Disclaimer - I do not own the Mighty Boosh, this is just for fun!

Author's Note - It's the beginning of the end *sniff sniff* ! 5 more chapters to go, I hope you'll all enjoy the final showdown...! ;D

Chapter 25

Howard ran through the streets, weaving his way around every corner and alleyway in an attempt to find some hint of a clue as to Vince's whereabouts. He had so much adrenalin pumping through his veins that he barely registered his throbbing face or the sheer exhaustion threatening to make his legs give way at any minute. He couldn't give in to these feelings of weakness. He was done with being weak.

Mostly the pavements were empty, but every now and then he came across a passing pedestrian. He stopped every single person he passed with the same question. Had they seen a handsome, raven-haired young man pass through or a small pixie-like woman in shaman's robes? Nobody seemed to have seen anything. Either that or they were too wary to open up to a strange, out-of-breath man randomly stopping them for questioning.

Just when Howard was about to give up all hope, he heard a huge bang. The distinctive smash of glass breaking. People screaming.

The sound of chaos was coming from a few blocks away. Something was going on, and he knew who was responsible.

He raced closed and closer to the sound. His breathing was ragged, and his whole chest felt like it was on fire. But he kept running.

As he got nearer, he found himself entering scenes of bedlam. People were coming towards him, screaming and crying. Shards of glass littered the ground like confetti. A bright neon glow the colour of turquoise was hanging over the sky in cloudy wisps.

He saw a little girl coming towards him. She was sobbing her heart out and clutching a small creature in her arms.

A frog.

Howard felt all the colour drain from his face. He approached the little girl carefully. "Hey, little miss. Whatever's going on?"

"The lady! The lady!" she cried. "Me and Daddy were eating in the cafe... and she flew up in the air... she smashed the window... and then she started shooting magic stuff from her hands. My Daddy jumped in front of me... and she turned him into a frog!"

"Oh my God..." Howard knelt down to face her eye level. "Listen, it's OK. Your Dad will be fine, we'll reverse the spell. Just stay here, I'm going to go take care of it."

The little girl nodded sadly, and her frog-Dad croaked from her arms.

"Was there a man with the lady?" Howard asked, already knowing what the answer would be.

"Yeah.. and he looks scary" the little girl hiccuped. "His eyes are all weird. I think she's made him go scary like that, they had a fight and that was when everything happened."

"Right..." Howard replied solemnly. He took a deep breath. "Just stay here. Don't move OK? I'll be right back."

He stood back up and headed towards the glowing light. Most of the customers from the cafe had run off now. It didn't appear that any of them had called the police, they had all been preoccupied with saving their own skins. Howard found himself shaking his head at them all as they vanished off into the winding streets.

Cowards... Yeah it's easy to be a coward...I know that all too well... but sometimes you've got to stand up and fight.

Vince. I'm coming to fight for you.

xXx

Banoo couldn't remember a time when she had been more powerful. Even when she had been a fully fledged shaman, she had never felt like this. Untouchable.

Invincible.

All the people in the cafe had gone running as she flew through the glass window, dragging Vince along with her by his hair. She loved the sight of them all scattering like ants beneath her. The magic of Unicorn Horn pulsated through her whole body and before she knew it, she was flinging spells at everyone down below. She managed to hit some guy and turn him into a frog. The sheer rush from such power was unbelievable. She wanted to hit all of them. Show them all a thing or two. Make them bow to her magnificence.

Yes, she would soon be Queen of this city. And Vince would be her loving King.

She turned to him in mid-air, the glow of magic surrounding them like a romantic haze. He was back in her world now. His eyes were shining fluorescently and he was laughing along with her as she aimed her bursts of magic at the crowd. It might take a few more force-feedings of U, but soon she would break his willpower down. She would make him into the kind of boyfriend and partner in crime she had always wanted. He was so far gone by now it would take him hours to shake out of the spell. Even with his wild eyes and hair flying around him, he looked beautiful.

This was the life. Her and Vince. Together on this crazy trip. Forever.

But wait.

It couldn't be...

Out of nowhere, there he stood.

A lone maverick, glancing up with the kind of unflinching bravery she would never have thought him capable to possess.

Howard Moon.

"Alright there, Banoo" he shouted up. "Bet you thought I'd be long gone by now, eh? I'm sorry to tell you, it's going to take a bit more than a punch in the face and a game of hide and seek to get rid of me."

He took a step forward, showing no fear.

"I'm taking Vince home. He can do whatever he likes to me. Shout at me, hit me, tell me how much he hates me. But I'm not leaving without him."

Vince's hollow eyes widened ever so slightly, the sound of Howard's voice breaking through the magic barrier and registering somewhere deep inside of him.

Howard gave a defiant smirk. "I'm not leaving until you're out of our lives for good, you evil, psychopathic, bitch.""

Banoo screamed a scream so loud it echoed for miles around.