Chapter 5
At the college, in the gym, Mecha-Reaper sat impatiently on the stage. He had shed his cloak so he now looked like a muscular skeleton with horns, bat wings and clawed hands and feet. He clutched his scythe tightly in his claws. Harry the Haunted Hunter stood on the floor watching his head-shrunk victims drag in screaming students.
Mecha-Reaper grunted in an annoyed tone. "We've rounded up several students and not one of them is the one we're looking for. Head-shrink these students and send them out to join the others," said Mecha-Reaper.
Harry then aimed his blunderbuss at the captive students. They screamed as he pulled on the trigger. A blast of purple light emitted from the blunderbuss toward the students. Harry fired as much blasts as was needed. Those who already had their heads shrunk let the students go. The students writhed on the floor as their heads shrunk. As their heads shrank, their mouths became stitched shut and their hair tied up into topknots. "Round up everyone in this college, my head-shrunk slaves," ordered Harry. The new victims nodded their miniaturized heads and marched out of the gym.
Mecha-Reaper growled again. "We're getting nowhere at this rate. I think we've enslaved nearly half the students and faculty in this college and we still haven't found Lydia Deetz. I say we should go out and find her ourselves," said Mecha-Reaper. "This campus is very big, you metal moron. If I've learned one thing while hunting in the Neitherworld, it is to not go to your prey, but have your prey come to you," said Harry. "Don't take that tone with me, Pea Brain! Remember, I'm Master's right hand minion so I call the shots!" argued Mecha-Reaper.
Just then, one of the head-shrunk football players marched into the gym and whispered something to Harry. "This slave has informed me that one of the teachers and his students have sealed themselves in the photography lab," said Harry. "Photography lab? Wait a minute. Dr. Notrub teaches photography and Lydia Deetz is in his class. Wait here, Harry. I'll be back soon enough. Keep up the head shrinking. These enslaved people will make great additions to Master's army," said Mecha-Reaper as he stalked out of the gym. He never noticed the two figures observing everything through the skylight.
On the roof of the gym, Beetlejuice and Jack were stunned at what they had seen. Doomie was parked nearby. "This is bad. Mecha-Reaper has discovered where Lydia and the doc are. He's going there right now," said Beetlejuice in a frantic tone. "What about the Neither-monster?" asked Jack. "I definitely know this guy. It's Harry the Haunted Hunter, one of the Neitherworld's best hunters. No beast in the Neitherworld stands a chance against Harry. Of course, thanks to Dr. Grim, he's become an even more deadlier hunter. He can now shrink people's heads with his gun and control them through some kind of mind link," said Beetlejuice.
"What should we do?" asked Jack. "Here's the plan. I'll go after Mecha- Reaper and try to stop him from getting at Lydia. You fight Harry and try to induce enough fear in him so that I can paralyze him with the Ultimate Fright Force," said Beetlejuice. "I shall try my best, Beetlejuice. It's definitely an appropriate time to test out my Skeleton Sabers," said Jack.
"Just be careful, Jack. This is your first time as a full-fledged Spooky Hero. Watch the gun," said Beetlejuice. "Dr. Notrub told me that my Sabers can deflect energy blasts of any kind. I'll be okay. Just find Lydia and Dr. Notrub before Mecha-Reaper does," said Jack. "Good luck. Doomie, stay up here until I call you," said Beetlejuice. The car honked in agreement. Beetlejuice then flew off the roof and headed for the entrance. Jack remained on the roof and started to lift up the skylight.
Down in the gym, Harry was aiming his blunderbuss at three more captured students who were being held by more of the head-shrunk football players. "Prepare to join the ranks of the pinheads, students," said Harry. But before he could pull the trigger, a voice from behind him yelled, "Let those students go, hunter!"
"Huh?" grunted Harry as he turned around. He saw a really thin person dressed in orange armor and a pumpkin face helmet. "Who are you?" asked Harry. "The only thing I'm telling you is that I'm the newest member of the Spooky Heroes and I'm here to stop you from terrorizing the students," said Jack as he reached for the scabbards on his back and pulled out two bone white curved swords with a black spot on each of them. He put them together in front of his face and they made the image of a horrible skull. Jack pressed a button on each of the Sabers and they were instantly covered in a green glow.
Harry growled and fired his blunderbuss at the skeleton. Jack swung one of his swords and deflected the purple blast toward the open skylight. It soared harmlessly into the sky.
"Get him!" ordered Harry. The enslaved football players let go of their captives, who promptly rushed out of the gym and charged at Jack. Jack backed up against the wall while placing the Skeleton Sabers back into their scabbards. "I surrender!" he said. The players didn't stop charging. But moments before they could tackle the skeleton, Jack leapt into a forward flip over the players. The players slammed into the wall and knocked themselves out. "I was bluffing, you head-shrunk fools. It seems having your heads shrank hasn't done wonders for your intelligence," said Jack as he pulled out the Skeleton Sabers again and faced Harry again.
Harry growled angrily. He stowed his blunderbuss on his back and lifted his hat off his head and let it dangle on his back. Jack gasped as he saw Harry's own shrunken head. "Well, that explains why your new power is head- shrinking. Although, whoever did it to you didn't do a very good job. I know some witch doctors who did better head-shrinking jobs in Halloweentown," said Jack.
Jack's remark got Harry even angrier although he couldn't express it with his stitched up mouth. He pulled out two long hunting knives. "A true hunter hunts with more than a gun. Let's see your swords match my knives," said Harry. The skeleton and the deceased hunter charged at each other with swords and knives clashing.
'I must keep him distracted until Beetlejuice finds Lydia and Dr. Notrub. I only hope he can get to them before Mecha-Reaper does because they can't reveal that they are Spooky Heroes,' thought Jack as he continued to duel with Harry.
In fact, Beetlejuice was not getting any closer to finding Lydia, Dr. Notrub or Mecha-Reaper. As he floated through the hallways looking for them, he kept running into more of Harry's slaves. "Have a little taste of fear, Shrunk Skulls!" he yelled as he flicked his wrists up. Bright green beams blasted from the palms of the fingerless gloves he was wearing. The beams struck two of the slaves and after Beetlejuice had finished, they ran off screaming.
"Guess I overdid it. Scared them too much. I really hate to fight living people. But I have no choice. Now where did that hunk of maniacal metal go?" he asked as he looked for any sign of Mecha-Reaper. Suddenly, one of the head-shrunk slaves grabbed him from behind. Beetlejuice responded by reaching back and pulling him over his head. He slammed the slave on the ground. He was about to blast it with his Fright Force Blaster until he stopped suddenly.
"Which way to the photography lab?" he demanded. The slave pointed to the right hallway. Beetlejuice nodded and then floated off. "I'm coming Lydia!" he yelled.
Meanwhile, in the photography lab, Lydia and some of the other students of Dr. Notrub's class were trying to reinforce their barricade in front of the door by pushing on it. The sounds of the enslaved students banging on the door were continuing. "Keep that barricade up! We've got to keep them out until help has arrived," ordered Dr. Notrub.
"The authorities in this town sure take their sweet time!" yelled Claire angrily. 'Nobody in this town can take on these guys. Except us. I hope Beetlejuice gets here soon,' thought Lydia.
All of a sudden, the banging stopped. "They're gone! We're saved!" exclaimed Claire. Just then, a scythe blade cut through the door. "We're not saved!" yelled Lydia as she and the other students backed away from the door. 'Oh no! Mecha-Reaper's found us!' thought Dr. Notrub with a look of terror on his face. The scythe hacked away the door and their barricade and then the evil scythe-carrying robot lurched into the lab. Claire and the students screamed at the sight of Mecha-Reaper. He chuckled evilly.
"How noble of you, doctor. Trying to protect your students. Unfortunately, your efforts have been in vain," said Mecha-Reaper. 'Better pretend like I don't know this robot or the other students will get suspicious,' thought Dr. Notrub. "Whoever you are, I demand you leave this college at once! You have no right to terrorize and shrink the heads of our students!" he yelled angrily while walking up to the evil machination. Mecha-Reaper raised his clawed hand and swatted Dr. Notrub to the side. Dr. Notrub flew up against the wall and grunted. He collapsed onto the floor.
"Dr. Notrub!" cried Lydia as she rushed across the room toward the fallen doctor. But Mecha-Reaper grabbed her by the arm. "You're coming with me, Elvira. My master wishes to see you," he said as he turned around and walked out of the room dragging the squirming girl.
As he stepped into the doorway, he turned to the right and said, "Take the doctor and the rest of the students to Harry and have him do a number on their heads." "Wait! You got who you wanted! Why punish us?" asked Claire. "Simple enough, you little brat. I'm a machine programmed for evil and evil is what I intend to do to all of you," said Mecha-Reaper as he dragged Lydia to the left.
More of the enslaved students filed into the photography lab and started to inch toward the terrified students. Dr. Notrub remained on the floor nodding groggily. His students were in deep trouble and he was in no position to help them.
At the college, in the gym, Mecha-Reaper sat impatiently on the stage. He had shed his cloak so he now looked like a muscular skeleton with horns, bat wings and clawed hands and feet. He clutched his scythe tightly in his claws. Harry the Haunted Hunter stood on the floor watching his head-shrunk victims drag in screaming students.
Mecha-Reaper grunted in an annoyed tone. "We've rounded up several students and not one of them is the one we're looking for. Head-shrink these students and send them out to join the others," said Mecha-Reaper.
Harry then aimed his blunderbuss at the captive students. They screamed as he pulled on the trigger. A blast of purple light emitted from the blunderbuss toward the students. Harry fired as much blasts as was needed. Those who already had their heads shrunk let the students go. The students writhed on the floor as their heads shrunk. As their heads shrank, their mouths became stitched shut and their hair tied up into topknots. "Round up everyone in this college, my head-shrunk slaves," ordered Harry. The new victims nodded their miniaturized heads and marched out of the gym.
Mecha-Reaper growled again. "We're getting nowhere at this rate. I think we've enslaved nearly half the students and faculty in this college and we still haven't found Lydia Deetz. I say we should go out and find her ourselves," said Mecha-Reaper. "This campus is very big, you metal moron. If I've learned one thing while hunting in the Neitherworld, it is to not go to your prey, but have your prey come to you," said Harry. "Don't take that tone with me, Pea Brain! Remember, I'm Master's right hand minion so I call the shots!" argued Mecha-Reaper.
Just then, one of the head-shrunk football players marched into the gym and whispered something to Harry. "This slave has informed me that one of the teachers and his students have sealed themselves in the photography lab," said Harry. "Photography lab? Wait a minute. Dr. Notrub teaches photography and Lydia Deetz is in his class. Wait here, Harry. I'll be back soon enough. Keep up the head shrinking. These enslaved people will make great additions to Master's army," said Mecha-Reaper as he stalked out of the gym. He never noticed the two figures observing everything through the skylight.
On the roof of the gym, Beetlejuice and Jack were stunned at what they had seen. Doomie was parked nearby. "This is bad. Mecha-Reaper has discovered where Lydia and the doc are. He's going there right now," said Beetlejuice in a frantic tone. "What about the Neither-monster?" asked Jack. "I definitely know this guy. It's Harry the Haunted Hunter, one of the Neitherworld's best hunters. No beast in the Neitherworld stands a chance against Harry. Of course, thanks to Dr. Grim, he's become an even more deadlier hunter. He can now shrink people's heads with his gun and control them through some kind of mind link," said Beetlejuice.
"What should we do?" asked Jack. "Here's the plan. I'll go after Mecha- Reaper and try to stop him from getting at Lydia. You fight Harry and try to induce enough fear in him so that I can paralyze him with the Ultimate Fright Force," said Beetlejuice. "I shall try my best, Beetlejuice. It's definitely an appropriate time to test out my Skeleton Sabers," said Jack.
"Just be careful, Jack. This is your first time as a full-fledged Spooky Hero. Watch the gun," said Beetlejuice. "Dr. Notrub told me that my Sabers can deflect energy blasts of any kind. I'll be okay. Just find Lydia and Dr. Notrub before Mecha-Reaper does," said Jack. "Good luck. Doomie, stay up here until I call you," said Beetlejuice. The car honked in agreement. Beetlejuice then flew off the roof and headed for the entrance. Jack remained on the roof and started to lift up the skylight.
Down in the gym, Harry was aiming his blunderbuss at three more captured students who were being held by more of the head-shrunk football players. "Prepare to join the ranks of the pinheads, students," said Harry. But before he could pull the trigger, a voice from behind him yelled, "Let those students go, hunter!"
"Huh?" grunted Harry as he turned around. He saw a really thin person dressed in orange armor and a pumpkin face helmet. "Who are you?" asked Harry. "The only thing I'm telling you is that I'm the newest member of the Spooky Heroes and I'm here to stop you from terrorizing the students," said Jack as he reached for the scabbards on his back and pulled out two bone white curved swords with a black spot on each of them. He put them together in front of his face and they made the image of a horrible skull. Jack pressed a button on each of the Sabers and they were instantly covered in a green glow.
Harry growled and fired his blunderbuss at the skeleton. Jack swung one of his swords and deflected the purple blast toward the open skylight. It soared harmlessly into the sky.
"Get him!" ordered Harry. The enslaved football players let go of their captives, who promptly rushed out of the gym and charged at Jack. Jack backed up against the wall while placing the Skeleton Sabers back into their scabbards. "I surrender!" he said. The players didn't stop charging. But moments before they could tackle the skeleton, Jack leapt into a forward flip over the players. The players slammed into the wall and knocked themselves out. "I was bluffing, you head-shrunk fools. It seems having your heads shrank hasn't done wonders for your intelligence," said Jack as he pulled out the Skeleton Sabers again and faced Harry again.
Harry growled angrily. He stowed his blunderbuss on his back and lifted his hat off his head and let it dangle on his back. Jack gasped as he saw Harry's own shrunken head. "Well, that explains why your new power is head- shrinking. Although, whoever did it to you didn't do a very good job. I know some witch doctors who did better head-shrinking jobs in Halloweentown," said Jack.
Jack's remark got Harry even angrier although he couldn't express it with his stitched up mouth. He pulled out two long hunting knives. "A true hunter hunts with more than a gun. Let's see your swords match my knives," said Harry. The skeleton and the deceased hunter charged at each other with swords and knives clashing.
'I must keep him distracted until Beetlejuice finds Lydia and Dr. Notrub. I only hope he can get to them before Mecha-Reaper does because they can't reveal that they are Spooky Heroes,' thought Jack as he continued to duel with Harry.
In fact, Beetlejuice was not getting any closer to finding Lydia, Dr. Notrub or Mecha-Reaper. As he floated through the hallways looking for them, he kept running into more of Harry's slaves. "Have a little taste of fear, Shrunk Skulls!" he yelled as he flicked his wrists up. Bright green beams blasted from the palms of the fingerless gloves he was wearing. The beams struck two of the slaves and after Beetlejuice had finished, they ran off screaming.
"Guess I overdid it. Scared them too much. I really hate to fight living people. But I have no choice. Now where did that hunk of maniacal metal go?" he asked as he looked for any sign of Mecha-Reaper. Suddenly, one of the head-shrunk slaves grabbed him from behind. Beetlejuice responded by reaching back and pulling him over his head. He slammed the slave on the ground. He was about to blast it with his Fright Force Blaster until he stopped suddenly.
"Which way to the photography lab?" he demanded. The slave pointed to the right hallway. Beetlejuice nodded and then floated off. "I'm coming Lydia!" he yelled.
Meanwhile, in the photography lab, Lydia and some of the other students of Dr. Notrub's class were trying to reinforce their barricade in front of the door by pushing on it. The sounds of the enslaved students banging on the door were continuing. "Keep that barricade up! We've got to keep them out until help has arrived," ordered Dr. Notrub.
"The authorities in this town sure take their sweet time!" yelled Claire angrily. 'Nobody in this town can take on these guys. Except us. I hope Beetlejuice gets here soon,' thought Lydia.
All of a sudden, the banging stopped. "They're gone! We're saved!" exclaimed Claire. Just then, a scythe blade cut through the door. "We're not saved!" yelled Lydia as she and the other students backed away from the door. 'Oh no! Mecha-Reaper's found us!' thought Dr. Notrub with a look of terror on his face. The scythe hacked away the door and their barricade and then the evil scythe-carrying robot lurched into the lab. Claire and the students screamed at the sight of Mecha-Reaper. He chuckled evilly.
"How noble of you, doctor. Trying to protect your students. Unfortunately, your efforts have been in vain," said Mecha-Reaper. 'Better pretend like I don't know this robot or the other students will get suspicious,' thought Dr. Notrub. "Whoever you are, I demand you leave this college at once! You have no right to terrorize and shrink the heads of our students!" he yelled angrily while walking up to the evil machination. Mecha-Reaper raised his clawed hand and swatted Dr. Notrub to the side. Dr. Notrub flew up against the wall and grunted. He collapsed onto the floor.
"Dr. Notrub!" cried Lydia as she rushed across the room toward the fallen doctor. But Mecha-Reaper grabbed her by the arm. "You're coming with me, Elvira. My master wishes to see you," he said as he turned around and walked out of the room dragging the squirming girl.
As he stepped into the doorway, he turned to the right and said, "Take the doctor and the rest of the students to Harry and have him do a number on their heads." "Wait! You got who you wanted! Why punish us?" asked Claire. "Simple enough, you little brat. I'm a machine programmed for evil and evil is what I intend to do to all of you," said Mecha-Reaper as he dragged Lydia to the left.
More of the enslaved students filed into the photography lab and started to inch toward the terrified students. Dr. Notrub remained on the floor nodding groggily. His students were in deep trouble and he was in no position to help them.