manny's face. When he saw the skull his eyes turned red.
"Su...Sure" He said dazed.
"Excellent!"
He pulled Manny on the stage and he set Manny on fire.
"Manny!" Frida screamed.
Manny didn't show any reaction to what was happening. Then El Dante put out the fire and sent Manny to his seat.
"We should work again some time." El Dante said.
"Manny! Are you okay?" Frida asked.
But he didn't answer.
"Manny what's wrong with you?"
"Huh? What?" Manny's eyes turned brown. "What happened?"
"You tell me. You just got all weird."
"Sorry Frida. I just got a little dizzy."
They left school and hurried home unaware that they were being watched.
"At last I finally found him!"
That night before Manny went to bed he heard something outside. Curious he went out to investigate.
"Hello? Who's there?" He looked around but didn't see anything. "Dad? Grandpapi?"
He turned around to see a glowing red skull. His eyes turned red again then he spun his belt buckle which turned him into El tigre.
"Well done my slave." A voice said. "Now let's get to work."
Then next morning while Frida was walking to school she found El tigre lying on the ground.
"Manny!" She ran to him and gently lifted his body. "Manny! Wake up!"
She rubbed his face softly and his eyes opened.
"Frida? Where am I?" He said.
"What happened to you?" She said.
"I don't remember. Ow! My head!"
"Come on let's get you home."
"Manuel Pablo Gutierrez O'Brian Equia Rivera! Where were you last night?" Rodolfo asked.
"I don't remember! It's all just a blur."
"Hmm... Maybe being El tigre has made you a little exhausted. I think you need to take a break."
"Okay." Manny spun his belt backwards.
"Manny! Rodolfo!" Grandpapi said. "You won't believe this but last night a group of thieves robbed 3 jewelry stores, 4 banks, and pick pocketed 10 people!"
"What! You're joking!" Rodolfo said. "Well I better catch them. Manny you stay here and take it easy."
Puma Loco and White Pantera left to do their regular business. Frida decided to head on school while Manny kept trying to figure out what happened last night. Then he heard a knock at the door.
"Hello?"
But there was nothing there but a crow.
"Hmm...since when do birds knock on doors?"
Then the crow changed into El Dante.
"Whoa! Cool trick."
"Hello Rivera."
"Um Hi. What are you doing here?"
"I just need you to help my boys with a job."
"Sorry no can do- hey wait a minute! How do you know where I live?"
But he just held the gauntlet to Manny's face.
After school Frida decided to check on Manny but he wasn't home so she went to look for him. On her search she spotted a bank being robbed. The crooks were three huge, scary looking men and El tigre.
"Manny?" Frida quickly ran to the bank and tried to talk some sense into him. "Manny? What are you doing?"
"Go away!" He said. His eyes were flaming at her then he started attacking the police.
"Manny stop!" Frida cried.
"Hey move it kid!" One of the thugs said. And he pushed her into the street in front of a moving truck.
"Frida!" Manny gasped. His eyes turned green and he darted into the road, scooped up Frida, and carried her out of the way.
"Frida I-." Then he put his hand to his head and groaned in pain.
"What's happening to you?" Frida asked in a frightened voice.
"I don't know!" Manny shouted. His eyes flashed back to red and he ran off with the thugs. Frida ran back to the Rivera house to tell his family everything. Meanwhile Manny and the thieves had gone to El Dante's lair.
"Well done my not so lovely assistants!"
"No problem boss." Said one crook.
"And since you three have been so loyal to me I think it's time you learned who I truly am." He said. "I am not just some magician I am really El Demonio!"
"The spirit of pure evil?" The second crook said.
"Yes. The same one that had been locked away for a hundred years by Miguel Rivera! But when this boy was born." He said pointing to Manny. " I was freed and I have spent 14 years looking for him so I can control him with this."
He held up the gauntlet.
"The red skull in this gives me the power to control the spirit of El tigre and anyone who posses it." He said laughing. "But today I felt the boy break free for a brief moment. Why?"
"Oh he just broke free to save some girl." The third crook said.
"A girl?"
"Yeah, 14 years old, about this tall, blue hair, beautiful, and wore goggles." The first crook described.
"She sounds just like Rida! Except for the blue hair." El Demonio shouted. "If he was able to break free from my control to save her then that means he must have feelings for her."
He approached Manny and glared at him.
"It was love that freed my first slave and I won't let it free my second one!" He turned back to the crooks. "You three make sure that he never sees that girl again!"
"Yes boss!" They chimed.
Back at the Rivera house...
"I think Manny is being controlled by something! But what?" Frida said.
"Frida, what color were his eyes?" Rodolfo asked.
"They were really red."
"Oh no! El Demonio has finally gotten to him!"
"What do we do?" Grandpapi said.
"I don't know but we're gonna need all the help we can get. Papi get Maria on the line! Frida find Manny's friends."
So Rodolfo, Maria, Grandpapi, Django, Zoe, and Frida all hurried to El Demonio's lair. They all agreed that Maria would be better off as Plata Peligrossa because she would be more powerful. They carefully made their way into his lair it was quiet...too quiet. Then in a flash all these monsters and creatures appeared and attacked them.
"You three find Manny! Papi, Maria, and I will take care of these suckers!" Rodolfo said.
"Bring it on! Ya chumps!" Grandpapi said.
While the adults fought the monsters off Frida, Django, and Zoe continued looking for Manny. Eventually they came to a high stair case which took them a few minutes.
"How many more steps?" Zoe asked.
"30." Frida answered.
"Oh man! When this is over I really need to work out more!" Django said.
When they finally reached the top they found El Demonio and his three henchmen.
"Well done children. I'm impressed you made it this far." El Demonio said.
"Where's Manny?" Django asked.
"Of course." He snapped his fingers. Then the roar of El tigre was heard and Manny landed in front of them.
"Destroy them!" He ordered.
Manny ran after the three of them fighting like mad.
"Whoa! Being under the control of an evil deamon has really improved his fighting!" Zoe said.
She tried to blast him but he dodged the laser easily.
"Look man I don't wanna do this." Django said as he fought with Him.
"Then your defeat should be easy." Manny said.
Then in one move he flung both Django and Zoe into the arms of El Demonio's henchmen.
"Hello fellas." Django said nervously.
"Two down one to go." El Demonio said turning to Frida. "Kill her!"
Manny faced Frida and started walking toward her. She backed away feeling very scared.
"Manny don't this!" She cried.
"Shut up!" Manny yelled. He brought out his claws and raised them. Frida backed up until she reached the edge.
"Manny look at me! Don't you know me?"
Manny lowered his claws and looked at her. Tears were in her eyes.
"I gave you an order! Kill her!" El Demonio yelled.
"Don't do it Manny!" Django said.
"Shut him up!" El Demonio ordered to the theives.
"My head! I can't think!" Manny cried. He kept hearing one voice after another.
"Manny please you're my best friend! I care about you!" Frida said.
Suddenly her foot slipped and she fell off the edge. Quickly she grabbed a nearby line and hung on for dear life. She had never been so scared in her life, she felt dizzy and weak. Then the line snapped and she fell.
"Manny! Help me!" She screamed.
"Frida? Frida!" Manny jumped off the building desperately reaching for Frida. Then he caught her and fired his claw to pull them up. Frida fainted when she landed in Manny's arms. He carried her bridal style as he walked across the floor.
"What are you doing?" El Demonio said. "Obey me! Obey-"
But Manny just punched him in the face and continued carrying Frida.
"Stop him!"
The crooks ran to attack Manny and he blew them away with a tigre roar.
"No! No! You can't defeat me!"
Then Manny grabbed El Demonio and threw him off the building. And when he landed the gauntlet broke and the skull was destroyed. Manny's eyes turned green and he looked down at Frida. She laid there in his arms he held her closer to him.
"Frida, wake up. Please." He said softly.
He kissed her forehead gently. Her eyes opened and she looked at him.
"Manny, you're okay."
"I'm here Frida."
"Hey guys take a look at this!" Django called.
They looked over the edge where El Demonio had fallen.
"He's gone!" Zoe gasped.
"And he's still out there but I'm gonna find him." Manny said.
The police arrived and the three crooks were arrested. The next day Manny and Frida went out to the arcade and to the ice cream shop. It was a fun day, they ended it by sitting in a tree and watching the sun go down.
"Hey Frida. I got you something."
He handed her a small box. Frida opened it and inside was a sliver locket with a ruby and a sapphire on it.
"Manny it's beautiful." She said.
"It was my great, great, great, great, great, grandmother's."
"Can you put on me?"
"Sure."
He put the necklace on her, it was a perfect fit. Then she placed her head on his shoulder and they just watched the day end.
