Episode 19: The Torment of Poe

Since the nightclub had to be closed down for who knows how long, everyone's spirits were a bit lowered, though for a good reason with all the recent paranormal incidents happening including some casualties. In the meantime, the Z-Team would have to do whatever it takes to stop the Dark Master and his followers including his right hand man, the mad scientist Dr. Venom. For now, the Z-Team decided to hang out at the All-Fields Laboratory with Dr. Dectavious for a little laughs and lessons in science since that was the only joy they could get for now.

Dr. Dectavious was giving a lesson on quantum physics, hoping someday this area would be further revolutionized, yet at the same time, avoid anything that would go down Dr. Venom's path. He was hoping that this area would extend into the field no other man would dare to do: the power of time travel. As exciting as the topic was, there was the potential for destruction as it would give man the power to not only explore history, but alter it as well, so it would have to be a discreet operation should the need to defend it be necessary.

Just then the intrigue and wonder of the lesson had vanished as a woman's scream was heard from the halls outside the quantum physics lab. The Z-Team raced outside just to catch the frightened woman, already panicky from whatever scenario she just encountered. Zack managed to catch her in her arms.

"You alright ma'am?" he asked.

"Th-There's a ghost! D-Down the halls, she's coming this way!" She screamed and then eluded Zack's grasp, the group turned in the direction she pointed in and soon enough spotted the phantasm, but before they could even lay a hand on their weapons they discovered to their relief, it was none other than the ghost of Mary Shelly herself, exploring the halls.

"I've been looking for you Zack and your recruits.." implored Mary Shelly.

"Shouldn't you be in the dark rooms with the rest of the authors?" asked Zack a bit stern. "The authors?" asked a few pondering what that meant.

"Yes, but this is a real emergency! Poe has been having some kind of fit, and several moments ago, his raven mysteriously vanished….."

"Fits and a disappearance?" pondered Elsa.

"I smell some foul play!" replied Donald.

"Perhaps you could lead us to this Board Zack..." asked Mickey.

"Will do, that's a good place to start!" answered Zack. Zack led the team into one area of the vast laboratory that was in darkness, only lit with some candles, the perfect setting for ghosts. In this medium sized room was a long table with seven chairs, the odd one at the other end for the Chairman, which was empty, same as the one to the right, which was where Mary Shelly herself sat. In the other seats were the ghosts of other famous male authors from the 19th century with their names present: Charles Dickens, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Bram Stroker, Fyodor Dostoevsky and Lafcadio Hearn. They were in a state of turmoil pondering whatever happened to their chairman and his pet.

"Gentlemen! Gentlemen! Help has arrived!" Mary shouted to the rest of them, the ghosts of the men turned their heads in the direction of the female author.

"Ah the brave lads and ladies who braved themselves against bloodthirsty plants. How delightful!" smiled Charles Dickens.

"That's nice, but we need to get to the bottom of your chairman's disapperance, Sir Dickens." smiled Zack back, who then transitioned back to neutral expression, his teammates nodded.

"Poe's fits seem to have a correlation between his raven and perhaps whatever he suffered in his past life..." pondered Arthur Doyle.

"Gawrsh, but don't ya think it would involve the Dark Master?" asked Goofy.

"That's one way of putting it silly one. After all, behind every mystery is a motive."

"Mystery and horror are the byproducts of the human condition" added Charles Dickens.

"Fear eez created from the folays of de hooman condeetion, soomtimes from eediots. Joost laek comrade Doyle said theere's alvays a reezon." added Fyodor Dostoevsky.

"Might I add, strangeness is only a natural thing, fear can be generated in even the ordinary" added Lafcadio Hearn.

"The only way for man to defeat an evil is to know how to either repel or destroy it with the right tools" finished Bram Stroker.

"And speaking of tools…." Arthur Doyle floated towards the Z-Team and handed Zack a letter which read: "You'll never make it in time to save Mr. Poe Z-Team! Not even if you traverse a certain mansion of close to a 1000 specters". Everyone in Zack's group widened their eyes at the mere mention of the mansion, using deduction that Sir Doyle bestowed upon them and the advice from the other ghost authors, it had to be the Haunted Mansion. Without any further delay, the group Shadow portaled over to the entrance of the Haunted Mansion. As soon as the Z-Team entered the foyer of the mansion, they were greeted by an unmistakable disembodied voice.

"Welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion, I am your-"

"Yes, yes, we know that, we don't have time for a tour Ghost Host, but perhaps you can help us in some way?" asked Zack.

"All the pleasure in the dark world Zack, what service can I offer you?" offered the Ghost Host.

"We received word that a ghost ally of ours, none other than Edgar Allan Poe was captured and brought here.

"The Edgar Allan Poe?! But captured? Hmmmmm…...I have received word that a strange ghoul arrived here a while ago it was holding some spirit hostage, I will let you have a look around, just no bright lights please." With that the Ghost Host allowed the Z-Team into the shaft that would lead to the main hall. While waiting for the secret door to open in the side, Zack pulled out a gadget the group hadn't seen yet: a high tech magnifying glass, with three square buttons on the handle, and the lens looked like a zoom lens.

"This high-tech magnifier should help us scoop out the perpetrator who caught Poe" he informed them all.

"You're too full of surprises Zack!" replied Mulan, smiling in wonder.

"It will only be a matter of time before we find out other secrets about you Zack!" added Aladdin. In no time the door opened up to the hallway with all the ghostly paintings and busts, but there was no time for any of that. Zack gave his Threat Detector to Elsa while he held the High-Tech Magnifier and his sword in the other hand. Minnie held up the Shadow Bane in case any malevolent specters were on the prowl, everyone else had their weapons at the ready in case they found the ghoul who caught Poe. Using the Threat Detector, they were led down the many halls, until they reached the conservatory, where there was one ghost trying to get out, it's grunts and calls for assistance were being heard. While looking around, they noticed something unusual on the glass. Using the magnifier Zack zoomed in on it, it was a muddy stain outline of a footprints, like that of a big bird.

"Must of been some kind of big bird here that came by here, but what kind?" pondered Donald.

"That's one clue we've got, perhaps there's more clues elsewhere, maybe Madame Leota knows..." added Zack, the others nodded and followed him down to the séance room, which had the table with a crystal ball in the center with Madame Leota's head inside, random objects were floating around, and Leota herself was muttering strange sentences, she then caught sight of the Z-Team.

"Welcome Z-Team, I had a vision of your arrival, though you might be in for a much tougher battle ahead then you all realize, be aware of illusions, the ghoul you are seeking might use what Poe wrote against you!" warned Madame Leota.

"Gawrsh you mean like the pit and the pendulum?" asked Goofy.

"Yes and many more, even if you aren't familiar with his works"

"We'll have to be more on our guard for this ghoul!" added Jasmine.

"Perhaps we can outsmart it if we can, there's always a way!" added Aladdin.

"The ghoul is no pushover, in fact the creature is a creation of both science and black magic together."

"You mean growth hormones may have been used?" asked Mickey.

"Exactly, better hurry onward brave heroes, the author needs you!" With these words, the Z-Team hurried along the halls, especially the one overlooking the swinging wake of spirits. The Z-Team then found themselves up in the attic where various ghostly activity was taking place and they spotted a strange figure in a red cloak and plumed hat wearing a red skull mask floating towards them, the Threat Detector alerted that this was not a nice being. The red-skulled being raises its arms and started emitting some strange flies at them, causing everyone to go crazy, until Minnie held out the Shadow Bane, repelling the flies and causing the red-skulled being to recoil from the light. With it's guard down, Mickey stepped forward, cupped his hands and shouted "Shadow Skull!" emitted a wispy black skull from his hands which caused the masked being to vanish. But there was no sign of Poe anywhere around the attic, even the ghost witnesses in this region were of no help, except to pointing out into the graveyard.

Leaping out of the Mansion's attic window the Z-Team with gadgets, weapons, and trinkets out, exploring around, searing for anything that could lead to the whereabouts of the ghoul and Poe. The Threat Detector alerted again, leading them to the center of the cemetery where they spotted a woman in a black dress with black hair looking morbid who began to take one peer at the group and then floated towards the crypt area of the cemetery. They knew this had to be a lead on what they were seeking. As they entered the crypt but several steps inward, they were expecting to the see the hitchhiking ghosts, but they were missing, and then a strange wind was felt. The sound of creaking was heard and coming straight towards the group was a very large scythe blade heading at them at breakneck speed, causing the group to split sideways to safety. The pendulum missed and then swung back at them, the Z-Team had to hurry before any of them could be cut in half, luckily the left side was a safe side. At the opposite end there was the woman in black who then turned to them, and then gave a sinister leer, then smiled evilly before transforming into a hooded ghoul with the feet and head of a raven with a long black beak, glowing, grey, pupiless eyes, and monstrous hands with wings. I flapped up and pulling out of a tombstone was the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe himself, being tormented with horrible abominations seeping out of his head.

"Help me…..help me…..." pleaded Poe as the Raven Ghoul maintained its grasp on the poor ghost of Edgar Allan Poe, as the evils continually emitted under the grasp.

"Drop him bad bird!" snarled Zack with rage, but the Raven Ghoul just cawed a frightening sound and squawked, "Nevermore! Nevermore!" and then waving its wing arms sent a whirlwind at the Z-Team. Aladdin stepped forward, pointed his scimitar and shouted, "Squall Gust!" which emited a surge of wind out, and then neutralized the whirlwind. From the nightmares conjured from Poe's mind, shades of black surrounded the group as if trapping them in pitch darkness and then larger than average eyes appeared all around, causing several to jump. Pluto leaped forward at the Raven Ghoul and bit the bad bird on the leg causing the shades to disappear. The Raven Ghoul shook Pluto off, and then squinted its pupiless grey eyes causing them to glow, almost everyone except Zack fell under a trance immobilizing them. Zack pointed his sword and shouted "Flame Blade!" launching a stream of fire at the Ghoul, burning it at the torso, it then kicked Pluto towards Donald, the impact, shook him out of his trance. Donald then pointed his spear a the Raven Ghoul and shouted, "Lightning Strike!" emitting a bolt of Lightning electrocuting the Raven until a puff of black smoke appeared, everyone was immediately out of their trance. Once the smoke settled in it's place was the regular raven, and Poe was standing there alright.

"Thank you Z-Team, you have saved me from my greatest agony, all the pain I suffered from my time on Earth, which the Raven was exploiting out of me for the Dark Master's power." He smiled in gratitude.

"Sorry to hear what you have suffered in life Edgar…." Elsa said with compassion.

"All that suffering I received was the inspiration for my works, and that was what made me a successful writer."

"Let's get you back to the others Poe, I'm sure they'll be glad to have you back!" replied Zack.

With that the Z-Team and Poe returned to the laboratory and back to the Board of Horror with the Raven in tow perched on Poe's chair. The authors then gave several members books to read for the time being, Dickens took a liking to Aladdin and Jasmine, saying he would give his character, The Artful Dodger, a run for his money, and gave them to read Oliver Twist. Goofy was applauded by Dostoevsky, who handing him a book of one of his works, The Idiot, for reading. Mickey and Minnie were given Dracula by Bram Stroker. Donald received The Hound of Baskervilles from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Mulan got Kwaidan from Lafcadio Hearn. And the rest got Frankenstein from Mary Shelly. It would be a suitable reward, for now, for the Z-Team would have to do some more undercover work to stop the spread of evil from science and dark magic.