The Case of the Haunted House--Part Fifteen
by HA
"This should be good for a laugh," Number Eight mused as Marcus ran toward him. All eyes were on them, including those of Susan, Hiroshi, and Katrina from upstairs.
At the last moment, Marcus dug his staff into the floor and flipped over Number Eight. "What?" Number Eight exclaimed in genuine surprise.
Marcus landed perfectly on his two feet in a squatting position. Just as Number Eight turned around to face him, Marcus stood up quickly, yelled, and swung his staff at the ENIGMA agent's fan.
"What the...?" Marcus exclaimed as he watched his staff pass through the fan instead of knocking it away from Number Eight.
Everyone saw what happened. "What's going on?" Bo asked, stunned.
"He's a hologram," Shirley concluded, fixing her gaze on Number Eight. "He's been controlling everything from another location."
"So he was never here?" Lucy asked, blinking to make sure she did not imagine anything.
"Exactly," Shirley answered, keeping her eyes on the ENIGMA agent, or rather, the image of him.
Leaving a stunned Marcus in order to focus his attention on Shirley, the image of Number Eight laughed cruelly. "My dear detective, you don't know the power you've dared to challenge!" he declared dramatically. He stretched out his fan and a fireball ignited suddenly over it. "You think you can beat us? Silly girl! Even if I fail, the others will stop at nothing until you've joined your great-granduncle Sherlock and your other ancestors!"
Shirley blinked. "Others?"
The image of Number Eight laughed evilly. As he spoke, the fireball over his fan started to expand, shooting out tendrils of fire. "Yes, the others. All of them strongly devoted to Mr. E and ENIGMA like I am. If you manage to survive tonight, I guarantee that the others will carry out Mr. E's order and you'll never be safe! In the end, ENIGMA will crush you!" He waved his fan and the fireball disappeared. "You have no idea who you're dealing with, detective! Spare yourself future grief and do yourself, your family, and your friends a favor by dying tonight!" Shirley and the others watched as flames started to appear around the image of Number Eight. "ENIGMA forever!" he declared gleefully as the flames seemingly engulfed him. Laughing evilly, he was soon gone.
"Nice fireworks," Bo quipped as Number Eight's evil laughter echoed throughout the house. "ENIGMA definitely should go into the special FX business."
Shirley looked at her watch. "I estimate that we have about eight to nine minutes before the bomb goes off," she reported calmly.
"Great," Bo said. "And there's no way out."
Shirley quickly formulated a plan. "Bo, go help the others upstairs and get Bart. The rest of you guys, come with me. Lucy, do you know the blueprints of this house?"
"Yeah," Lucy answered. "It was necessary for this case."
"Then where's the basement?" Shirley asked urgently.
Lucy pointed to a nearby door. "That's it, I think. Why?"
"Because that's where the bomb is," Shirley answered as started running for the door. When she reached it, she saw that everyone was not moving. "What are you all waiting for? Move!" she shouted.
Bo ran up the stairs as quickly as his legs could take him while Shirley opened the door leading to the basement. She turned on her flashlight and waved everyone on her team to follow her down the stairs. Marcus retracted his staff and ran after Shirley and her group.
While Shirley and her group made their way down the basement stairs, Bo met the other Strangers upstairs. "Any luck with the door?" he asked.
"Nope," Hiroshi answered, shaking his head. "I think Dragonhead rigged a locking device behind the door, and I doubt Katrina can do anything about it."
Susan looked at Bo, her eyes saying desperation. "You've got to help us get in there. Bart could be hurt!" she pleaded.
"I'll give it a crack," Bo assured her. He walked away from the door and got ready to charge. "Everyone get out of the way!" he warned.
Susan and the others backed up against the wall, and Bo rushed at the door with his shoulder out. He hit the door hard, but all he could do was cause it to shake a little. The door stood firm, and Bo was left with a sore shoulder.
"Okay, if anyone has any ideas how to get through that door, I'd like to hear them right now," Bo said, rubbing his shoulder.
"Well, I've got a last resort," Hiroshi said, fishing in his pocket until he found something. He took it out and showed it to everyone.
"A pen?" Bo exclaimed, disappointed and confused. "Great."
Susan looked upset. "Hiroshi! Why didn't you use it before?"
"Well, I'm sorry, but our freaky friend doused me with sleeping powder and I forgot!" Hiroshi argued back to his fellow Stranger. "Besides, this place is going to be a city landmark, right? I don't think it's be a good idea to blast the door."
Susan groaned. "Should've remembered to get my new one before I left," she mumbled to herself.
"Guys!" Bo said, knowing the urgency of the situation. "We've got a bomb that's going to go off in maybe," Bo said, glancing at his watch, "six to seven minutes! Can you just do what you're going to do before we all get blown up?"
"Yeesh, don't get so snippy," Hiroshi said as he turned the cap of the pen-like object, which started to make a humming noise. "Everyone follow me."
Bo followed everyone reluctantly away from the door. "This should be a safe enough distance," Hiroshi said over the humming.
"For what?" Bo asked, wondering what the humming was all about.
Hiroshi pointed the "pen" at the door. "For this," he said before clicking a button on the pen-like object's side.
Before Bo's eyes, a bead of light shot out of the pen-like object and flew towards the door. When it collided, it make a loud boom and the door flew open with a ripping sound coming from behind it.
Hiroshi studied his shot. "Okay, that was strong enough," he said before breaking into a run for the room.
"What was that?" Bo asked as he and the others followed Hiroshi in.
"Sonic boomer," Susan answered as they entered the room. "Small, but deadly."
As they entered, Bo noticed a broken locking device on the floor. They looked in awe at the sight before them. In the far left corner of the room was Bart. He was stuck in a standing pose by a beam being emitted from the bed. At his feet laid the remains of what appeared to be a camera.
"Bart!" Susan cried out. When he could not respond, she turned to Hiroshi. "What's wrong with him?"
Hiroshi followed the immobilizing beam to its source, which was coming from something on the bed. The beam's light made out a dragon-shaped object.
"Bo, better get ready to catch him, but don't get too close to him," Hiroshi said. Bo did so, not even bothering to ask Hiroshi what he was going to do. Hiroshi turned the cap on his boomer, then pointed it at the dragon. "I'm starting to hate Chinese dragons," he remarked. Making sure his aim was right, he fired a shot that shattered the dragon into pieces.
The beam vanished, and Bart fell into Bo's outstretched arms. He mumbled as the numbness left his body. Groaning, he lifted his head to see Bo. "Bo?" he said. "Is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me, buddy," Bo said, smiling as he helped Bart stand up. "What happened?"
Bart rubbed his temples since he was feeling a slight throbbing in his head. "Some guy in a dragon mask trapped me here with the dragon statue on the bed," he told Bo. "He called himself Number Eight, then he vanished before my eyes."
"We've met," Bo said. "Sort of."
"Bart!" Susan exclaimed, glad that he was all right. Before he could react, she ran up to him and threw her arms around him. "I'm so glad you're all right," she told him while hugging him tightly.
Bart blushed and looked up at Bo, who was grinning. Hiroshi groaned and shook his head with an amused expression on his face. Katrina's face showed no sign of emotion.
"Uh, Bart," Bo began nervously. "Sorry about what I said earlier. I was a total jerk."
After Susan let him go, Bart answered his friend. "Hey, no problem. I guess I did have my head in the clouds."
"Um, excuse me," Hiroshi said, raising his pointer finger. "I hate to break up this touching Kodak moment, but we have a bomb that's going to explode soon, people!" he reminded urgently.
Bo had briefly forgotten about the bomb. "Come on!" he shouted urgently. "We've got to help the others in the basement!"
Everyone broke into a run after Bo as he dashed through the hallway and down the stairs. Soon they were making their way down the stairs leading to the basement, hoping that their friends had found the bomb.
END OF PART FIFTEEN
by HA
"This should be good for a laugh," Number Eight mused as Marcus ran toward him. All eyes were on them, including those of Susan, Hiroshi, and Katrina from upstairs.
At the last moment, Marcus dug his staff into the floor and flipped over Number Eight. "What?" Number Eight exclaimed in genuine surprise.
Marcus landed perfectly on his two feet in a squatting position. Just as Number Eight turned around to face him, Marcus stood up quickly, yelled, and swung his staff at the ENIGMA agent's fan.
"What the...?" Marcus exclaimed as he watched his staff pass through the fan instead of knocking it away from Number Eight.
Everyone saw what happened. "What's going on?" Bo asked, stunned.
"He's a hologram," Shirley concluded, fixing her gaze on Number Eight. "He's been controlling everything from another location."
"So he was never here?" Lucy asked, blinking to make sure she did not imagine anything.
"Exactly," Shirley answered, keeping her eyes on the ENIGMA agent, or rather, the image of him.
Leaving a stunned Marcus in order to focus his attention on Shirley, the image of Number Eight laughed cruelly. "My dear detective, you don't know the power you've dared to challenge!" he declared dramatically. He stretched out his fan and a fireball ignited suddenly over it. "You think you can beat us? Silly girl! Even if I fail, the others will stop at nothing until you've joined your great-granduncle Sherlock and your other ancestors!"
Shirley blinked. "Others?"
The image of Number Eight laughed evilly. As he spoke, the fireball over his fan started to expand, shooting out tendrils of fire. "Yes, the others. All of them strongly devoted to Mr. E and ENIGMA like I am. If you manage to survive tonight, I guarantee that the others will carry out Mr. E's order and you'll never be safe! In the end, ENIGMA will crush you!" He waved his fan and the fireball disappeared. "You have no idea who you're dealing with, detective! Spare yourself future grief and do yourself, your family, and your friends a favor by dying tonight!" Shirley and the others watched as flames started to appear around the image of Number Eight. "ENIGMA forever!" he declared gleefully as the flames seemingly engulfed him. Laughing evilly, he was soon gone.
"Nice fireworks," Bo quipped as Number Eight's evil laughter echoed throughout the house. "ENIGMA definitely should go into the special FX business."
Shirley looked at her watch. "I estimate that we have about eight to nine minutes before the bomb goes off," she reported calmly.
"Great," Bo said. "And there's no way out."
Shirley quickly formulated a plan. "Bo, go help the others upstairs and get Bart. The rest of you guys, come with me. Lucy, do you know the blueprints of this house?"
"Yeah," Lucy answered. "It was necessary for this case."
"Then where's the basement?" Shirley asked urgently.
Lucy pointed to a nearby door. "That's it, I think. Why?"
"Because that's where the bomb is," Shirley answered as started running for the door. When she reached it, she saw that everyone was not moving. "What are you all waiting for? Move!" she shouted.
Bo ran up the stairs as quickly as his legs could take him while Shirley opened the door leading to the basement. She turned on her flashlight and waved everyone on her team to follow her down the stairs. Marcus retracted his staff and ran after Shirley and her group.
While Shirley and her group made their way down the basement stairs, Bo met the other Strangers upstairs. "Any luck with the door?" he asked.
"Nope," Hiroshi answered, shaking his head. "I think Dragonhead rigged a locking device behind the door, and I doubt Katrina can do anything about it."
Susan looked at Bo, her eyes saying desperation. "You've got to help us get in there. Bart could be hurt!" she pleaded.
"I'll give it a crack," Bo assured her. He walked away from the door and got ready to charge. "Everyone get out of the way!" he warned.
Susan and the others backed up against the wall, and Bo rushed at the door with his shoulder out. He hit the door hard, but all he could do was cause it to shake a little. The door stood firm, and Bo was left with a sore shoulder.
"Okay, if anyone has any ideas how to get through that door, I'd like to hear them right now," Bo said, rubbing his shoulder.
"Well, I've got a last resort," Hiroshi said, fishing in his pocket until he found something. He took it out and showed it to everyone.
"A pen?" Bo exclaimed, disappointed and confused. "Great."
Susan looked upset. "Hiroshi! Why didn't you use it before?"
"Well, I'm sorry, but our freaky friend doused me with sleeping powder and I forgot!" Hiroshi argued back to his fellow Stranger. "Besides, this place is going to be a city landmark, right? I don't think it's be a good idea to blast the door."
Susan groaned. "Should've remembered to get my new one before I left," she mumbled to herself.
"Guys!" Bo said, knowing the urgency of the situation. "We've got a bomb that's going to go off in maybe," Bo said, glancing at his watch, "six to seven minutes! Can you just do what you're going to do before we all get blown up?"
"Yeesh, don't get so snippy," Hiroshi said as he turned the cap of the pen-like object, which started to make a humming noise. "Everyone follow me."
Bo followed everyone reluctantly away from the door. "This should be a safe enough distance," Hiroshi said over the humming.
"For what?" Bo asked, wondering what the humming was all about.
Hiroshi pointed the "pen" at the door. "For this," he said before clicking a button on the pen-like object's side.
Before Bo's eyes, a bead of light shot out of the pen-like object and flew towards the door. When it collided, it make a loud boom and the door flew open with a ripping sound coming from behind it.
Hiroshi studied his shot. "Okay, that was strong enough," he said before breaking into a run for the room.
"What was that?" Bo asked as he and the others followed Hiroshi in.
"Sonic boomer," Susan answered as they entered the room. "Small, but deadly."
As they entered, Bo noticed a broken locking device on the floor. They looked in awe at the sight before them. In the far left corner of the room was Bart. He was stuck in a standing pose by a beam being emitted from the bed. At his feet laid the remains of what appeared to be a camera.
"Bart!" Susan cried out. When he could not respond, she turned to Hiroshi. "What's wrong with him?"
Hiroshi followed the immobilizing beam to its source, which was coming from something on the bed. The beam's light made out a dragon-shaped object.
"Bo, better get ready to catch him, but don't get too close to him," Hiroshi said. Bo did so, not even bothering to ask Hiroshi what he was going to do. Hiroshi turned the cap on his boomer, then pointed it at the dragon. "I'm starting to hate Chinese dragons," he remarked. Making sure his aim was right, he fired a shot that shattered the dragon into pieces.
The beam vanished, and Bart fell into Bo's outstretched arms. He mumbled as the numbness left his body. Groaning, he lifted his head to see Bo. "Bo?" he said. "Is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me, buddy," Bo said, smiling as he helped Bart stand up. "What happened?"
Bart rubbed his temples since he was feeling a slight throbbing in his head. "Some guy in a dragon mask trapped me here with the dragon statue on the bed," he told Bo. "He called himself Number Eight, then he vanished before my eyes."
"We've met," Bo said. "Sort of."
"Bart!" Susan exclaimed, glad that he was all right. Before he could react, she ran up to him and threw her arms around him. "I'm so glad you're all right," she told him while hugging him tightly.
Bart blushed and looked up at Bo, who was grinning. Hiroshi groaned and shook his head with an amused expression on his face. Katrina's face showed no sign of emotion.
"Uh, Bart," Bo began nervously. "Sorry about what I said earlier. I was a total jerk."
After Susan let him go, Bart answered his friend. "Hey, no problem. I guess I did have my head in the clouds."
"Um, excuse me," Hiroshi said, raising his pointer finger. "I hate to break up this touching Kodak moment, but we have a bomb that's going to explode soon, people!" he reminded urgently.
Bo had briefly forgotten about the bomb. "Come on!" he shouted urgently. "We've got to help the others in the basement!"
Everyone broke into a run after Bo as he dashed through the hallway and down the stairs. Soon they were making their way down the stairs leading to the basement, hoping that their friends had found the bomb.
END OF PART FIFTEEN
