CORY
Looks like we've hit the 2-for-1 sale. Turns out Mr. Hyde's been running in the Jekyll family all these years, and he's more of a chaotic good guy than an evil guy. Palmer's been working on something that can help bring him out for a limited time, that time increasing slowly.
A field test is undoubtedly underway. But until then, Lisa and I are continuing our little Blastovision case, as mentioned by Farraday. Our only lead is this King of Horror guy that he collaborated with: Emory Banyon, well known for his Scream School franchise.
And judging by a monster greatly resembling his mascot, Johnny Scream, now with Slappy's minions, I guess it's time we had a little…talk.
While Dr. Jekyll is finishing up Formula 533-K to go face this guy, I'm tracking down Emory's place. I've heard of how his son, Jake Banyon, finally embraced his fears and pranked his dad as payback, calling himself the King of Horror as well. They've got some real family bonding ever since.
I soon come across a house with the address of 4113. This is the place. I head up and knock on the door. Nothing.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
That's the sound of the person who opens the door, wearing a monster costume for a jumpscare. I instantly realize that it's a costume before I can punch the guy in self-defense and draw out my armor. And thanks to my hunter training, my fear's basically limited now. But in my defense, it DOES look like a zombie.
"Spot on acting, but you can't fool me." I say. "I know a thing or two about fear that can make me your equal, King of Horror."
The man only laughs and chuckles as he takes off the mask.
"Man, you ARE brave!" He says. "Who told YOU that fear was a natural emotion?"
"A friend." I say. "He said that the only way to suppress and overcome fear is to embrace it. It can keep you alive and kicks your survival instincts into overdrive. Why else do people run away? They only fight when they're trapped and have no other option. Now, I need to ask you something: What do you know about Ray Bradbury Farraday?"
Mr. Banyon goes silent. After a while, he gestures to me to follow him inside so I do as I shut the door behind me. I only sit down as he begins.
"He was the only one whose scary movies could equally match my own." Emory begins. "They called him the Scariest Man Alive. Early on in our career, I got competitive. I told him that there could only be one King of Horror. But no matter how much we tried to one-up each other, the result was still the same. Fans couldn't tell whose movie was more terrifying. When we kept ending in a tie, I remembered how the old saying went. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."
"So you began collaborating." I theorize. "To make the scariest movie ever made."
"To be fair, it was his idea. But before this one, we managed to make several more movies, such as Going Ape, Agent Z vs Dr. Aqua, and House of a Hundred Horrors. And soon, Ray showed me something."
I follow his gaze and notice something. There's different VHS tapes near an old TV. Looks like a combo unit. On the VHS tapes are all the names of the movies Emory has worked on.
"He showed you a powerful sealing spell he got from someone." I say it myself to show that I believe him. "Originally used to seal monsters away in books, Ray was able to modify that spell to allow TVs to seal them away, but rather in tapes like those instead of pages. I should know. I spied on him releasing one of the monsters he captured back at the old theater."
"The Movie Magic Multiplex?!"
"Uh, it was more of an old-school stage place. But it DID have a camera and screen. Wait, is that the place?"
"Yeah, but it was closed down over a century ago. And while making our new movie, which Ray called The Dark Apocalypse, I noticed something was off about him. He had disappeared temporarily and his Fright Camp was shut down, but I felt like he wasn't the Ray I knew anymore. I had the exact same feeling I had when I had found some kind of strange technology. Rumor had it it was reverse engineered from tech found in an alien saucer. It seemed rather…intimidating. Like a camera I found at a garage sale."
"You mean…this camera?"
I pull it out and show him.
"H-How did you-?"
"Get that? Long story." I finish, only putting it back. "But it doesn't seem to be part alien tech. Someone told me a rumor that this thing had a magic curse on it. Thankfully I'm not in the photographic mood. So…what did you call this tech?"
"I called it…Blastovision. Ray was intrigued with it and suggested we try it out. I never had, so I figured it was a good time. We tested it by using it on my very first Scream School movie. But something went wrong. It managed to mix with the Sealing Spell on the Transmitter Tapes and the Mystic Monitors they were running on, which the Blastovision made to be like a movie projector. But the result was not what I expected. It was far beyond 3D or 4D. Like…like 6D. Before I realized it, Johnny Scream had leaped right out of the movie screen. But this wasn't like any of Jake's pranks to scare me. No, this was real. Right before my eyes, Johnny was wielding that ax with murderous intent."
"So you managed to escape."
"That's when Ray revealed his true plans. To allow his master, someone he called Slappy, to rule a world of fear, he needed my Blastovision technology to bring all of my Scream School monster and all of our creations to life, as well as releasing all the monsters Ray had sealed away with Blastovision making them even stronger than before. I managed to escape, and I destroyed all the Blastovision technology I had. But Ray knows that I know how to make it. But this town has gone completely off the map and grid. Cut off from the rest of the world. As long as I'm here, Ray will never find me. I just hope that Jake can understand."
"Well…ever heard strange noises beyond the woods at night?" I ask. "Slappy's got his eye on this town, and it won't be long until your cover's blown. Luckily…I might know some guys that might be able to offer you some protection."
His face goes from horror to shock as I reveal my secret, using the amulet to summon my armor and sword.
"In fact, I should." I add. "Because I just so happen to be one of those guys."
…
JEKYLL
What kind of guy would put a school in the middle of a desert?
"Why else would this be Desert Center Elementary?" I ask aloud, only because I'm alone. "The sixth installment of the Scream School was filmed here. Rumor is that it's haunted. A few weeks ago there were reports of some ax-wielding maniac."
Ya know, I'm offended by that. I'M the maniac around here!
"At least the magic portal serves as a good method of fast-travel."
Wait, why are we here again?
"The society reported that Slappy has managed to get a filmmaker by the name of Ray Bradbury Farraday under his control. He's trying to find a way to release all the monsters he's sealed away and make them stronger than before. To do that, he'll need some kind of advanced technology known as Blastovision. There's only one man who knows how to make it, and Cory's meeting with him right now. Meanwhile, I've managed to figure out how this tech can be powered, by two enchanted glasses lenses. One red, and one cyan. Like some kind of Super 3D glasses. And Billy's Hybrid Compatible tracker gadget managed to lock onto that kind of tech-magic energy and traced it here."
I keep following the marker on the device. It leads me into some kind of massive auditorium. The whole school looks like a mess. It's hard to imagine you could find anything in a place like this. I continue following the traces of energy the device picks up. It leads me behind the auditorium stage, and that's when I see it. Some old and smashed glasses, with the anaglyph lenses having fallen out. They appear crystalline. One is ruby red, the other sapphire cyan.
The Dimension Viewers. Hyde only states. Pretty cool name, right? Just thought of that!
I only kneel down and pick them up, tucking them safely in my shirt pocket. Suddenly, an ax chops its way through the door I'm near with a sickening crack! It nearly reaches at my face as I stumble back.
WOAH! Don't need no 3D glasses to see THAT coming at ya!
A few more chops, and a large hole is made. That's when I see a ghoul's face peek through with an insane grin.
"HEEEEEEERE'S JOHNNY!"
The ghoul kicks down the door, readying that sharp ax. And one look is all it takes for me to realize who this is.
"Johnny Scream…" I notice. "How do I know that you're the real deal and not Rad Donner?"
"A prop wouldn't be able to do THIS now, would it?! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Johnny only demonstrates his ferocity by smashing the wooden floor in front of him to bits, panting with his tongue heavily before giving an evil look.
"Now, why dontcha hand over the glass pieces and I'll behead ya another time?"
"Well…why don't you ask HIM that?" I only ask, readying the green potion hidden in my sack. I hope this works…
I chug it down as quickly as I can, and suddenly I feel a sensation similar to my brain burning as I drop the empty bottle, which smashes on the ground like the fragile object it is. I groan and clutch my brain as I feel myself pulse. My veins glow a bright cyan-white…
And then…I feel…our minds swap places…
…
HYDE
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! AW YEAH! I'VE MISSED THIS FEELING!"
Guess it's safe to say that the potion worked! Mr. Edward Hyde is back and badder than ever! And man oh man, it is so good to be back!
Remember, you only have 5 minutes before we switch back.
Ha! I'll only need 3 to take care of this clown! Just sit back and enjoy the show, doc! Don't worry, I won't hurt your body. Much.
"Ooo, what's this?" Johnny giggles, licking the flat end of his ax. "Him, eh? Alright then, why dontcha gimme those glasses lenses?"
"Oh, you want 'em?" I ask as the belt comes off and I wrap it around my fist. "Come get 'em."
Johnny only laughs like a maniac and charges with a scream, ax raised. I sidestep to dodge a downwards chop that nearly severs an arm, then slap him with my belt flap a couple of times before landing a few punches then kicking him away.
"You can have THIS, though! Here!"
I throw him his own ax, which lodges into a nearby wall. After dodging, Johnny only takes it out.
"We're doing this with weapons, huh? Hope you don't mind a muggin…"
I pulled out the knife the doc had. At this, Johnny laughs.
"Looks like you brought a knife to an ax fight!"
"Ain't the size of the weapon, junior. It's how ya use it!"
He lunges again, but thanks to that heavier weapon of choice, he's slower. Thankfully I can be a lot quicker as I land a few stabs. Once he grabs a stabbing arm, I just drop the knife and catch it with my other one, but of course he grabs that too.
"Okay, plan B!"
I headbutt him in the face, then throw him with my superhuman strength. I kick the ax away, too, so that he doesn't give me that much trouble again. Me? I only take out my trusty pistol sidearm.
"Oh look. I bought a knife to a gunfight."
I pump the trigger a few times, but the little guy manages to move fast enough to dodge them. He manages to retrieve his ax and blocks some more bullets, deflecting others while even chopping one in half!
"Ya know what? Here's the final touch."
I aim up high to send a skylight crashing down on Scream. At least he's not real. That way he can't be hurt. Oh wait…never mind.
Yeah, that reminds me. This Blasty tech can bring not only sealed monsters back out, it can also bring new ones to life! Take the ugly face, for example. Emmy just went and made him up! And now here he is, in the real world where he can get real hurt. Probably shoulda warned him about that, eh Slaps?
"AAAAAAAARGH!" The angered ghoul roars. "Just wait until my friends rise from the old graveyard this place was built on! They're the real deal, too, and were super angered about the building being put on top! You'll be sorry you ever stepped foot in here!"
"What graveyard?" I ask, not so easily fooled. "That was just in one of your stupid movies. Just like the ghost actors! So why don't I give ya a little snap back to reality?"
Click.
What?! Outta ammo?!
I just throw my knife at the guy, but he deflects it with his ax. That leaves me with only the belt here. Alright then, if that's how you wanna-.
"AUGH!"
Crap, my head! Pulsing like a mad dog!
Hyde, you've got sixty seconds! If you don't think that's enough time, then get out of there!
Shut up, it's plenty! I can take him down in the next ten!
Johnny only begins spinning around with that ax, so I leap over him with my superhuman agility and sweep the legs to trip him before wailing on him with the belt. I kick him away from the ax when he tries blocking the whips, so when he gets up, he charges at me with bare fists. Heh. Newbie.
I dodge a single punch and deliver a flurry of boxer blows of my own. Each one hits him square in the face before a powerful uppercut knocks him off the stage and out cold.
My veins begin pulsing again as I toss him the ax back, putting the belt back on. Gotta say…that was the most fun I had in a while. After over 200 years, I definitely needed that.
"Heh. Look at you." I say. "Even your mom wouldn't recognize you. Not that she could before thanks to that earlier face of yours. Seems like an improvement. Oh, and by the way…Dr Jekyll sends his regards."
Ding. Time's up.
I feel myself get yoinked back into the brain as our minds switch back to normal.
…
JEKYLL:
That's odd. I feel no pain. Maybe it's nullified when we switch back. Like a painkiller side effect. The green chaotic magic only warps Johnny Scream away, weapon and all. I check my pocket to see if the lenses are damaged. They're not.
"Well, looks like you're a man of your word after all." I note, retrieving the dropped sack, knife, and unloaded pistol.
That was pretty fun, Doc. Hyde chuckles. We should do that again sometime.
"Still, the effects are temporary. But I think I can extend the duration with some upgrades and modifications to the potion."
Looking forward to it. Why don't you let 'em know we got the magic glasses, or at least the important parts of them?
"And we'll be one portal away from heading back to base." I agree. "Besides, I think you prove exactly who the King of Horror was today."
Oh, I sure did. That punk's gonna think twice before taking on THE Jekyll and Hyde.
…
By the time Johnny woke up, he noticed something odd about himself. He appeared to be fractured in two spectrums. One red, the other cyan. When closing one eye, he could only see himself as one spectrum. And he appeared more…flat.
"Hey, what gives?!" He asked, noticing how warbly his voice had gotten. "What the heck is happening to me?!"
"You're becoming two dimensional." A voice told him. Johnny looked to see the man standing at the door to the Stagger Inn room. "And as a figment of Emory's imagination, this means it won't be long until you cease to exist."
"Cease to exist?!" He sounded shocked to hear panic in his own voice.
"Luckily, I have begun recalling Banyon's ways of creating the Blastovision you require." Ray only said. "Until I can finish making it, you will need these to remain stable."
He handed Johnny a pair of glasses, which had the same crystal red and cyan lenses like the one he was after at the school. The ghoul put them on, and he slowly fused back into the third dimension once again.
"Ahhh….that's better…" He sighed.
"You'll have to keep those glasses on." Ray said. "This was the last pair M was able to make for us before Slappy's contract expired. He's stopped lending us his magic ever since, and Slappy has yet to forge a pair himself. But once you see the new Blastovision production with those glasses, your body will be able to absorb the energy, not only restoring you in this real world, but also making you stronger than before."
"Oh boy! Does this mean I'll be able to help Slappy bring Dr. Aqua to life?! And the Vampire Twins John and Wendy? And King Kahn?!"
"Of course, Johnny. Where Emory Banyon fled and abandoned you, I will not. You have a place here, with the TRUE King of Horror. Among my very own monsters, you will lead them. So says the Scariest Man Alive."
"Wow! Thanks a bunch, Mr. Farraday!" Johnny giggled. "I can tell…this is gonna be a real SCREAM! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
